had wares for all tastes, wisely left the individual for the multitude. And hence began the patronage of the Public.' The competition for public favour, however, was not long confined to professed minstrels. The arts of reading and writing, opened a new prospect of ambition to our noble ancestors. The spirit of chivalry, which had previously manifested itself in hard blows alone, sought opportunities for exhibiting its gentler qualities in song. Love, Devotion, Constancy, Generosity, and the various other Virtues, (which do not consist merely in the muscles, or spring from the sheer insensibility of the animal man,) found historians. Surrey, Wyatt, Sidney, Raleigh, and a host of others, form part of this early class of poets. Their style and gallantry (with such small gradual change as is always occurring in literature), remained till the death of Charles the First. Upon that occasion the belles lettres, as well as monarchy, were overturned for a time; but returned,—the former in a new guise and thoroughly degenerated,-with the courtiers of his son. From that period, till the time of Thomson and Collins, (for I refer Milton to the earlier period,) all our songs, and most of our poems, were evidently written by the celebrated "Lady of Quality." I recollect scarcely a single English song of high character, which has been ten years before the public. And yet, Burns and other Scottish poets have, for almost half a century, been scattering among us the seeds of a better taste. Let us hope, that in an agreeable (although not very important) department of literature, we are destined to some improvement. For the following poems, (about one third of which may be called Songs), I do not insist very strongly on the admiration of the reader. They are intended somewhat in the shape of a farewell offering, from a person who has met with much kindness from the Public, and is neither ablenor inclined-to forget it. * Dryden and Pope, and a few others, form of course illustrious exceptions to this censure. Since the foregoing Introduction was written, I have submitted it to the perusal of a friend, whose opinion I respect; and he tells me that I have not done justice to the song-writers who have flourished since the Restoration. Perhaps I have relied too much on my old impressions, instead of examining the facts again. |