one of their most zealous votaries, Criticifin one of its ableft affertors, Society one of its moft agreeable members, and the Univerfity of Oxford one of her most valuable and most respected fons. Mr. Warton appears to have alfo planned an edition of Paradife Regained and Samfon Agonistes, by having omitted in the latter edition fuch notes as more immediately related to those poems, and which had appeared in the former edition; and by fubftituting merely references to the notes on thofe refpective paffages. The fignatures to the fheets of his latter edition are numbered indeed volume the firft. From both thefe editions, in which the names of Warburton, Hurd, Bowle, and Dr. Jofeph Warton, often occur as annotators, the moft valuable illuftrations have been derived to the following pages. I have been alfo greatly obliged, fince the publication of my firft edition, to the Rev. John Warton, for the notes in manufcript, both of his father and uncle, on the Paradife Regained and Samfon Agonistes. They are indeed but few in number. Thofe of the latter appear to have been principally drawn from his first edition of the Smaller Poems, in fubferviency to the plan juft noticed. From Mr. Dunfter's edition of Paradife Regained, publifhed in 1795, a copious ftock of judicious and elegant obfervations on that poem has been alfo here extracted. Of the numerous remarks, in manufcript, on Paradife Loft and on almost all the remaining English Poems of Milton, which Mr. Dunfter configned to the proprietors of this edition in 1805, and with the perufal of which I have been entrusted for the purpose of felecting fuch as I might confider fuitable to my plan, I muft likewife fpeak with pleasure, as well as with encreased esteem of the worthy author. In the felection I have made, the candid reader will acknowledge many an ingenious and folid remark, evincing the tafte and learning by which Mr. Dunster has ever been diftinguished.

From modern works of critical eminence, relating to the English language and poetry, many notices have been likewife drawn; in particular, from the compofitions of Lord Monboddo, Dr. Beattie, and Dr. Blair; from the late commentaries on Shakfpeare; from Mr. Headley's Select Specimens of Ancient English Poetry; from the acute obfervations of Dr. Johnson and Mr. Hayley; and in short, if I may respectfully adopt the language of my predeceffour, "like the bee, I have been ftudious of gathering fweets wherever I could find them." The Fragment of an intended Commentary on Paradife Loft by the poet Cowper, published by his friend Hayley, did not appear till long after the three Books, which that Commentary illuftrates, were printed in

this edition.

Contributions, however, have not been exacted, without references to the original treafuries of the information adduced, or without the names of the authors fubjoined. Of the notes in Dr. Newton's excellent edition of the Paradife Loft, few have been omitted, and fome have been thortened; by which method I have been enabled to introduce, without too copious a commentary, the important obfervations of criticks already enumerated, as well as of those who are yet to be named. Of the notes alfo in his edition of Paradife Regained, and the remaining Poems, feveral are retained. The labours of Mr. Warton and Mr. Dunfter have rendered more perhaps unnecessary.

I must now acknowledge obligations, not perhaps lefs interesting or valuable, to manufcript communications, befides thofe already mentioned of Mr. Callander, the two Wartons, and Mr. Dunfter.

To the late George Steevens, Efq. I was indebted for the interleaved copies of Paradife Loft, and of the Smaller Poems printed in 1673, with many manuscript remarks by the late Mr. Bowle;

after whofe decease these volumes came into Mr. Steevens's hands; and, fince the death of Mr. Steevens, have become my property. This fingular kindness was conferred by Mr. Steevens at the commencement of this undertaking; not without a promife alfo of further affiftance; which, unfortunately for the publick and for me, he lived not to afford.

To Jofeph Cooper Walker, Efq. the author of the very elegant Historical Memoir on Italian Tragedy, and of other valuable publications, I have been likewife particularly obliged for many remarks, biographical as well as critical.

