PREFACE.

TH

HE Plan of the following Miscellany may juftly be confidered as entirely new. Our Design was to form a Collection of fuch fmall, but valuable, Poetical Pieces, written by Gentlemen of OXFORD, as never before appeared together; and which being hitherto published separately, or, as it were, by Accident, would otherwife have been overlooked and forgotten, partly for want of Length, and partly from their Manner of Publication. Amongst thefe, are interfperfed feveral Pieces, of the greatest Merit, never before printed. This Stock of Materials, which All will allow to be highly seaJoned, thus carefully felected, and happily A 2 blended

blended, we have ventured, with fome Degree of Propriety, to prefent to the Public, under the Name of The OXFORD SAUSAGE.

Our principal Aim, has been to collect Poems of Humour and Burlefque. On these Confiderations, our SAUSAGE, we prefume, will not only gratify the Palate, but, if the old and approved Proverb, LAUGH AND BE FAT, be true, will at the fame Time contribute to make our Readers Thrive. All fuch Perfons, therefore, as are grown thin, by too much. Study, Fafting, and low Spirits, if they would improve their Constitution,and mend their Habit, are hereby invited to partake of this cheap, delicious, and falutary Morfel. As to Readers of a more genial Complexion, and a more joyous Difpofition, we need not doubt of being favoured with their Company. In the mean Time it

it is declared, that we do not mean by our Title to exclude any particular Sect or Denomination of People. For Jews as well as Chriftians, may feed on our SAUSAGE, without hurting their Confcien

ces.

In order to render the following Mifcellany complete, no Pains have been fpared in procuring Pieces, and no Refources has been left unexplored. That nothing might escape us, we have even examined the indefatigable Dr. Rawlin Jon's voluminous Collection of Manu- fcripts, lately presented to the Bodleian Library. But we must acknowledge, without Succefs; as not one poignant Ingredient was to be found in all that im menfe Heap of rare and invaluable Originals. Indeed, our chief Affistance has been from fome curious and ingenious Members of the Univerfity of Oxford, A 3 who

who have made it their Business to preferve fuch fugitive pieces, as were beft adapted to this Defign.

Many Conjectures, we apprehend, will be formed, concerning the Collector of this Work. Some will probably fufpect him to be that whimsical Genius who compiled the COMPANION TO THE Guide; while Others will perhaps guess him to be the fame with the well-bred and bumourous Writer of the late TERRÆ FILIUs. But the Sagacious Investigators will have found out nothing, even if they should fucceed thus far in their Conjectures: as most unluckily the Author of those Pieces will never be known. Notwithstanding, whoever shall be so happy as to make this Discovery, and will, on unquestionable Proof, deliver in the Collector's REAL Name, to Mr. JACKSON, Printer in the High-freet, Oxford, or to Mr. JAMES FLETCHER

4

FLETCHER at the Oxford Theatre, in St. Paul's Church Yard, fhall receive as a Reward for unriddling this Mystery, and on Condition that the Secret go no further Twelve SAUSAGES, neatly bound, gilt, and lettered.

It

may be proper,

in this Place, to ad

vertise our Readers, that great Part of this Work was printed off, when we were fo unfortunate as to lose the facetious Mr. BENJAMIN TYRRELL, Cook, in the HighStreet, Oxford. This fatal and unexpected Blow has retarded the Publication of our Mifcellany for fome little Time: but it is hoped that BEN's Cookery, which makes no inconfiderable Figure in this Work, will still continue to be relished by all Readers of true Tafte,

1

It was intended, by Way of Frontifpiece, to prefix to this Publication, an

elegant