PREFACE. without too flavish a regard to fashion, every one should dress in a manner moft fuitable to his own perfon and figure. In fhort, his faults were only little blemishes, thrown in by nature, as it were on purpose to prevent him from rifing too much above that level of imperfection allotted to humanity. His character as a writer will be distinguished by fimplicity with elegance, and genius with correctness. He had a fublimity equal to the highest attempts; yet from the indolence of his temper, he chose rather to amuse himself in culling flowers at the foot of the mount, than to take the trouble of climbing the more arduous steeps of PARNASSUS. But whenever he was difposed to rife, his steps, tho' natural, were noble, and always well fupported. In the tenderness of elegiac poetry he hath not been excelled; in the fimplicity of pastoral, one may venture to say he had very few equals. Of great fenfibility himself, he never failed to engage the hearts of his readers: and amidst the niceft attention to the harmony of his numbers, he always took care to express with propriety the fentiments of an elegant mind. In all his writings, his greatness greatest difficulty was to please himself. I remember a paffage in one of his letters, where, fpeaking of his love fongs, he says-" Some "were written on occafions a good deal imaginary, others not fo; and the reason there "are fo many is, that I wanted to write ONE good fong, and could never please myself." It was this diffidence which occafioned him to throw afide many of his pieces before he had bestowed upon them his laft touches. I have fuppreffed several on this account; and if among those which I have felected, there fhould be discovered fome little want of his finishing polish, I hope it will be attributed to this cause, and of course be excufed: yet I flatter myself there will always appear fomething well worthy of having been preferved. And though I was afraid of inferting what might injure the character of my friend, yet as the fketches of a great mafter are always valuable, I was unwilling the public should lose any thing material of fo accomplished a writer. In this dilemma it will easily be conceived that the task I had to perform would become fomewhat difficult. How I have acquitted myself, the public must judge. Nothing, however, except what he had al ready advice of his moft judicious friends, nothing altered, without their particular concurrence. It is impoffible to pleafe every one; but 'tis hoped that no reader will be fo unreasonable, as to imagine that the author wrote folely for his amusement: his talents were various; and though it may perhaps be allowed that his excellence chiefly appeared in fubjects of tenderness and fimplicity, yet he frequently condefcended to trifle with thofe of humour and drollery: thefe, indeed, he himfelf in fome meafure degraded by the title which he gave them of LEVITIES: but had they been entirely rejected, the public would have been deprived of fome JEUX D'ESPRITS, excellent in their kind, and Mr. SHENSTONE's character as a writer would have been but imperfectly exhibited. But the talents of Mr. SHENSTONE were not confined merely to poetry; his character, as a man of clear judgment, and deep penetration, will beft appear from his profe works. It is there we must search for the acuteness of his understanding, and his profound knowledge of the human heart. It is to be lamented indeed, that fome things here are unfinished, and can be regarded only as fragments: many are left as fingle thoughts, but which, like the sparks of diamonds, fhew the richness of the mine to which they belong; or like the foot of a HERCULES, discover the uncommon strength, and extraordinary dimenfions of that hero. I have no apprehenfion of incurring blame from any one, for preserving these valuable remains: they will discover to every reader, the author's sentiments on several important fubjects. And there can be very few, to whom they will not impart many thoughts, which they would never perhaps have been able to draw from the fource of their own reflections. But I believe little need be faid to recommend the writings of this gentleman to public attention. His character is already fufficiently established. And if he be not injured by the inability of his editor, there is no doubt but he will ever maintain an eminent ftation among the best of our English writers. R. DODSLEY. |