ΤΟ HIS GRACE

THOMAS, DUKE OF NEWCASTLE.

MY LORD,

ΤΗ

HE honours of your ancient and ïllustrious family, which that noble writer, Algernon Sidney, places among the first in these kingdoms for prerogative of birth, the titles which you have long worn with diftinguished luftre, and the high ftation which you have many years filled, and now fill, in the government, give your Grace a juft preheminence in the community; but they are excellencies of a more exalted kind to which this tribute of my respect is paid. Your early zeal in the cause of liberty, which manifefted itself at the close of a late reign, when the worst of schemes were promoted against this nation by the worft of men, the affociation (of which I had the honour to be an humble member) into which you then entered, with fome others, eminent for their birth, fortune, and knowledge, for fecuring the fucceffion of the house of Hanover to the throne of these kingdoms, your tafte of ufeful and polite literature, and the encouragement which you have been always ready to give to it, your friendly regard to, and connection with, that univerfity which has been the nurfe of the greateft ftatesmen, heroes, philofophers, and poets, of English growth, and the open liberality of your heart on all laudable

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laudable occafions, muft give you a place in the affections of all Englishmen who know the intereft of their native country: and to thofe virtues, more than to the private friendship with which your Grace has long honoured me, I make this offering of the few poetical Pieces which were the produce of my leisure, but some my most pleasant, hours: your Grace will be able to distinguish those which have been printed before, from those which now make their first appearance: and I number among the felicities of my days this opportunity of approaching you with fomething perhaps not unworthy your acceptance; and I have the honour to be,

PASTORAL POEMS.

Noftra nec erubuit fylvas habitare Thalia."

VIRG. Ecl. 6.

IT

PREFACE.

T is fomewhat ftrange to conceive, in an age so addicted to the Mufes, how Paftoral Poetry comes to be never fo much as thought upon; confidering especially, that it is of the greatest antiquity, and hath ever been accounted the foremost, among the fmaller poems, in dignity. Virgil and Spenfer made ufe of it as a prelude to Epic Poetry: but, I fear, the innocency of the fübject makes it fo little inviting,

There is no kind of Poem, if happily executed, but gives delight; and herein may the Paftoral boaft after a peculiar manner: for, as in Painting, fo in Poetry, the country affords not only the most delightful scenes and profpects, but likewife the moft pleafing images of life.

Gaffendus (I remember) obferves, that Peireskius was a great lover of mufic, especially the melody of birds: because their fimple ftrains have lefs of paffion U 4

and