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because it very much destroys the interest of the whole poem, to be first acquainted with the most beautiful parts and even the passages selected lose much of their beauty, when given detached from the subject to which the poet had connected them. But this is not the case where the parts of we a poem are unconnected; or rather, where several distinct poems are written under one title, as the Night Thoughts of Young Independently of these objections, the admission of extracts from long poems, must have excluded too many of the entire poems.

The Editor has endeavoured as much as possible, to correct his own judgment by public opinion; and under that idea has admitted several poems, which he does not particularly admire. Therefore he cannot hope, that any one of his readers should find no poems he would wish to exclude; nor recollect others whose omission he may regret. If he does not find many such, the Editor will be more than satisfied. Novelty is not to be expected in a work of this kind: it could only be obtained by inserting the least known, and consequently the worst productions of our poets. If therefore the reader find nothing new, it will be an argument in favour of this Selection.

As it may be expected that something should be said concerning the utility of this work, on this ground the Editor has only to say, that the last edition of the British Poets, commencing from Milton only, contains nearly an 100 volumes, and is published at 10 Guineas.

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LORD SURREY. 1520-1547.

Ode. The soote season, that bud and bloom
Give place, ye lovers

Sonnets. From Tascane came my Lady's

91

Set me e'en where the Sun doth parch
Alas! so all things now do hold
LORD ROCHFORD. 1500-1536.

My late, awake, perform the last

SIR THOMAS WYAT. 1503-1541.

Since love will needs that I must love
Your looks so often, cast

ANONYMOUS.

A man may live thrice Nestor's life.

I see there is no sort

From Gammer Gurton's Needle..

1

ib.

2

3 ib.

5 ib.

6

ib.

7

*

(QUEEN ELIZABETH.)

GEORGE GASCOIGNE. 1540-1578.

A strange passion of a lover

The Dole of Despair

WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE. 1564-1616.

Song.-Blow, blow thou Winter-wind

ib.

. 11

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