fuch-like ugly things, upon their faireft horfes, and other goodly creatures, to fecure them against fascination. And, for those of a more confined understanding, who pretend not to cenfure; as they admire most what they leaft comprehend, fo, his verfes (maimed to that degree that himself scarce knew what to make of many of them) might, that way at leaft, have a title to fome admiration: which is no fmall matter, if what an old Author obferves be true, that the aim of Orators, is victory; of Hiftorians, truth; and of Poets, admiration. He had reason therefore to indulge those faults in his Book, whereby it might be reconciled to fome, and commended to others. The Printer alfo he thought would fare the worse, if thofe faults were amended: for we fee maimed statues fell better than whole ones; and clipped and washed money goes about, when the entire and weighty lies hoarded up. These are the reafons which for above twelve years past he has opposed to our request; to which it was replied, that as it would be too late to recall that which had fo long been made public; so, might it find excufe from his youth, the season it was produced in. And, for what had been done fince, and now added, if it commend not his Poetry, it might his Philosophy, which teaches him fo chearfully to bear so great a calamity, as the lofs of the best part of his fortune, torn from him in prifon (in which, and in banishment, the best portion of his life hath also been spent), that he 5 he can ftill fing under the burthen, not unlike that Roman*, *** Quem dimifere Philippi Decifis humilem pennis, inopemque paterni Whofe fpreading wings the civil war had clip'd, Who yet not long after could say, Mufis amicus, triftitiam & metus Tradam protervis in mare Creticum Portare ventis * * * Lib. I. Ode xxvi. They that acquainted with the Muses be, Not fo much moved with thefe reafons of ours (or pleas'd with our rhymes) as wearied with our importunity, he has at last given us leave to affure the Reader, that the Poems which have been fo long, and fo ill fet forth under his name, are here to be found as he firft writ them: as alfo, to add fome others which have fince been composed by him. And though his advice to the contrary might have discouraged us; yet, obferving how often they have been reprinted, what price they have borne, and how earnestly they have been always inquired after, but especially of late; (making good that of Horace, Meliora dies, ut vina, poemata reddit: Lib. II. Epift. i. "Some verses being, like some vines, recommended "to our tafte by time and age,") We have adventured upon this new and well-corrected Edition; which, for our own fakes as well as thine, we hope will fucceed better than he apprehended. Vivitur ingenio, cætera mortis erunt. ALBINOVANUS. PRE. THE Reader needs be told no more in commenda tion of these Poems, than that they are Mr. Waller's: a name that carries every thing in it that is either great, or graceful, in poetry! He was indeed the Parent of English Verse, and the first that shewed us our Tongue had Beauty, and Numbers, in it. Our language owes more to Him than the French does to Cardinal Richelieu and the whole Academy. A Poet cannot think of Him, without being in the fame rapture Lucretius is in, when Epicurus comes in his way : Tu pater, & rerum inventor; Tu patria nobis Lib. III. ver. 9. The Tongue came into His hands, like a rough diamond: He polished it first; and to that degree, that all artists fince him have admired the workmanship, without pretending to mend it. Suckling and Carew, I 2 B 4 muft must confefs, wrote fome few things fimoothly enough: but, as all they did in this kind was not very confiderable; fo it was a little later than the carliest pieces of Mr. Waller. He undoubtedly stands first in the lift of refiners; and, for aught I know, laft too; for I queftion, whether in Charles the fecond's reign, English did not come to its full perfection; and whether it has not had its Auguftan Age, as well as the Latin. It feems to be already mixed with foreign languages as far as its purity will bear; and, as Chemists fay of their Menftruums, to be quite fated with the infufion. But pofterity will beft judge of this. In the mean time, it is a furprizing reflection, that between what Spenfer wrote laft, and Waller firft, there fhould not be much above twenty years distance: and yet the one's language, like the money of that time, is as current now as ever; whilft the other's words are like old coins, one must go to an antiquary to understand their true meaning and value. Such advances may a great Genius make, when it undertakes any thing in earnest! Some Painters will hit the chief lines and mafterftrokes of a face so truly, that through all the differences of age, the picture fhall ftill bear a refemblance. This art was Mr. Waller's: He fought out, in this flowing Tongue of ours, what parts would last, and be of ftanding ufe and ornament: and this he did fo fuccefsfully, that his language is now as fresh as it was at firft fetting out. Were we to judge barely by the wording, we could not know what was wrote at twen ty, and what at fourfcare. He complains, indeed, of |