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"How often have I paus'd on every charm--"The fhelter'd cot, the cultivated farm, "The never-failing brook, the bufy mill, "The decent church that topt the neighbouring hill." Deferted Village, p. 41.

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TO

SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS.

DEAR SIR,

I CAN have no expectations in an addrefs of this kind, either to add to your reputation, or to establish my own. You can gain nothing from my admiration, as I am ignorant of that Art in which you are faid to excel; and I may lofe much by the feverity of your judgment, as few have a jufter tafle in Poetry than you. Setting intereft therefore afide, to which I never paid much attention, I must be indulged at prefent in following my affections. The only Dedication I ever made, was to my brother, because I loved him better than most other men. He is fince dead-Permit me to infcribe this Poem to you.

How far you may be pleafed with the verfification and mere mechanical parts of this attempt, I do not pretend to enquire; but I know you will object (and indeed feveral of our best and wifeft friends concur in the opinion) that the depopulation it deplores is no where to be feen, and the disorders it laments are only to be found in the Poet's own imagination. To this I can fcarce make any other answer than that I fincerely believe what I have written; that I have taken all poffible pains, in my country excurfions, for these four or five years past, to be certain of what I alledge, and that all my views and enquiries have led me to believe those miseries real, which I here attempt to difplay. But this is not the place to enter into an enquiry whether the country be depopulating or not: the difcuffion would take up much room, and I should prove myself, at beft, an indifferent politician, to tire the reader with a long preface, when I want his unfatigued attention to a long Poem.

In regretting the depopulation of the country, I inveigh against the increase of our luxuries; and here alfo I expect the fhout of modern politicians against me. For twenty or thirty years paft, it has been the fashion to confider luxury as one of the great national advantages; and

all the wisdom of antiquity in that particular, as erroneous. Still, however, I must remain a professed ancient on that head, and continue to think thofe luxuries prejudicial to flates, by which fo many vices are introduced, and so many kingdoms have been undone. Indeed, fo much has been poured out of late on the other fide of the question, that, merely for the fake of novelty and variety, one would fometimes wish to be in the right.

I am, dear Sir,

Your fincere friend, and ardent admirer,

OLIVER GOLDSMITH.

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