Excerpt from Poems
Brevity constitutes the chief excellence of a Preface: I shall therefor be studious of brevity in this. Whatever I have written must stand or fall by it"s own desert or demerit. It is mere idleness to defend Poetical Compositions, or, indeed, Compositions, or Performances of any kind; they always shou"d, and, in spite of Prefaces to vindicate, and Strictures to condemn, they always will speak for themselves. All that an Author has a right to demand is a fair bearing before sentence be passed. Let no man form his judgment on the report of another; let no man found an opinion on the air of a title-page, or the cut of a type: let those, who chuse not to read, be silent: let those, who do read, use the glass of Candour. If there be merit, it will then stand forth to assert it"s claim to approbation, and to remembrance; if not, present censure, and future oblivion, must inevitably be the portion of the work.
From the Criticks by professions I neither expect, not desire, quarter; no more than I do from another, neither more respectable, nor formidable class of beings, who imagine that every man, who has ever written a verse, must differ, in some fort, from the rest of the human species. One of these men of wisdom, I recollect, on consulting his friends about the choice of a Tutor for his Son (a most lamentable Booby) at College, and finding they agreed unanimously in recommendation of a particular Gentleman, distinguished for his genius, learning, and, and taste, and Author of some very elegant Poetical Compositions, put an absolute negative upon him, "for fear," as the expressed it, " be should Make a Poet of the Boy."
In looking over the sheets already printed, I observe that some few literal and punctuary errors of the Press, too inconsiderable to require pointing out, have crept into this Volume, in spite of the most careful and assiduous attention; it is hoped the band of indulgence will correct them without censure.
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