English Poets of the Eighteenth Century · Chapter 1Selected and Edited with an Introduction
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1918
The text of this collection of poetry is authentic and not bowdlerized. The general reader will, I hope, be gratified to find that its pages display no pedantic or scholastic traits. His pleasure in the poetry itself will not be distracted by a marginal numbering of the lines; by index-figures and footnotes; or by antiquated peculiarities of spelling, capitalization, and elision. Except where literal conventions are essential to the poet's purpose,—as in The Castle of Indolence, The Schoolmistress, or Chatterton's poems,—I have followed modern usage. Dialect words are explained in the glossary; and the student who may wish to consult the context of any passage will find the necessary references in the unusually full table of contents. Whenever the title of a poem gives too vague a notion of its substance, or whenever its substance is miscellaneous, I have supplied [bracketed] captions for the extracts; except for these, there is nothing on the pages of the text besides the poets' own words.
Originality is not the proper characteristic of an anthologist, and in the choice of extracts I have rarely indulged my personal likings when they conflicted with time-honored preferences; yet this anthology,—the first published in a projected series of four or five volumes comprising the English poets from Elizabethan to Victorian times,—has certain minor features that may be deemed objectionably novel. Much the greater portion of the volume has of course, as usual, been given to those poems (by Pope, Thomson, Collins, Gray, Goldsmith, Crabbe, Cowper, and Burns) which have been loved or admired from their day to our own. But I have ventured to admit also a few which, though forgotten to-day, either were popular in the eighteenth century or possess marked historical significance. In other words, I present not solely what the twentieth century considers enduringly great in the poetry of the eighteenth, but also a little—proportionately very little—of what the eighteenth century itself (perhaps mistakenly) considered interesting. This secondary purpose accounts for my inclusion of passages from such neglected authors as Mandeville, Brooke, Day, and Darwin. The passages of this sort are too infrequent to annoy him who reads for aesthetic pleasure only; and to the student they will illustrate movements in the spirit of the age which would otherwise be unrepresented, and which, as the historical introduction points out, are an integral part of its thought and feeling. The inclusion of passages from "Ossian," though almost unprecedented, requires, I think, no defense against the literal-minded protest that they are written in "prose."
Students of poetical history will find it illuminating to read the passages in chronological order (irrespective of authorship); and in order to facilitate this method I have given in the table of contents the date of each poem.
DANIEL DEFOE THE TRUE-BORN ENGLISHMAN (1701), ll. 119-132, 189-228, 312-321 A HYMN TO THE PILLORY (1703), STANZAS 1, 3, 5-6, 28-30
JOSEPH ADDISON THE CAMPAIGN (1704), ll. 259-292 DIVINE ODE (1712)
BERNARD DE MANDEVILLE THE GRUMBLING HIVE (1705, 1714), ll. 1-6, 26-52, 149-156, 171-186, 198-239, 327-336, 377-408
