ENCOMIUMS ON AKENSIDE.

FROM SCOTT'S ODE, AFTER READING AKENSIDE'S POEMS.

To Fancy's view what visions rise,
Remote amid yon azure skies!
What goddess-form descends in air?-
The Grecian muse, severely fair!
What sage is he, to whom she deigns
Her lyre of elevated strains?

The BARD of TYNE―his master-hand
Awakes new music o'er the land;

And much his voice of right and wrong,
Attempts to teach the' unheeding throng.

FROM DR. ROBERTS' EPISTLE ON THE ENGLISH POETS.

COME, AKENSIDE, come with thine attic urn,
Fill'd from Ilyssus by a Naiad's hand :

Thy harp was tun'd to freedom. Strains like thine,
When Asia's lord bor'd the huge mountain's side,
And bridg'd the sea, to battle rous'd the tribes
Of ancient Greece: the sons of Cecrops rais'd
Minerva's ægis-Lacedæmon pour'd

Her hardy veterans from their frugal board,
And Thebes saw Xerxes shake through all his tents.

FROM HURDIS'S VILLAGE CURATE.

-Be thou our guest,

Impetuous AKENSIDE, some gloomy eve
When the red lightning scarce begins to glare,
And the mute thunder hardly deigns to growl.
Rais'd by thy torrent song, we shall enjoy
The loud increasing horrors of the storm,
Awfully grand.

ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE EDITION OF 1772.

THIS Volume contains a complete collection of the poems of the late Dr. Akenside, either reprinted from the original editions, or faithfully published from copies which had been prepared by himself for publication.

That the principal poem should appear in so disadvantageous a state, may require some explanation. The first publication of it was at a very early part of the Author's life. That it wanted revision and correction, he was sufficiently sensible; but so quick was the demand for several successive re-publications, that in any of the intervals to have completed the whole of his corrections was utterly impossible; and yet to have gone on from time to time making farther improvements in every new edition would (he thought) have had the appearance at least of abusing the favour of the Public. He chose therefore to continue for some time reprinting it without alteration, and to forbear publishing any corrections or improvements until he should be able at once to give them to the Public complete. And with this view, he went on for several years to review and correct the Poem at his leisure; till at length he found the task grow so much upon his hands, that, despairing of ever being able to execute it sufficiently to his own sa