PREFACE.

HAVING had the satisfaction of introducing to the Public this very pleasing, characteristic, and original POEM, THE FARMER'S Boy, I think it will be agreeable to preface it with a short Account of the manner in which it came into my hands: and, which will be much more interesting to every Reader, a little History of the Author, which has been communicated to me by his Brother, and which I shall very nearly transcribe as it lies before me.

In November, 1798, I received a MS. which I was requested to read, and to give my opinion of it. It was left for me by Mr. GEORGE BLOOMFIELD, the Brother of the Author, and he had recommended it with a very modest, sensible, and candid Letter. It had before been shown to some persons in London; whose indifference toward it may probably be explain'd when it is consider'd that it came to their hands under no circumstances of adventitious recommendation. With some, a person must be rich, or titled, or fashionable as a

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literary name, or at least fashionable in some respect, good or bad, before any thing which he can offer will be thought worthy of notice.

I had been a little accustom'd to the effect of prejudices and I was determin'd to judge, in the only just and reasonable way, of the Work, by the Work itself.

At first, I confess, seeing it divided into the four Seasons, I had to encounter a prepossession not very advantageous to any writer: that the Author was treading in a path already so admirably trod by THOMSON; and might be adding one more to an attempt already so often*, but so injudiciously and unhappily made, of transmuting that noble Poem from Blank Verse into Rhyme ;from its own pure native Gold into an alloyed Metal of incomparably less splendour, permanence, and worth.

I had soon, however, the pleasure of finding myself reliev'd from that apprehension: and of discovering, that, although the delineation of RURAL SCENERY naturally branches itself into these divisions, there was little else except the general

*It is not meant that attempts have been often made to turn the whole Poem into rhyme: but that there have been many imitations of it in rhyme, or parts of it. C. L.