Perfons, who have forgot that they were Young, fay what they will to the contrary) there are a great many Allowances to be made to young People, purely becaufe they are Young; and if I was to have inferted nothing here but what is very Grave, they would foon dislike this innocent Food, and apply themselves to worfe Diet. The other Objection, likely to be made, is, That I have put in feveral Poems of Mr. Milton's, which fome will fancy to be above the Capacity of the younger Reader. But, as I have ordered Matters with a View to every Age and Capacity, so there will be nothing (the Index being confulted) but what will become very plain to one Age or other. For as there is a variety of Poetical Difhes, let every one chufe, or let it be chofen for him, what Difh is like to fit easiest with him. As to the Poems in this Collection that were never published before, as namely, that in Page the 51ft, being the Tranflation of Mr. Cowley's Epitaph on himself, it was done by Mr. Sellwood, of Cambridge. That in Page the 95th, Written in a Lady's Waller; and that against Scandal, Page 104, were given by an ingenious Friend, who will not fuffer his Name to be known, not that be need be ashamed of them; but the Reafon, I bclieve, is, because he is fome Years older now than when he made them. The Love Verses, and that on a Lady's killing her Lap-Dog, were inferted at the Request of a Friend of the Author's, with an Injunction to conceal his Name. In the Love Verfes there are feveral Turns that declare a true Poetical Genius, and therefore and not in need of any Recommenda tion. If I find that what I have here done, meets with the Approbation of the Sober and Judicious, it will encourage me to prefent the Reader with a Set of Reading-Books, beginning even with the firft Ele
ments.
THE