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Dubiam facientia carmina palmam. Juv.

Inglerfect the 111-16.

EDINBURGH:

Printed for ARCHIBALD MONRO & DAVID MURRAY.

M.DCC.LIII.

280. k. 87

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S the mind of man is ever fond of variety, nothing seems better calculated to entertain, than a judicious collection of the smaller (tho' not on that account lefs-labour'd) productions of eminent poets: an entertainment not unlike that which we receive from furveying a finish'd landschape, or well-difpos'd piece of fhell-work: where each particular object, tho' fingly beautiful, and fufficiently ftriking by itself, receives an additional charm, thus (as Milton expreffes it) SWEETLY INTERCHANG'D.

The first miscellaneous collection of poems, that ever appear'd in Great-Britain with any reputation, is that publish'd by Mr Dryden: which was afterwards continued by Tonfon. There are many pieces of the highest merit in this collection by Dryden, Denham, Creech, Drayton, Garth, Marvell, and many others; yet the compilers, it is evident, were not always fufficiently fcrupulous and cautious in their choice, as feveral pieces are admitted, among the rest, which would otherwise utterly have perished, and which had no other recommendation than that they served to fwell the volume. Since this, many mifcellanies have been published both in Scotland and England to enumerate which would be no less tedious than useless. It will be fufficient to remark, that thro'

want of care or judgment in their respective editors they are all forgotten, or neglected. From these the mifcellany known by the name of Mr. Pope perhaps ought to be excepted; tho' that, indeed, cannot properly be ftyl'd a collection of poems by different hands, which is fuch a one as we are speaking of at prefent; the greater part confifting of pieces by Mr. Pope only. The best miscellany at this day extant in our language, and the first complete one of the kind which we have seen, is that lately publish'd at London by R. Dodfley, which boasts the greatest names of the prefent age among its contributors.

As to the poetical collection here exhibited to the public, we apprehend it challenges no small degree of regard, as it was made under the immediate inspection and conduct of several very ingenious gentlemen, whose names it would do us the highest honour to mention; and as it contains a variety not to be found even in the admirable collection last spoken of; I mean the Intermixture of poems both Scotch and English. Nor is this variety lefs agreeable than ufeful; as from it, we have an opportunity of forming a comparison and estimate of the taste and genius of the two different nations, in their poetical compofitions.

It will be neceffary to take notice, that our chief care has been to furnish out the following mifcellany with those pieces (regard being firft had to real merit)

which have laid unknown and unobserv'd from their MANNER of publication; several of them having been printed by themselves, and fo perished as it were for want of bulk, and others loft amid the rubbish of collections injudiciously made, and perhaps not eafily to be met with. Nor will it be improper to mention, that in order to render our volume ftill more complete, we have had the favour of fome original poems, written by a late member of the university of Aberdeen, whofe modefty would not permit us to print his name and from thefe ingenious effays, the public may be enabled to form fome judgment beforehand of a poem of a nobler and more important nature, which he is now preparing. Nor must we forget to return our public thanks to this gentleman, for the service he has been to us, not only in making this collection more excellent by his own contributions, but in selecting fuch pieces of others as were fuitable to our design.

It is hoped that the ancient Scottish poems (amongst which THE THISTLE AND THE ROSE, and HARDYKNUTE are more particularly distinguished) will make no disagreeable figure among those of modern date; and that they will produce the fame effect here, as Mr. Pope obferves a moderate use of old words may have in a poem ; which (adds he) is like working old abbey-ftones into a modern building, and which I have fometimes feen practised with good fuccefs.

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