The following statement has been four years before the Public; being first printed in the "MONTHLY MIRROR, for Jan. 1802." The reader will remember, that it applies to the first edition only of the poem; as all subsequent emendations have been made by the author.

MR. PARK's STATEMENT.

OF

VERBAL VARIATIONS,

Between the MS, Copy and Printed Poem of

66 THE FARMER'S BOY.".

As it is not improbable that some of those invidious spirits who reluctantly allow to any popular writer the credit of having produced his own work, may hereafter report, to the disadvantage of Mr. Bloomfield, that his learned friend and Editor was materially concerned in composing “THE FARMER'S BOY," I have taken the most effectual means in my power, to counteract the injurious tendency of such report, by collating the printed poem with the author's original manuscript *, which had passed through the hands of Mr. Capel Lofft; and I transmit all the verbal variations which have been observed in the course of such collation,

Now in the possession of Mr. Hill.

that they may be perpetuated on the pages of a miscellany which has been uniformly zealous in extending the wellearned reputation of our rural bard. I must also premise, what affects not the merits of the composition in any degree, that Capital Letters and Italic Characters were supplied by Mr. Lofft, as were various defects in orthography and punctuation, which arose from the Author's want of education, and of leisure fitly to supply that loss.

96 337 First at whose birth. At whose first birth.

It will be seen, from this minute statement, that the Editor's emendations were very inconsiderable, though most of them appear highly judicious, and many of them absolutely necessary, for the purpose of removing certain grammatical inaccuracies, which may be considered as mere freckles on the natural complexion of our Farmer's Boy.

I have been indulged with a similar opportunity of inspecting the MS. copy of those admirable "Tales, Ballads, and Songs," recently published by the same interesting poet; but the Editor's hints for correction proved too few and too unimportant to authorise any public specification of them.

Mr. Editor, yours, &c.

Jan. 18, 1802.

T. PARK,

ON REVISITING THE PLACE OF

MY NATIVITY.

THOUGH Winter's frowns had dampt the beaming eye, Through Twelve successive Summers heav'd the sigh, The unaccomplish'd wish was still the same;

Till May in new and sudden glories came!
My heart was rous'd; and Fancy on the wing,
Thus heard the language of enchanting Spring :....
'Come to thy native groves and fruitful fields!
Thou know'st the fragrance that the wild-flow'r yields;
Inhale the Breeze that bends the purple bud,
And plays along the Margin of the Wood.
'I've cloth'd them all; the very Woods where thou
In infancy learn'd'st praise from every bough.
Would'st thou behold again the vernal day?
My reign is short ;...this instant come away :
• Ere Philomel shall silent meet the morn;
• She hails the green, but not the rip'ning corn.
'Come, ere the pastures lose their yellow flow'rs:
'Come now; with heart as jocund as the hours.'

Who could resist the call?....that Giles had done,
Nor heard the Birds, nor seen the rising Sun;
Had not Benevolence, with cheering ray,
And Greatness stoopt, indulgent to display
Praise which does surely not to Giles belong,
But to the objects that inspir'd his song.
Immediate pleasure from those praises flow'd ;
Remoter bliss within his bosom glow'd!