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20

SCOTS and ENGLISH

POEM S.

Dubiam facientia carmina palmam. Juv.

EDINBURGH:

Printed for ARCHIBALD MONRO & DAVID MURRAY,

M.DCC.LIII,

· 2.

As the mind of man is ever fond of variety, no

thing feems better calculated to entertain, than

a judicious collection of the fmaller (tho' not on that account lefs-labour'd) productions of eminent poets: `an entertainment not unlike that which we receive from surveying a finish'd landschape, or well-difpos'd piece of fhell-work: where each particular object, tho' fingly beautiful, and sufficiently striking by itself, receives an additional charm, thus (as Milton expreffes it) SWEETLY INTERCHANG'D.

The firft mifcellaneous collection of poems, that ever appear'd in Great-Britain with any reputation, is that publish'd by Mr Dryden: which was afterwards continued by Tonfon. There are many pieces of the higheft merit in this collection by Dryden, Denham, Creech, Drayton, Garth, Marvell, and many others; yet the compilers, it is evident, were not always fufficiently fcrupulous and cautious in their choice, as feveral pieces are admitted, among the reft, which would otherwise utterly have perished, and which had no other recommendation than that they ferved to fwell the volume. Since this, many mifcellanies have been published both in Scotland and England: to enumerate which would be no less tedious than useless. It will be fufficient to remark, that thro'

want of care or judgment in their respective editors they are all forgotten, or neglected. From these the mifcellany known by the name of Mr Pope perhaps ought to be excepted; tho' that, indeed, cannot properly be ftyl'd a collection of poems by different hands, which is fuch a one as we are speaking of at prefent, the greater part confifting of pieces by Mr Pope only. The beft mifcellany at this day extant in our language, and the first complete one of the kind which we have feen, is that lately publifh'd at London by R. Dodfley, which boasts the greatest names of the prefent age among its contributors.

As to the poetical collection here exhibited to the public, we apprehend it challenges no fmall degree of regard, as it was made under the immediate infpection and conduct of several very ingenious gentlemen, whofe names it would do us the highest honour to mention; and as it contains a variety not to be found even in the admirable collection laft fpoken of; I mean the Intermixture of poems both Scotch and English. Nor is this variety lefs agreeable than ufeful; as from it, we have an opportunity of forming a comparison and estimate of the taste and genius of the two different nations, in their poetical compofitions.

It will be neceffary to take notice, that our chief care has been to furnish out the following mifcellany with those pieces (regard being firft had to real merit)