[ ] ADVERTISEMENT то THE FIRST EDITION, 1772. THIS Volume contains a complete Collection of the Poems of the late Dr. Akenfide, either reprinted from the original Editions, or faithfully published from Copies which had been prepared by himfelf for publication. any That the principal Poem fhould appear in fo difadvantageous a state, may require fome explanation. The first publication of it was at a very early part of the Author's life. That it wanted Revision and Correction, he was fufficiently fenfible; but fo quick was the demand for feveral fucceffive republications, that in of the intervals to have completed the whole of his Corrections was utterly impoffible; and yet to have gone on from time to time making farther Improvements in every new Edition would (he thought) have had the appearance at least of abufing the favor of the Public. He chofe therefore to continue for fome time reprinting it without alteration, and to forbear publishing any Corrections or Improvements until he should be able at once to give them to the Public complete. And with this view he went on for feveral years to review and correct the Poem at his leifure; till at length he found the task grow fo much upon his hands, that, despairing of ever being able to execute it fufficiently to his own fatisfaction, he aban- doned the purpose of correcting, and refolved to write the Poem over anew upon a fomewhat different and an enlarged Plan. And in the execution of this Design he had made a confiderable Progress. What reason there may be to regret that he did not live to execute the whole of it, will best appear from the perusal of the Plan itself, as ftated in the General Argument, and of the parts which he had executed, and which are here published. For the perfon *, to whom he in- trufted the Difpofal of his Papers, would have thought himself wanting, as well to the Service of the Public, as to the Fame of his Friend, if he had not produced as much of the Work as appeared to have been pre- pared for publication. In this light he confidered the intire first and second Books, of which a few Copies had been printed for the use only of the Author and certain Friends: alfo a very confiderable part of the third Book, which had been transcribed in order to its being printed in the fame manner: and to thefe is added the Introduction to a fubfequent Book, which in the Manufcript is called the Fourth, and which appears to [* The Right Hon. JEREMIAH DYSON; by whom tended to comprize the whole in Four Books; but which, as he had afterwards determined to distribute the Poem into more Books, might perhaps more properly be called the Laft Book. And this is all that is executed of the new work, which, although it appeared to the Editor too valuable, even in its imperfect State, to be withholden from the Public, yet (he conceives) takes in by much too fmall a part of the original Poem to fupply its place, and to fuperfede the re-publication of it. For which reason both the Poems are inferted in this collection. Of Odes the Author had defigned to make up Two Books, confifting of twenty Odes each, including the feveral Odes which he had before published at different times. The Hymn to the Naiads is reprinted from the fixth Volume of Dodfley's Mifcellanies, with a few Corrections and the addition of fome Notes. To the Infcriptions taken from the fame Volume three new Inscriptions are added; the last of which is the only inftance wherein liberty has been taken of inserting any thing in this Collection, which did not appear to have been intended by the Author for publication *; among whofe papers no Copy of this was found, but it is printed B 2 [* In the prefent Edition, a few pieces are added, which are known to be genuine, and which certainly are no difcredit to their Author. But these are all placed at the end of the volume.] printed from a Copy which he had many years fince given to the Editor. The Author of thefe Poems was born at Newcastle upon Tyne, on the 9th Day of November 1721. He was educated at the Grammar School at Newcastle, and at the Univerfities of Edinburgh and Leyden, at the latter of which he took his Degree of Doctor in Phyfic. He was afterwards admitted by Mandamus to the Degree of Doctor in Physic in the Univerfity of Cambridge: elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Phyficians, and one of the Phyficians of St. Thomas's Hofpital and upon the Establishment of the Queen's Household, appointed one of the Phyficians to Her Majefty. He died of a putrid Fever, on the 23d Day of June 1770, and is buried in the Parifh Church of St. James's Weftminster. : THE |