THE PREFACE.

TO be ſtudious of bringing Merit in Obſcurity to Light, is ſo ſtrong an Inſtance of Benevolence, that it has in all Ages been conſtantly attended with the higheſt Commendations; while the Deſtroyer of a Man's Reputation (in whatſoever it conſiſted) has been ac⯑counted a more odious Criminal than even the Aſſaſſin of his Body. On this Remark is founded one of the moſt beau⯑tiful Paſſages in SHAKESPEARE:

[vi] This is ſo true an Obſervation, that few, I believe, will doubt, that MILTON was leſs offended at the low Price his ineſtimable Poem was rated at on its firſt Publication, than he would have been at the late mean Attempts to ſubvert a Fame ſo well eſtabliſhed.

To view the Character of this SON OF DARKNESS in its moſt genuine Form, let us contraſt it with another no leſs eminent for its Splendor, which is the propereſt I could chuſe for my preſent Purpoſe, as it is particularly ſo in relation to that DIVINE AUTHOR we have lately ſeen ſo well vindicat⯑ed from the groundleſs Aſperſions of almoſt his only Enemy.

In the Courſe of the Spectators, Mr. ADDISON (who was perhaps the moſt candid Critick that ever wrote, without de⯑viating from Impartiality) took a particular Pleaſure in producing latent unregarded Worth, that he might ſhow thoſe Cavillers who were daily complaining of a Deartb of good Poetry, what noble things of this Kind they neglected.

Agreeably to this End is his Criticiſm on the old Engliſh Ballad of Chevy-Chace; but his moſt glorious Works of this Kind are his Obſervations on the PARADISE LOST. There is not a ſtronger Inſtance of Prejudice, and the Force of Party, than the Reception this Poem met with in the Au⯑thor's Life-time, whoſe unhappy Attachment to wrong [vii] Principles, render'd all his Attempts at Fame (while liv⯑ing) fruitleſs. His admirable Poem lay in Obſcurity till Mr. ADDISON removed thoſe envious Clouds which had been ſuffered to obſtruct its Splendor. With what Plea⯑ſure does be diſcover its Excellencies, and inſtruct an or⯑dinary Reader to judge of its Beauties! With what Regret does he ſpeak of the ſew Blemiſhes of that Divine Piece, which (ſays he) is like writing a Treatiſe upon the Spots of the Sun.

Theſe Remarks are ſo univerſally read and approved, that, I believe every body but LAUDER (and his Friends, if he has any) will concur with me in the following Obſerva⯑tion: Had Mr. ADDISON never wrote a Line but his Cri⯑tique upon MILTON, that would alone have been ſufficient to have eſtabliſhed his Reputation as a fine Writer and a good Man.

If the Reader would view the exact Reverſe of the above Character, let him turn his Eyes on LAUDER: A Being ſo utterly void of Candour and Benevolence, that he has thought it worth his While to commit the groſſeſt Forgeries, to di⯑ſturb, if poſſible, the Aſhes of our Poet, and has been more induſtrious to depreciate the Paradiſe Loſt than the Writers in the Beginning of this Century were to heap Encomiums upon it. The Inhumanity and amazing Impudence of theſe Proceedings have puzzled all, to deviſe a likely Reaſon for ſo [viii] ſtrange a Piece of Malice. The faint Excuſes alledged for this Behaviour in LAUDER'S Recantation, by no Means pal⯑liate his Crime, notwithſtanding the florid Dreſs he has cloathed them in. Though I am far from being admitted into his ſecret Counſels, I believe I may venture to mention one, which, out of his uſual Regard to Truth, he has pur⯑poſely omitted. It is very poſſible the ſame thing which has often made Poets, tempted LAUDER to unmake one, viz. Poverty and the Hopes of a Subſcription.

Theſe potent Arguments once induced him to commend with ſome Warmth the very ſame Poem he has lately been at ſo much Pains to brand, as a Work of no Genius: But as Honeſty would no longer procure him a Dinner, his Con⯑ſcience did not prevent him from turning the Tables.

