Poem which laid the foundation of the Author's reputation, was The Heroic Epistle to Sir William Chambers. The delicate, keen satire, with which it abounds, and the graceful simplicity of the Poem caught the attention and fixed the approbation of every reader. passed through Fifteen editions, in less than two years.

It

After this publication, .the Author intended to have written another: Poem, on nearly the same subject but founded on other materials suggested by: Sit. William Chambers's Dissertation on Oriental Gardening. This Poem would probably have been a very elaborate performance; because it was the Author's intention, to have enriched it throughout, with several highly finished characters.

But his

design will be best explained by himself in the following sketch of it to the Editor.

"SIR,

"The Author of the Heroic Epistle

to Sir William Chambers, begs leave to express

his having received great pleasure from the very favourable reception the public have given to his little poem; which induced him to meditate a much more important work.

"The exuberance of that imagery, displayed in the original dissertation,* is far from being exhausted. He means therefore to make a finished picture, from a very masterly sketch of Sir William's, which is, as yet, untouched by him. This is no less than a description of The Grove of Man-Chew, the Genius of Sorrow, which, in the Chinese language, signifies shame or infamy. For that tongue, in common with all other oriental ones, Hebrew for instance, and Arabic, comprehends under one term, many various, nay even contradictory significations.

"This he shall prevail on his good friend

* Sir William Chambers's Dissertation on Oriental Gardening.

Dr. Kennicott, to prove at large in a learned dissertation, which he means to prefix to this projected poem: The title therefore will be

The GROVE of MAN-CHEW

AND

TEMPLE of INFAMY;

and he presumes, if he has the good fortune to succeed in the attempt, the subject will furnish him with every possible embellishment. He means, however, to select from the immense fund of objects, which the present age supplies, only those characters whose peculiar de-merits to their country, entitle them to the most conspicuous niches in his poetical Belvidere.

"N.B. Places are already taken for Sir John Dalrymple, and his corrector of the press.'

With this Poem the Author never proceeded; conceiving perhaps that the characters might

* Lord Mansfield.

extend beyond his first views, he was induced to lay aside the design. Instead of writing The Grove of Manchew, he produced in the early part of the year following, his " Heroic Postscript to his Heroic Epistle:" the sale of which was in proportion to that of his first Poem. In the last twenty lines of this Postscript he seems to allude to his intention of writing a Political Satire; by which was probably meant the Grove of Manchew.

His next production was a pleasant Jeu d' Esprit, entitled " An Ode to Mr. Pinchbeck, upon his newly invented Patent Snuffers."

66

The fourth was, his "Epistle to Dr. Shebbeare," published in May, 1777. The" Ode to Sir Fletcher Norton," was published at the same time.

His last performance, was a Political Eclogue, entitled, "The Dean and the 'Squire." The Dean was Dr. Tucker, dean of Gloucester, and the 'Squire was Soame Jenyns, of Cambridge, Esq.,

It may, without impropriety, be observed that the Heroic Epistle to Sir William Chambers, and Mr. Gray's Elegy in a Country Church-Yard, were the two most popular short Poems published in the last century. They established immediately the high reputation of their respective authors.

Of Mr. Gray's Poems many excellent and beautiful editions have been printed in various sizes. But of the works of the present Author there has not hitherto appeared a complete and uniform edition. Their universally acknowledged merit, will, it is presumed, entitle them to the same honours as the works of Mr. Gray; and therefore this edition may, without presumption, lay claim to the same patronage.

J. ALMON.

BOXMOOR, HERTS,

March 21, 1805.