THE

WORK S,

IN VERSE AND PROSE,

O F

WILLIAM SHENSTONE, Efq;

In TWO VOLUMES. With DECORATIONS.
His ego longos

Cantando puerum memini me condere foles. VIRG.
The FOURTH EDITION.

VOL. I.

AMEM

LVASQUE

INGLORIUS!

LONDON: Printed by H. S. WOODFALL,

For J. DODSLEY in Pall-mall, M.DCC.LXXIII.

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PREFACE.

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Great part of the poetical works of Mr. SHENSTONE, particularly his Elegies and Paftorals, are (as he himself expreffes it) "The exact transcripts of the fituation of his own mind;" and abound in frequent allufions to his own place, the beautiful scene of his retirement from the world. Exclufively therefore of our natural curiofity to be acquainted with the history of an author, whose works we perufe with pleasure, fome short account of Mr. SHENSTONE's perfonal character, and situation in life, may not only be agreeable, but abfolutely neceffary, to the reader; as it is impoffible he should enter into the true fpirit of his writings, if he is entirely ignorant of those circumftances of his life, which fometimes fo greatly influenced his reflections. A 3

I could

I could with however that this tafk had been allotted to fome perfon capable of performing it in that masterly manner which the fubject so well deferves. To confess the truth, it was chiefly to prevent his remains from falling into the hands of any one still less qualified to do him juftice, that I have unwillingly ventured to undertake the publication of them myself.

Mr. SHENSTONE was the eldeft fon of a plain uneducated country gentleman in SHROPSHIRE, who farmed his own eftate. The father, fenfible of his fon's extraordinary capacity, refolved to give him a learned education, and fent him a commoner to PEMBROKE College in OXFORD, designing him for the church: but tho' he had the most aweful notions of the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, he never could be perfuaded to enter into orders. In his private opinions he adhered to no particular fect, and hated all religious difputes. But whatever were his own fentiments, he always fhewed great tenderness to those who differed from him. Tenderness,

indeed,

indeed, in every sense of the word, was his peculiar characteristic; his friends, his domestics, his poor neighbours, all daily experienced his benevolent turn of mind. Indeed, this virtue in him was often carried to fuch excefs, that it fometimes bordered upon weaknefs; yet if he was convinced that any of those ranked amongst the number of his friends, had treated him ungenerously, he was not easily reconciled. He used a maxim, however, on such occafions, which is worthy of being obferved and imitated; "I never (faid he) will be a revengeful enemy; but I cannot, it is not in my nature, to be half a friend." He was in his temper quite unfufpicious; but if fufpicion was once awakened in him, it was not laid afleep again without difficulty.

He was no œconomist; the generofity of his temper prevented him from paying a proper regard to the use of money: he exceeded therefore the bounds of his paternal fortune, which before he died was confiderably encumbered. But when one recollects the perfect para

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