the new work, which although it appeared to the editor too valuable, even in its imperfect state, to be withholden from the publick, yet (he conceives) takes in by much too fmall a part of the original poem to fupply its place, and to fuperfede the republication of it; for which reafon both the poems are inferted in this Collection.

Of Odes the Author had defigned to make up two books, confifting of twenty odes each, including the feveral odes which he had before published at different times.

The Hymn to the Naiads is reprinted from the fixth volume of Dodley's Mifcellanies, with a few corrections, and the addition of fome Notes. To the Infcriptions, taken from the fame volume, three new Inferiptions are added, the laft of which is the only inftance wherein a liberty has been taken of inserting any thing in this Collection which did not appear to have been intended by the Author for publication, among whofe papers no copy of this was found, but it is printed from a copy which he had many years fince given to the editor.

In the prefent edition a few pieces are added which are known to be genuine, and which certainly are no difcredit to their Author.

THERE are certain powers in human nature which feem to hold a middle place between the organs of bodily fenfe and the faculties of moral perception: they have been called by a very general name "The Powers "of Imagination." Like the external fenses they relate to matter and motion, and at the fame time give the mind ideas analogous to thofe of moral approbation and diflike. As they are the inlets of fome of the most exquifite Pleasures with which we are acquainted, it has naturally happened that men of warm and fenfible tempers have fought means to recal the delightful perceptions which they afford, independent of the objects which originally produced them. This gave rife to the imitative or defigning arts, some of which, as painting and sculpture, directly copy the external appearances which were admired in nature; others, as mufick and poetry,bring them back to remembrance by figns univerfally eftablished and understood,

But thefe arts, as they grew more correct and deliberate, were of course led to extend their imitation beyond the peculiar objects of the imaginative powers. efpecially poetry, which making ufe of language as the inftrument by which it imitates, is confequently become an unlimited reprefentative of every species and mode of being; yet as their intention was only to express the objects of Imagination, and as they fili abound chiefly in ideas of that clafs, they of course retain their original character, and all the different

Pleasures which they excite are termed in general Pleasures of Imagination.

The Defign of the following Poem is to give a view of thefe in the largest acceptation of the term, fo that whatever our Imagination feels from the agreeable appearances of nature, and all the various entertainment we meet with either in poetry, painting, musick, or any of the elegant arts, might be deducible from one or other of those principles in the conftitution of the human mind which are here established and explained.

In executing this general plan it was neceffary first cf all to diftinguish the Imagination from our other falties, and in the next place to characterize those original forms or properties of being about which it is converfant, and which are by nature adapted to it, as light is to the eyes, or truth to the understanding. Thefe properties Mr. Addison had reduced to the three general claffes of Greatnefs, Novelty, and Beauty; and into these we may analyze every object, however complex, which, properly speaking, is delightful to the Imagination. But such an object may also include many other fources of Pleasure, and its beauty, or noveity, or grandeur, will make a stronger impreffion by reafon of this concurrence. Befides which the imitative arts, especially poetry, owe much of their effect to a similar exhibition of properties quite foreign to the Imagination, infomuch that in every line of the mot applauded poems we meet with either ideas Észwa from the external fenfes, or truths discovered:

to the understanding, or illuftrations of contrivance and final caufes, or, above all the reft, with circumftances proper to awaken and engage the paffions; it was therefore neceffary to enumerate and exemplify thefe different fpecies of Pleasure, especially that from the paflions, which as it is fupreme in the noblett work of hum's genius, fo being in fome particulars not a little furprifing, gave an opportunity to enliven) the didactick turn of the poem by introducing an aflegory to account for the appearance.

After these parts of the subject which hold chiefly of admiration, or naturally warm and intereft the mind; a Pleasure of a very different nature, that which arifes from Ridicule, came next to be confidered. As this is the foundation of the comick manner in all the arts, and has been but very imperfectly treated by moral writers," it was thought proper to give it a particular illuftration, and to distinguish the general fources from which the ridicule of characters is derived. Here too a change of style became neceflary, fuch an one as might yet be consistent, if possible, with the general tatte of compofition in the serious parts of the fubject; noris it an eafy talk to give any tolerable force to images of this kind without running either into the gigantick expreffions of the mock heroick, or: the familiar and poetical raillery of profeffed fatire, neither of which would have been proper here.

The materials of all imitation being thus laid open, nothing now remained but to illustrate fome part

cular Pleasures which arife either from the relations of different objects one to another, or from the nature of imitation itself. Of the first kind is that various and complicated refemblance exifting between several parts of the material and immaterial worlds, which is the foundation of metaphor and wit. As it seems in a great measure to depend on the early afsociation ofour ideas,and as this habit of affociating is the fource of many Pleafures and pains in life, and on that account bears a great share in the influence of poetry and the other arts, it is therefore mentioned here, and its effects defcribed then follows a general account of the production of these elegant arts, and of the fecondary Pleasure, as it is called, arifing from the refemblance of their imitations to the original appearances of nature: after which the work concludes with fome reflections on the general conduct of the powers of Imagination, and on their natural and, moral usefulnefs in life.

Concerning the manner or turn of compofition which prevails in this piece, little can be faid with pro priety by the Author. He had two models;- that ancient and fimple one of the first Grecian poets, as it is refined by Virgil in the Georgicks, and the familiar epistolary way of Horace. This latter has feveral ad, vantages: it admits of a greater variety of ftyle; it more readily engages the generality of readers, as partaking more of the air of converfatio, and especially with the affittance of rhyme leads to a clofer and