ALEXANDER POPE AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM (1711), ll. 1-18, 46-51, 68-91, 118-180, 215-423, 560-577, 612-642 THE RAPE OF THE LOCK (1714), CANTOS II AND III TRANSLATION OF THE ILIAD, BOOK VI (1717), ll. 562-637 AN ESSAY ON MAN (1733-34), EPISTLE I; 11, 1-18; IV, 93-204, 361-398 MORAL ESSAYS, EPISTLE II (1735), ll. 1-16, 87-180, 199-210, 231-280 EPISTLE TO DR. ARBUTHNOT (1735), ll. 1-68, 115-214, 261-304, 334-367, 389-419 FIRST EPISTLE OF THE SECOND BOOK OF HORACE IMITATED (1737), ll. 23-138, 161-296, 338-347 EPILOGUE TO THE SATIRES (1738), DIALOGUE II, ll. 208-223 THE DUNCIAD (1728-43), BOOK i, ll. 28-84, 107-134; iv. 627-656
JOHN GAY RURAL SPORTS (1713), ll. 91-106 THE SHEPHERD'S WEEK: THURSDAY; OR, THE SPELL (1714), ll. 5-14, 49-60, 83-136 TRIVIA (1716), BOOK II, ll. 25-64 SWEET WILLIAM'S FAREWELL TO BLACK-EYED SUSAN (1720) MY OWN EPITAPH (1720)
SAMUEL CROXALL THE VISION (1715), ll. 41-56
THOMAS TICKELL ON THE DEATH OF MR. ADDISON (1721), ll. 9-46, 67-82
THOMAS PARNELL A NIGHT-PIECE ON DEATH (1721), ll. 1-70 A HYMN OF CONTENTMENT (1721)
ALLAN RAMSAY THE GENTLE SHEPHERD: PATIE AND ROGER (1721), ll. 1-52, 59-68, 135-202
GEORGE BERKELEY VERSES ON THE PROSPECT OF PLANTING ARTS AND LEARNING IN AMERICA (WR. c. 1726; PUBL. 1752)
JAMES THOMSON THE SEASONS (1726-30) WINTER, ll. 223-358 SUMMER, ll. 1630-1645 SPRING, ll. 1-113, 846-876 AUTUMN, ll. 950-1003 A HYMN RULE, BRITANNIA (1740) THE CASTLE OF INDOLENCE (1748), STANZAS 1-11, 20, 57-59
EDWARD YOUNG LOVE OF FAME: SATIRES V-VI (1727-28), SATIRE V, ll. 227-246, 469-484; VI, 393-462 NIGHT-THOUGHTS (1742-45), NIGHT I, ll. 68-90; III, 325-342; IV, 201-233; VII, 253-323
SOAME JENYNS AN ESSAY ON VIRTUE (1734), ll. 148-165, 170-183, 189-199
WILLIAM SOMERVILLE THE CHASE (1735), BOOK II, ll. 119-171
HENRY BROOKE UNIVERSAL BEAUTY (1735), BOOK III, ll. 1-8, 325-364; V, 282-297, 330-339, 361-384 PROLOGUE TO GUSTAVUS VASA (1739) CONRADE, A FRAGMENT (WR. 1743?, PUBL. 1778), ll. 1-26
MATTHEW GREEN THE SPLEEN (1737), ll. 89-110, 624-642
JONATHAN SWIFT THE BEASTS' CONFESSION (1738), ll. 1-128, 197-220 VERSES ON THE DEATH OF DR. SWIFT (1739), ll. 39-66, 299-338, 455-482
WRESTLING JACOB (1742) ROBERT BLAIR THE GRAVE (1743), ll. 28-44, 56-84, 750-767
WILLIAM WHITEHEAD ON RIDICULE (1743), ll. 27-52, 153-171, 225-226, 233-236, 287-301 THE ENTHUSIAST (1754)
MARK AKENSIDE THE PLEASURES OF IMAGINATION (1744), BOOK I, ll. 34-43, 113-124; III, 515-535, 568-633
JOSEPH WARTON THE ENTHUSIAST; OR, THE LOVER OF NATURE (1744), ll. 1-20, 26-38, 87-103, 167-244
JOHN GILBERT COOPER THE POWER OF HARMONY (1745), BOOK II, ll. 35-51, 125-140, 330-343
THOMAS WARTON THE PLEASURES OF MELANCHOLY (1747), ll. 28-69, 153-165, 196-210 THE GRAVE OF KING ARTHUR (1777), ll. 31-74 SONNET WRITTEN IN A BLANK LEAF OF DUGDALE'S MONASTICON (1777) SONNET WRITTEN AT STONEHENGE (1777) SONNET TO THE RIVER LODON (1777)
SAMUEL JOHNSON THE VANITY OF HUMAN WISHES (1749), ll. 99-118, 133-160, 189-220, 289-308, 341-366
JOHN DALTON A DESCRIPTIVE POEM (1755), ll. 222-227, 238-257, 265-272, 279-290
CHARLES CHURCHILL THE ROSCIAD (1761), ll. 963-986 THE GHOST (1762), BOOK II, ll. 653-676
CHRISTOPHER SMART A SONG TO DAVID (1763), ll. 451-516
OLIVER GOLDSMITH THE TRAVELLER (1764), ll. 51-64, 239-280, 423-438 THE DESERTED VILLAGE (1770) RETALIATION (1774), ll. 29-42, 61-78, 93-124, 137-146
JEAN ADAMS THERE'S NAE LUCK ABOUT THE HOUSE (c. 1771)
ANONYMOUS ABSENCE (c. 1773?)
