PREFACE.

But when we confider how many of the fubjects of verfe are unintelligible to children, or improper for them-how few poems have been written, or how few poets could be trufted to write, to them we shall not be furprised to find it a frequent complaint with judicious inftructors, that fo few pieces proper for children to commit to memory are to be found either in the entire works of poets, or in felections made from them, purposely for the ufe of young people. To meet the wishes of fuch parents and teachers, is the object of the following felection. It was thought that all the pieces ought to be fhort enough to be learned at one or two leffons, and good enough to be worth remembering; that their ftyle fhould have nothing in it that a welleducated child might not, their matter nothing that he fhould not, understand, as foon as he fhould be at all able to feel the beauties of real poetry.

Natural history, that popular and delightful Rudy, justly claimed a confiderable part of the work,

43.

PREFACE.

work, as being at once pleafing and useful to children.

Defcription, of different times and feasons, of objects of nature and art, of various occupations and modes of life, opened another copious fource. Moral fentiment, where it was to be found free from fuch theological dogmas, as might be thought incomprehenfible or uninteresting, furnished a third portion. Mifcellaneous crops, laboriously gleaned from a vast number of poets, formed the remainder of the little volume."

No arrangement appeared neceffary-the only point of this nature that has been studied was to mingle the pieces as much as poffible. Some valuable poems were paffed over on account of their occurrence in almost all other felections the brevity required in the pieces precluded the infertion of others but it is hoped that the fmallnefs of the work will exculpate the compiler from the imputation of any fins of omiffion. Some liberties have unavoidably been taken, in order to make wholes of fragments.

Such

Such is the plan of the work-of its execution the compiler can only fay that it has coft much time, and much thought.

It is now trufted to a candid public, with the hope, that a performance, afpiring, from its very nature, to little applaufe-will not incur the hazard of much cenfure.

Stoke Newington,

An Sept. 1801.

this Day 6 Weeks I shall be very hap Friesday Novembe

24

1806

CON.