THE EDITOR TO THE READER. As I was taking my usual walk, about a fortnight ago, in the fields near the Foundling Hospital, I observed, at a little distance from me, a tolerably well dressed man, "brushing with hasty steps the dews away," or rather the dust, (for the grass there instead of dew is now covered with brick-dust) and with some degree of agitation talking to himself, and now and then pausing, by which means I soon approached near enough to him to hear him say, "the unmanly ruffian! contemptible coward! partial set of -." I then saw him pull a paper out of his pocket, and tie it to a brick, which he took from one of the kilns there, and throw it into a deep pond or pit which was in the field; I happened to have my Newfoundland dog with me, who by the bye is half-brother to the great comic performer Carlo of Drury Lane Theatre, and a much more expert diver, and as soon as Triton, (for that is his name) saw the bundle thrown into the water, he dashed in, brought it out, and, not being so well acquainted with the new law respecting literary property, as to know that a Ballad is a Book, and not to be pirated, delivered it to me, I immediately offered it to the Gentleman, but in the most polite manner he requested that I would take it, saying, although he could not flatter himself that I should find as much amusement in reading, as he had had in writing it, I was at liberty to do with it as I pleased. I have only to add, that in recovering this manuscript from a watery grave, by the means of my dog Triton, I consider my good fortune in some degree equal to that of the Editor of a most ingenious work written by Geoffry Gambado, Esq. which was rescued from a similar fate at sea, by means of the monstrous Craws. The notes which are marked EDIT. are the only instances in which I have taken the liberty of adding any thing to the manuscript. THE EDITOR. THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. IF I had called this an heroic Ballad, I should have been guilty of a misnomer of my subject: there is neither a hero or any thing heroic in it. If I had called it a mock heroic, I should have led the reader to think I mean to cast a ridicule upon the subject, for which my serious turn of mind naturally unfits me; I have therefore called it a non-heroic Ballad, and, instead of using the heroic verse, have adopted the common lyric of eight and six syllables, with only one alternate rhyme instead of two, except in some of the stanzas; in which I am warranted, by the authority of both ancient and modern Ballads, from the time of Chevy Chace to Johnny Gilpin's Ride. It never was my intention in the language of Othello to say "I will a round unvarnished tale relate," as I am of opinion that there are parts of a poetical tale, which, like what the painters call the fine passages of a picture, can only be brought out by a judicious application of good Varnish. This Varnish I trust the readers of my Tale will find to have been properly laid on; it should be colourless, and if in some parts of the work it should have too yellow a tint, I shall be sorry for it, as I am convinced that the same same hue, which would only give a mellowness to painting,. will not add either mellowness or melody to poetry. Though I am anxious that this short poem may have the credit of being "bene limatum," I trust I have not followed the example of some lyric poets, and refined it into obscurity, so as to be unintelligible without the aid of notes. I know it has been said, that the text of one of our best modern poetical compositions serves only as pegs to hang the notes upon: I do not think the charge is well founded; however I believe I may venture to say, that such is not the case with my verse: my notes, not my text, are the pegs, which, like the pegs of a Cribbage Board, I use to mark the game as it goes on:---I have been in doubt whether to put these notes at the bottom of the page or at the end of the ballad, and have at length determined to put the short notes at the bottom of the page, the long ones at the end of the ballad, the former I call my N. B.'s, the latter my post notes. In case I should be censured for having turned what should be grave into Farce, I shall say in the words of a great poet-- THE FOUNDLING-CHAPEL BRAWL, A NON-HEROIC BALLAD, "Flebit, et insignis tota cantabitur urbe." GOD prosper long our noble King, Our lives and safeties all, Ah place unmeet for such a deed! Where Charity and Peace should reign, A Damsel, neither young nor gay, Full fifteen years within a Pew Had occupied a seat;-- [Did Coram e'er foresee,] Captain Coram was the Founder of this Charity. No |