THE
UNION:
OR,
SELECT
SCOTS and ENGLISH
POEMS.
THE SECOND EDITION.
----Dubiam facientia carmina palmam. Juv.
LONDON:
Printed for R. Baldwin, in Paternoster-Row.
M.DCC.LIX.
PREFACE.
As the mind of man is ever fond of variety,nothing seems better calculated to entertain,than a judicious collection of the smaller, thoughnot on that account less laboured, productions ofeminent poets: an entertainment, not unlike thatwhich we receive from surveying a finished landschape,or well disposed piece of shell-work: whereeach particular object, tho' singly beautiful, andsufficiently striking by itself, receives an additionalcharm, thus, as Milton expresses it, sweetlyinterchanged.
The first miscellaneous collection of poems, thatever appeared in Great-Britain with any reputation,is that published by Dryden: which was afterwardscontinued by Tonson. There are many pieces ofthe highest merit in this collection, by Dryden,Denham, Creech, Drayton, Garth, Marvell, andmany others; yet the compilers, it is evident, werenot always sufficiently scrupulous and cautious intheir choice, as several pieces are admitted, amongthe rest, which would otherwise utterly have perished,and which had no other recommendation,than that they served to swell the volume. Sincethis, many miscellanies have been published bothin Scotland and England: to enumerate whichwould be no less tedious than useless. It will besufficient to remark, that through want of care orjudgment in their respective editors, they are allforgotten or neglected. From these the miscellanyknown by the name of Mr. Pope perhaps oughtto be excepted; tho' that, indeed, cannot properlybe styled a collection of poems by differenthands, which is such a one as we are speaking ofat present, the greater part consisting of pieces byMr. Pope only. The best miscellany at this dayextant in our language, and the first complete oneof the kind which we have seen, is that lately publishedby R. Dodsley, which boasts the greatestnames of the present age among its contributors.
As to the poetical collection here exhibited tothe public, we apprehend it challenges no smalldegree of regard, as it was made under the immediateinspection and conduct of several very ingeniousgentlemen, whose names it would do us thehighest honour to mention; and as it contains avariety not to be found even in the admirable collectionlast spoken of; I mean the Intermixture ofpoems both Scotch and English. Nor is this varietyless agreeable than useful; as from it we havean opportunity of forming a comparison and estimateof the taste and genius of the two differentnations, in their poetical compositions.
It will be necessary to take notice, that our chiefcare has been to furnish out the following miscellanywith those pieces, regard being first had to realmerit, which have laid unknown and unobservedfrom their manner of publication; s