To the Right Honourable

CHARLES, Lord Viscount TowNSHEND;

Late one of his Majefty's Principal Secretaries of State, and Knight of the Moft Noble Order of the Garter, &c.

MY LORD,

Beg leave to publish the following poems under your patronage: A prefent, I confefs, unworthy of it, and of little value, excepting what gratitude gives it: But, I fear, it may be esteemed a boast rather than an acknowledgement, or at best, an oftentatious kind of gratitude, to tell the world that I have received the highest obligations from the Lord Townshend: It is an honour to be regarded by a person of fo distinguished a character I am proud of it, and, not being of a nature to be content with a filent gratitude, am not deterred from owning it, though it be liable to be mifcalled vanity.

:

You have, my Lord, the happiness to enjoy what that great statesman Walfingham, who held the fame office which you fill with fo much-honour, frequently wifhed,

but never obtained; a retirement from bufinefs in the declension of life, to enjoy age in peace and tranquillity this last action fpeaks you truly great; for that person who, by a voluntary retreat, could induftriously renounce all the grandeur of the world, must evidently have a foul above it.

Tully in his Tufculum was never more happy, than the Lord Townshend in his Rainham,

Where majestically plain

"Pure Nature reigns, where varied views from views "Diffufive prospects yield *: here fhagg'd with woods, "Here rich with harveft, and there white with flocks, "And all the gay horizon fmiles around

"Full of thy Genius! Lo! between yon groves
"The dome with easy grandeur, like the foul
"Of its great master, rifing overlooks

"The fubject regions, and commands the charms
"Of many a pleasing landskip, to the eye

Delightful change! here groves of loftiest shade "Wave their proud tops, and form of statelieft view "A fylvan theatre! while Nature's hand

"Pours forth profuse, o'er hill, o'er vale, o'er lawn, "Her choiceft bleffings: See! where yonder lake "Spreads its wide liquid plain: now ftands unmov'd "Pure as th' expanfe of heaven, and heaven refle&s "From its broad-glittering mirrour; now with waves

"Curl'd gently by the breeze, falutes the flowers "That grace its banks! in state the fnowy fwans "Arch their proud necks, and fowls of various plume "Innumerous, native or exotic, cleave

"The dancing wave! while o'er th' adjoining lawns "Obverted to the fouthern funs, the deer "Wide-spreading graze, or starting bound away "In crouds, then turning, filent stand, and gaze! "Such are thy beauties, Rainham, fuch the haunts "Of angels, in primæval guiltless days,

"When man imparadis'd convers'd with God."

with

This, my Lord, is but a faint picture of the place of your retirement, which no one ever enjoyed more elegantly: no part of your life lies heavy upon you; there is no uneafy vacancy in it; it is all filled up ftudy, exercife, or polite amufement: here you fhine in the most agreeable, though not moft ftrong and dazzling light: In your public ftation you commanded admiration and honour; in your private, you attract love and efteem: The nobler parts of your life will be the fubject of the hiftorian; and the actions of the great flatesman and patriot, will adorn many pages of our future annals but the affectionate father, the indulgent mafter, the condefcending and benevolent friend, patron, and companion, can only be defcribed by thofe who have the pleasure and happiness to fee you act in all thofe relations: I could with delight enlarge upon this amiable part of your character; but am fenfible that no

portion of your time is fo ill fpent as in reading what write. I will therefore only beg the honour to fubfcribe myself,

PRE F
E FAC E.

IAM very fenfible that many hard circumftances

attend all authors: if they write ill, they are fure to be used with contempt; if well, too often with envy. Some men, even while they improve themselves with the fentiments of others, rail at their benefactors, and while they gather the fruit, tear the tree that bore it. I must confefs, that mere idleness induced me to write; and the hopes of entertaining a few idle men, to publifh. I am not fo vain as not to think there are many faults in the enfuing poems; all human works must fall short of perfection, and therefore to acknowledge it, is no humility: however, I am not like thofe authors, who, out of a false modefty, complain of the imperfections of their own works, yet would take it very ill if the world fhould believe them: I will not add hypocrify to my other faults, or act fo abfurdly as to invite the reader to an entertainment, and then tell him that there is nothing worth his eating; I have furnished out the table according to my best abilities, if not with a splendid elegance, yet at least with an innocent variety.

But fince this is the last time that I fhall ever, perhaps, trouble the world in this kind, I will beg leave to speak fomething not as a poet, but a critic; that if my credit should fail as a poet, I may have recourse to my remarks

B 4