PREFACE. IT significance of a volume, small in itself, but embracing several objects. A glance at the contents will, however, I think, show on what principle this selection is made. It comprehends deceased poets only, but a great part of them have been my contemporaries, and if not known to me personally, have been so through intimate friends. Everyone is aware how numerous Poetical Selections now are ; but a new attempt like this neither condemns nor rivals any existing ones. I find in every volume of the sort which I open, something I wished for omitted, or something I object to inserted; and perhaps, even in the limited range I have chosen, the same will be said of me ; but let me at least observe that this limitation is no measure of my admiration for our greater modern poets. I simply do not select from them because they are in everyone's hands, and can well take care of themselves; whereas there are some among the volumes of poetry I have loved from |