WORKS IN VERSE AND PROSE, WILLIAM SHENSTONE, Esq; Most of which were never before printed. Cantando puerum memini me condere foles. VIRG. LONDON: Printed for R. and J. DODSLEY in Pall-mall. M DCC LXIV. PREFACE. A Great part of the poetical works of Mr. SHENSTONE, particularly his Elegies and Paftorals, are (as he himself expreffes it) "The exact transcripts of the fituation of his own mind;" and abound in frequent allufions to his own place, the beautiful scene of his retirement from the world. Exclufively therefore of our natural curiofity to be acquainted with the history of an author, whose works we perufe with pleasure, fome short account of Mr. SHENSTONE'S personal character, and fituation in life, may not only be agreeable, but abfolutely neceffary, to the reader; as it is impoffible he should enter into the true fpirit of his writings, if he is entirely ignorant of those circumstances of his life, which sometimes fo greatly influenced his reflections. I could wish however that this task had been allotted to fome perfon capable of performing it in that masterly manner which the subject so |