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BODLEIAN

-5 MAR 1930

LIBRARY

PREFACE.

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Great part of the poetical works of Mr. SHENSTONE, particularly his Elegies and "The

Paftorals, are (as he himself expreffes it) exact transcripts of the fituation of his own mind;" and abound in frequent allufions to his own place, the beautiful scene of his retirement from the world. Exclufively therefore of our natural curiofity to be acquainted with the history of an author, whose works we perufe with pleasure, some short account of Mr. SHENSTONE'S personal character, and fituation in life, may not only be agreeable, but abfolutely neceffary, to the reader; as it is impoffible he should enter into the true spirit of his writings, if he is entirely ignorant of those circumstances of his life, which sometimes fo greatly influenced his reflections.

I could wish however that this task had been allotted to fome perfon capable of performing it in that masterly manner which the subject fo

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well deferves. To confefs the truth, it was chiefly to prevent his remains from falling into the hands of any one ftill lefs qualified to do him justice, that I have unwillingly ventured to undertake the publication of them myself.

Mr. SHENSTONE was the eldest fon of a plain uneducated country gentleman in SHROPSHIRE, who farmed his own eftate. The father, fenfible of his fon's extraordinary capacity, refolved to give him a learned education, and fent him a commoner to PEMBROKE College in OXFORD, designing him for the church: but tho' he had the most aweful notions of the wisdom, power, and goodness of God, he never could be perfuaded to enter into orders. In his private opinions he adhered to no particular fect, and hated all religious difputes. But whatever were his own fentiments, he always fhewed great tenderness to thofe, who differed from him. Tenderness, indeed, in every fenfe of the word, was his peculiar characteristic; his friends, his domeftics, his poor neighbours, all daily experienced his benevolent turn of mind. Indeed, this virtue in him was often carried to fuch excefs, that it fometimes bordered upon

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those ranked amongst the number of his friends, had treated him ungenerously, he was not eafily reconciled. He used a maxim, however, on fuch occafions, which is worthy of being observed and imitated; "I never (faid he) will be a revengeful enemy; but I cannot, it is not in my nature, to be half a friend." He was in his temper quite unfufpicious; but if fufpicion was once awakened in him, it was not laid asleep again without difficulty.

He was no œconomist; the generofity of his temper prevented him from paying a proper regard to the use of money: he exceeded therefore the bounds of his paternal fortune, which before he died was confiderably encumbered. But when one recollects the perfect paradise he had raised around him, the hospitality with which he lived, his great indulgence to his servants, his charities to the indigent, and all done with an estate not more than three hundred pounds a year, one should rather be led to wonder that he left any thing behind him, than to blame his want of œconomy. He left however more than fufficient to pay all his debts; and by his

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will appropriated his whole eftate for that purpofe.

It was perhaps from fome confiderations on the narrowness of his fortune, that he forbore to marry; for he was no enemy to wedlock, had a high opinion of many among the fair fex, was fond of their fociety, and no ftranger to the tendereft impreffions. One, which he received in his youth, was with difficulty furmounted. The lady was the subject of that sweet pastoral, in four parts, which has been fo univerfally admired; and which, one would have thought, muft have fubdued the loftieft heart, and foftened the most obdurate.

His perfon, as to height, was above the middle ftature, but largely and rather inelegantly formed his face feemed plain till you conversed with him, and then it grew very pleafing. In his dress he was negligent, even to a fault; though when young, at the university, he was accounted a BEAU. He wore his own hair, which was quite grey very early, in a particular manner; not from any affectation of fingularity, but from a maxim he had laid down, that

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