JOHN LANGHORNE THE COUNTRY JUSTICE, PART I (1774), ll. 132-165
THOMAS DAY THIS DESOLATION OF AMERICA (1777), ll. 29-53, 279-299, 328-335, 440-458, 489-501
GEORGE CRABBE THE LIBRARY (1781), ll. 1-12, 99-110, 127-134, AND A COMMONLY OMITTED PASSAGE FOLLOWING l. 594 THE VILLAGE (1783), BOOK I, ll. 1-78, 109-317; II, 63-100
WILLIAM COWPER TABLE TALK (1782), ll. 716-739 CONVERSATION (1782), ll. 119-162 TO A YOUNG LADY (1782) THE SHRUBBERY (1782) THE TASK (1785), BOOK I, ll. 141-180; II, 1-47, 206-254; III, 108-l33; IV, 1-41; V, 379-445; VI, 56-117, 560-580 ON THE RECEIPT OF MY MOTHER'S PICTURE (1798) TO MARY (WR. c. 1795, PUBL. 1803) THE CASTAWAY (WR. c. 1799, PUBL. 1803)
ROBERT BURNS MARY MORISON (WR. 1784?, PUBL. 1800) THE HOLY FAIR (WR. 1785, PUBL. 1786) TO A LOUSE (WR. 1785, PUBL. 1786) EPISTLE TO J. LAPRAIK (WR. 1785, PUBL. 1786), STANZAS 9-13 THE COTTER'S SATURDAY NIGHT (WR. 1785-86, PUBL. 1786) TO A MOUSE (1786) TO A MOUNTAIN DAISY (1786) EPISTLE TO A YOUNG FRIEND (1786) A BARD'S EPITAPH (1786) ADDRESS TO THE UNCO GUID (1787) JOHN ANDERSON, MY Jo (WR. c. 1788, PUBL. 1790) THE LOVELY LASS OF INVERNESS (WR. c. 1788, PUBL. 1796) A RED, RED ROSE (WR. c. 1788, PUBL. 1796) AULD LANG SYNE (WR. c. 1788, PUBL. 1796) SWEET AFTON (WR. c. 1789, PUBL. 1796) THE HAPPY TRIO (WR. 1789, PUBL. 1796) TO MARY IN HEAVEN (WR. 1789, PUBL. 1796) TAM O' SHANTER (WR. 1790, PUBL. 1791) AE FOND KISS (WR. 1791, PUBL. 1792) DUNCAN GRAY (WR. 1792, PUBL. 1798) HIGHLAND MARY (WR. 1792, PUBL. 1799) SCOTS, WHA HAE (WR. 1793, PUBL. 1794) IS THERE FOR HONEST POVERTY (WR. 1794, PUBL. 1795) LAST MAY A BRAW WOOER (WR. c. 1795, PUBL. 1799) O, WERT THOU IN THE CAULD BLAST (WR. 1796, PUBL. 1800)
ERASMUS DARWIN THE BOTANIC GARDEN (1789-92), PART I, CANTO I, ll. 1-38; PART II, CANTO I, ll. 299-310
WILLIAM BLAKE TO WINTER (1783) SONG: FRESH FROM THE DEWY HILL (1783) TO THE MUSES (1783) INTRODUCTION TO SONGS OF INNOCENCE (1789) THE LAMB (1789) THE LITTLE BLACK BOY (1789) A CRADLE SONG (1789) HOLY THURSDAY (1789) THE DIVINE IMAGE (1789) ON ANOTHER'S SORROW (1789) THE BOOK OF THEL (1789) THE FRENCH REVOLUTION (PRINTED 1791), ll, 198-240 A SONG OP LIBERTY (c. 1792), §§ 1-3, 12, 18-20, AND CHORUS THE FLY (1794) THE TIGER (1794) HOLY THURSDAY (1794) THE GARDEN OF LOVE (1794) A LITTLE BOY LOST (1794) THE SCHOOL-BOY (1794) LONDON (1794) AUGURIES OF INNOCENCE (WR. c. 1801-03), LL. 1-44, 73-90 VERSES FROM "MILTON" (ENGRAVED c. 1804) AND DID THOSE FEET IN ANCIENT TIME REASON AND IMAGINATION VERSES FROM "JERUSALEM" (ENGRAVED c. 1804-11) TO THE DEISTS
GEORGE CANNING THE PROGRESS OF MAN (1798), CANTO XXIII, ll. 7-16, 17-30 THE NEW MORALITY (1798), ll. 87-157
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