Written upon several OCCASIONS, And to feveral PERSON S. By EDMOND WALLER, Esq; The Tenth Edition, with Additions. The AUTHOR's LIFE Non ego mordaci diftrinxi carmine quenquam, LONDON: Printed for JACOB TONSON, at Shakespear's THE PRINTER TO THE REA DE R. W HEN the Author of thefe Verfes (written only to please himself, and Juch particular Perfons to whom they were directed) returned from abroad fome Tears fince, He was troubled to find his Name in Print, but fomewhat fatisfied to fee his Lines fo ill rendred, that be might justly difown them, and fay to a mistaking Printer, as one did to an ill Reciter Malè dum recitas, incipit effe tuüm. Having been ever fince preffed to correct the many and grofs Faults (such as ufe to be in Impreffions wholly neglected by the Authors) his Answer was, that he made thefe when ill Verfes had more Favour and efcaped better, than good ones do in this Age; the Severity whereof be thought not unhappily diverted by thofe Faults in the Impreffion, which bi A 3 therto therto have bung upon his Book, as the Turks hang old Rags (or juch like ugly things) upon their fairest Horfes and other goodly Creatures, to fecure them against Fafcination: and for thofe of a more confin'd Understanding, who pretend not to Cenfure, as they admire moft what they leaft comprehend, fo his Verfes (maim'd to that degree that himself fcarce knew what to make of many of them) might that way at least have a Title to fome Admiration; which is no small matter, if what an old Author obferves be true, That the Aim of Orators, is Victory; of Hiftorians, Truth; and of Poots, Admiration. He had reafon therefore to indulge thofe Faults in his Book whereby it might be reconciled to fome, and commended to others. The Printer alfo be thought would fare the worse, if thofe Faults were amended; for we fee maimed Statues fell better than whole ones, and clipt and wafht Money goes about, when the entire and weighty lies hoarded up. These are the Reasons which for above twelve Tears past he has opposed to our Request; To which it was reply'd, that as it would be too late to recall that which had fo long been made publick, fo might it find Excufe from his Youth (the Seafon it was produced in:) And for what had been done fince, and now added, if it commend not his Poetry, it might his Philofophy, which teaches him fo chearfully to bear fo great a Calamity, as the lofs of the Part of his Fortune (torn from him in Prifon, in which, and in Banifhment, the beft Portion of his Life bath also been spent) that he can ftill fing under the Burthen, not unlike that Roman, -Quem -Quem demifere Philippi Decifis humilem pennis, inopemque paterni Whofe Spreading Wings the Civil War had clipt, Who yet not long after could say, Mufis amicus triftitiam & metus They that acquainted with the Mufes be, Not fo much moved with thefe Reasons of ours, (or pleas'd with our Rhimes) as wearied with our Importunity, he has at laft given us leave to affure the Reader, That the Poems which have been fi long and fo ill fet forth under his Name, are here to be found as he first writ them; as alfo to ada Some others which have fince been compofed by him. And though his Advice to the contrary might have difcourag'd us; yet obferving how often they have been Reprinted, what Price they have born, and how earnestly they have been always enquired after, but efpecially of late; making good that of Horace, -Meliora dies, ut Vina, Poemata reddit: Some Verfes being (like fome Wines) recommended to our Tafte by Time and Age, we have adventur'd upon this new and well corrected Edition, which, for our own fakes, as well as thine, we hope will Jucceed better than be apprehended. Vivitur ingenio, cætera mortis erunt. |