“I am, Sir, your most humble servant,
“March 4 1783.”
“SAM: JOHNSON.”
That I was fully satisfied, my readers will do me the justice to believe; and I hope they will pardon me, if there should appear to them any impropriety in publishing the favourable opinion expressed in a private letter; they will judge, and truly, that by so doing I wish to bespeak their good opinion, but have no design of extorting their applause: I would not hazard an appearance so ostentatious, to gratify my vanity, but, I venture to do it, in compliance with my fears.
After these was published the Newspaper: it had not the advantage of such previous criticism from my friends, nor perhaps so much of my own attention as I ought to have given to it; but the impression was disposed of, and I will not pay so little respect to the judgement of my readers, as now to suppress, what they then approved.
Since the publication of this Poem, more than twenty years have elapsed, and I am not without apprehension, lest so long a silence should be construed into a blameable neglect of my own interest which those excellent friends were desirous of promoting; or what is yet worse, into a want of gratitude for their assistance; since it becomes me to suppose, they considered these first attempts as promises of better things, and their favours as stimulants to future exertion; and here, be the construction put upon my apparent negligence what it may, let me not suppress my testimony to the liberality of those who are looked up to, as patrons and encouragers of literary merit, or indeed of merit of any kind: their patronage has never been refused, I conceive, when it has been reasonably expected or modestly required, and it would be difficult, probably, to instance, in these times and in this country, any one who merited or was supposed to merit assistance, but who nevertheless languished in obscurity or necessity for want of it; unless in those cases, where it was prevented by the resolution of impatient pride, or wearied by the solicitations of determined profligacy.—And while the subject is before me, I am unwilling to pass silently over the debt of gratitude which I owe to the memory of two deceased noblemen, His Grace the late Duke of Rutland, and The Right Honourable the Lord Thurlow: sensible of the honour done me by their notice and the benefits received from them, I trust this acknowledgement will be imputed to its only motive, a grateful sense of their favours.
Upon this subject I could dwell with much pleasure; but to give a reason for that appearance of neglect, as it is more difficult, so happily it is less required: In truth I have, for many years, intended a republication of these Poems, as soon as I should be able to join with them, such other of later date, as might not deprive me of the little credit, the former had obtained. Long indeed has this purpose been procrastinated: and if the duties of a profession, not before pressing upon me; if the claims of a situation, at that time untried; if diffidence of my own judgement, and the loss of my earliest friends, will not sufficiently account for my delay, I must rely upon the good-nature of my reader, that he will let them avail as far as he can, and find an additional apology in my fears of his censure.
These fears being so prevalent with me, I determined not to publish any thing more, unless I could first obtain the sanction of such opinion, as I might with some confidence rely upon: I looked for a friend who, having the discerning taste of Mr. Burke, and the critical sagacity of Doctor Johnson, would bestow upon my MS. the attention requisite to form his opinion, and would then favour me with the result of his observations: and it was my singular good fortune to gain such assistance; the opinion of a critic so qualified, and a friend so disposed to favour me. I had been honoured by an introduction to the Right Honourable Charles-James Fox, some years before, at the seat of Mr. Burke; and being again with him, I received a promise that he would peruse any work I might send to him previous to its publication, and would give me his opinion. At that time, I did not think myself sufficiently prepared; and when, afterwards, I had collected some Poems for his inspection, I found my Right Honourable Friend engaged by the affairs of a great empire, and struggling with the inveteracy of a fatal disease: at such time, upon such mind, ever disposed to oblige as that mind was, I could not obtrude the petty business of criticizing verses: but he remembered the promise he had kindly given, and repeated an offer, which though I had not presumed to expect, I was happy to receive. A copy of the Poems, now first published, was immediately sent to him, and (as I have the information from Lord Holland, and his Lordship’s permission to inform my Readers) the Poem which I have named The Parish Register, was heard by Mr. Fox, and it excited interest enough, by some of its parts, to gain for me the benefit of his judgement upon the whole: Whatever he approved, the Reader will readily believe, I have carefully retained; the parts he disliked are totally expunged, and others are substituted, which I hope resemble those, more conformable to the taste of so admirable a judge; nor can I deny myself the melancholy satisfaction of adding that this Poem, (and more especially the story of Phœbe Dawson[3], with some parts of the second book) were the last compositions of their kind, that engaged and amused the capacious, the candid, the benevolent mind of this great Man.
The above information I owe to the favour of The Right Honourable Lord Holland; nor this only, but to his Lordship I am indebted for some excellent remarks upon other parts of my MS. It was not indeed my good fortune then to know that my verses were in the hands of a Nobleman who had given proof of his accurate judgement as a critic, and his elegance as a writer, by favouring the public with an easy and spirited translation of some interesting scenes of a dramatic poet, not often read in this kingdom: The Life of Lope de Vega was then unknown to me; I had, in common with many English readers, heard of him, but could not judge whether his far-extended reputation was caused by the sublime efforts of a mighty genius, or the unequalled facility of a rapid composer, aided by peculiar and fortunate circumstances.—That any part of my MS. was honoured by the remarks of Lord Holland, yields me an high degree of satisfaction, and his Lordship will perceive the use I have made of them, but I must feel some regret when I know to what small portion they were limited; and discerning as I do, the taste and judgement bestowed upon the verses of Lope de Vega, I must perceive how much my own needed the assistance afforded to one, who cannot be sensible of the benefit he has received.