But we will urge this no farther, remembering, that it is not right to ſpeak Ill of the Dead.

PREFACES are commonly intended for Diſcourſes to the Reader on the Book he is entering upon; but the Conſidera⯑tion of a Being quite diveſted of Modeſty and Humanity, na⯑turally led me into the foregoing Reflections, ariſing from the Subject of theſe Sheets.

[ix] I ſhall not trouble the Reader with an Account of the Time I was employed in writing it, or inſipidly petition the Favour of the Criticks, but commit it to the World, ‘With all its Imperfections on its Head.’

An Attempt to overthrow the bold Aſſertions of LAUDER by Poetry, till he had been foiled at his own Weapons, would hardly have ſucceeded. But when ſo invincible a Champion as Mr. DOUGLAS had taken the Field, and returned victo⯑rious, the MUSES, who were particularly intereſted in the Conteſt, ſhould adorn him with the Inſignia of a Triumph.

This Hint has already given Riſe to the Pandaemonium and the following Stanzas, in Imitation of SPENSER. The Deſign of our ſeveral Pieces are ſo very different, that it is almoſt impoſſible they ſhould claſh in point of Merit. If we both meet with Succeſs, according to our various Models, we need not be diſheartened at any accidental Rivalſhip or abſurd Compariſon an injudicious Reader may draw be⯑tween us.

Mr. DRYDEN, in ſome Part of his Works, has an Ob⯑ſervation hinting at Poetical Genealogy. We have amongſt us (ſays he) our Lines and Deſcents, in as regular a man⯑ner as the nobleſt Families. In deducing the beſt Engliſh Writers from their poetick Original, he obſerves, that MIL⯑TON [x] is the firſt Deſcendant from SPENSER. This Remark of ſo great a Judge as Mr. DRYDEN induced me to chuſe SPENSER for my Model, and to place him by the Side of APOLLO in my Poem, imagining there was a peculiar Pro⯑priety in ſhielding the Son under the Protection of the Fa⯑ther.

As I did not ſuppoſe that Imitations were bound to tran⯑ſcribe the Faults as well as Excellencies of their Original, I made no Scruple of making a ſlight Alteration in SPENSER'S Stanza, which is univerſally condemned for the Redun⯑dancy of its correſpondent Rhimes. The Difficulty I ſhould have found in the Execution had perhaps ſome Share in this voluntary Omiſſion. Allowing this to be certain, my judi⯑cious Reader will be ſo far from thinking it a Blemiſh, that I am perſuaded he will readily compound for the Loſs of ſome of my Bells, provided I can entertain him more ra⯑tionally. I have, in general, rather wiſhed to fall into SPENSER'S Way of Thinking than his Manner of cloathing his Sentiments, becauſe I think his Imagery infinitely ſupe⯑rior to his Stile. I have, however, be [...]n ſo far from ne⯑glecting his Language, that except thoſe Places where I found the old Words expreſs leſs than the modern, I always gave them the Preference. Whether I have transfuſed any of the divine Spirit of SPENSER into the following Stanzas, and whether his Style is ſucceſsfully imitated, the Reader muſt judge for himſelf.

[xii] The Mention I made of the ſlight Variation from SPEN⯑SER'S Stanza, was meerly to prevent the Nibblers of the Age from imputing it to Ignorance. Theſe would-be Cri⯑ticks take great Pains to pervert the Movements of the hu⯑man Mind, which certainly has more Pleaſure in beſtowing Commendations than Diſpraiſe. I beg Leave to ſhow the Truth of this Aſſertion by an Inſtance drawn from myſelf as an Author. Whatever Satisfaction it may have afforded me to ſtigmatize the Malice of LAUDER'S Proceedings, no⯑thing in the whole Courſe of this Work pleaſed me ſo much as celebrating Mr. DOUGLAS. If the following Trifle ſhould meet with the Approbation of the Publick, I hope that Gentleman will think it an acceptable Preſent to Himſelf.