And with this view he went on for several 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 abandoned 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 Defign he had made a confiderable Progrefs. What reason there may be to regret that he did not live to execute the whole of it, will beft appear from the perufal of the Plan itfelf, as stated in the General Argument, and of the parts which he had executed, and which are here published. For the perfon*, to whom he intrufted the Disposal 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 prepared for publication. In this light he confidered the intire first and second Books, of which a few Copies had been printed for the ufe only of the Author and certain Friends: alfo a very confiderable part of the third Book, which had been tranfcribed in order to its being printed in the fame manner: and to these is added the Introduction to a fubfequent Book, which in the Manufcript is called the Fourth, and which appears to have been compofed at the time when the Author intended

[* The Right Hon. JEREMIAH DYSON; by whom this advertisement was written.]

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 finall a part of the original Poem to fupply its place, and to fuperfede the re-pub. lication of it. For which reafon 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 Miscellanies, with a few Corrections and the addition of fome Notes. To the Inscriptions taken from the fame Volume three new Inscriptions are added; the last of which is the only instance wherein liberty has been taken of inferting 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 thefe are all placed at the end of the volume.]

[ ]

ADVERTISEMENT

T

то THE

FIRST EDITION, 1772.

HIS Volume contains a complete Collection of the Poems of the late Dr. Akenfide, either reprinted from the original Editions, or faithfully pub lifhed from Copies which had been prepared by him, felf for publication.

That the principal Poem fhould appear in fo difad vantageous 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 Revifion and Correction, he was fufficiently fenfible; but fo quick was the demand for feveral fucceffive republications, that in any 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 publifhing 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, defpairing of ever being able to execute it fufficiently to his own fatisfaction, he abandoned 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 Defign he had made a confiderable Progrefs. What reason there may be to regret that he did not live to execute the whole of it, will beft appear from the perufal of the Plan itself, as stated in the General Argument, and of the parts which he had executed, and which are here published. For the perfon*, to whom he intrusted the Disposal of his Papers, would have thought himfelf 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 prepared for publication. In this light he confidered the intire first and fecond Books, of which a few Copies had been printed for the ufe only of the Author and certain Friends: alfo a very confiderable part of the third Book, which had been tranfcribed 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 ic have been compofed at the time when the Author intended

[* The Right Hon. JEREMIAH DYSON; by whom this advertisement was written.]