VOLTAIRE, speaking of the English Poets, gives them the preference in moral pieces to those of any other nation; and, indeed, no Poets have better settled the bounds of Duty, or more precisely determined the rules for Conduct in Life than ours.' In this little Collection the Reader, therefore, may find the most exquisite pleasure, while he is at the same time learning the duties of life; and while he courts only En. tertainment, be deceived into Wisdom. . In a word, it is the peculiar property of POETRY to do good by stealth; to hide the thorny path of Instruction by covering it with flowers; and the veriest Infidel in polite Learning must be something more than abandoned, if he will not visit the Temple of Instruction when Pleasure leads the way to it. E. T. Page Mallet...... Blessiah: a Sacred Eclogue. Pope ..... 1 Goldsmith,. 5 Piozzi...... 12 Langhorne.. 16 Pope .. 20 Cunningham. 23 Thomsou.... 28 33 Ibid. 42 Ibid. 43 Thomson ... 46 Pope 51 58 Lloyd...... 67 Melmoth. 77 Mason. 81 Ibid.. 84 Cotton. 85 Thomson. 89 . Cunningham, 97 The Fairy's Answer .. Margravine of Anspach. 102 Cotton. 105 Pope. 112 Robertson.., 115 Thomson.... 118 Milton, 123 Ibid. 129 Brooke.. 135 Milton, 154 156 Cotton, 160 On the Departure of' a Nightingale [bid. To the Memory of Garrick. Anstie. 232 V A Contemplation on Night. Gay. 233 May Eve, or Kate of Aberdeen. ..Cunningham. 235 To his Friend inclined to Marry.. Pomfret.... 238 Elegiac Stanzus on the tolling of a Bell.. Rivers. 240 The Naturalist's Summer Evening's Walk. White. 243 On the Death of a favourite Child. Moir. ...... 245 Trunslation of the 40th Ode of Anacreon Cheetham 246 Sonnet to the River Tweed. Bowles..... 247 Virtue's Reply to Pleasure . Spence... 248 The Evening Primrose .. . Langhorne.. 252 236 Lewis...... SELECT POEMS. MESSIAH. A SACRED ECLOGUE. BY POPE. Y. Nymphs of Solyma! begin the song: Rapt into future times, the Bard begun : B All crimes shall cease, and ancient fraud shall fail; |