My fincereft thanks are alfo due to two diftinguished prelates, whofe amiable difpofitions and unaffuming abilities have met with their reward; the prefent bifhops of Ely and Hereford. Dr. Dampier, on being made acquainted in 1800 by my very kind and zealous friend, Dr. Luxmoore, with this undertaking, obligingly tranfmitted to me an interleaved copy of Paradife Loft, with numerous manufcript notes, by that accomplished fcholar, the late Benjamin Stillingfleet, Efq. They contain not only the chief claffical allufions, which are found in Dr. Newton's edition; but references to, or citations of, various other paffages fubfervient to the illustration of the poem. They had been put together about the year 1745, with a view to publication; but were left unfinished, from the apprehenfion that they would not make their way in oppofition to Dr. Newton's edition, which was then announced under the patronage of Lord Bath. These particulars are gathered from feveral important letters of Mr. Stillingfleet to Dr. Dampier's father, formerly Dean of Durham; to whom he had prefented his interleaved Paradife Loft. From one of these letters, entrusted to me alfo by Dr. Dampier, I felected. the truly Miltonick Sonnet written by Mr. Stillingfleet, which I have printed in the Preliminary Ob

fervations on the Sonnets, in the fixth volume of this edition. It must be added, that the volume, containing the firft fix books of Paradife Loft, was nearly printed off, when I was honoured with thefe remarks. A felection, therefore, of Mr. Stillingfleet's notes on those books, has been given, duly acknowledged, at the close of my first edition, among other additions to the preceding volumes; and, in the prefent, these notes are in their respective places, with Mr. Stillingfleet's name fubjoined.

To the Dean and Chapter of Canterbury I beg to mention my respectful obligations alfo for the ufe of manuscripts in their poffeffion, which have contributed to the purposes of my edition.

D

But my gratitude can never be fufficiently expreffed for the aids afforded me by the Library of the late Duke of Bridgewater. And as on a former occafion I had to thank his Grace for permiffion to print the manufcript Mask of Comus, obtained through the obliging application of the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Egerton; fo was I gratified, through the fame literary attention, by being allowed to print, on the occafion of my complete edition of Milton's poetry, the manufcript Mask of Marfton performed before the Countefs Dowager of Derby; and to make use of many rare and curious books, perhaps not to be found in other collections. To this liberal condefcenfion I owe the opportunity of having introduced to publick notice the poems of fome forgotten English bards, as well as other pieces of our ancient literature, hitherto overpaffed by the most curious investigators. Nor, in recording this circumstance, will I lofe the occafion of thanking the prefent head of this illuftrious house; both in avowing that to the Earl of Bridgewater's kindness in introducing me to his family I have been primarily indebted for the diftinguished favours I have ftated, and that by his patronage I have

been benefited and honoured. The invaluable collection, from which I have derived fuch advantage, was removed in 1800 from his Grace's feat at Afhridge to Cleveland Houfe, London; and at his death in 1803 became, by bequeft, the property of his nephew, the present Marquis of Stafford, to whom as an ardent lover of literature, and an exquifite judge of what is ferviceable to its interefts, the donation has been moft acceptable. To the prefent age the notification of fuch treasures will be highly acceptable; for, among its characteristicks, a tafte for relifhing the ftrains of elder days is honourably confpicuous; to the encrease of which, the publication of Mr. Ellis's Specimens of Early English Poetry has, doubtless, powerfully contributed.

I have been fortunate alfo in obtaining other manufcript fupplies of no mean import. To my friends, the liberal friends indeed to the literature of their country, the late Ifaac Reed, Efq. and James Bindley, Efq. I have been obliged for many valuable fuggeftions, as well as for the favour of several scarce works in their choice and rich collections.

From the Rev. Mr. Boyd, the elegant tranflator of Dante, I have received, juft as this edition was clofing at the prefs, the very interefting Obfervations on the Characters of the Fallen Angels of Milton. The few communications of other gentlemen I have noticed in their respective places.

Having thus difcharged my duty of grateful acknowledgement, I proceed to give the reader an account of what he is to expect further in the conduct my edition.

of

I call it an invaluable collection, not only as it relates to literary treafures of the defcription juft noticed, but alfo as poffeffing numerous rarities in various departments of literature. It is not my province here to give a larger account, however agreeable to myfelf the tafk might be, of Athridge Library. I referve it, as is meet, for my Hiftory of the College of Afridge from its foundation to its demolition.