by that critick, without acknowledgement. By the manufcript communications of Richardfon, Jortin, and Warburton; and more particularly by thofe of the modeft and liberal Mr. Thyer; his commentary on Paradife Loft was confiderably enlarged. To the fame learned coadjutors, with the addition of fuch refpectable names as Sympfon, and Seward, the editors of Beaumont and Fletcher; of the Rev. Mr. Meadowcourt, Prehendary of Worcester; of the Rev. Mr. Calton of Lincolnshire; and of Mr. Peck, the antiquary; Dr. Newton's fubfequent edition of Paradife Regained, Samfon Agonistes, and the Smaller Poems, was alfo gratefully indebted. In the year after the publication of Dr. Newton's edition of Paradife Loft, there was published at Glafgow the firft Book of that poem with a large and very learned commentary; from which fome notes are felected in this edition. They, who are acquainted with this commentary, will concur with me in wifhing that the annotator had continued his ingenious and elaborate criticisms on the whole poem. That annotator, I find, was Mr. Callander. And fince the publication of my firft edition of these B. i. ver. 36. Thee mother, &c. ver. 39. God's Son. (5. 660. And at the bottom, ver. 46. ruin and confusion. ver. 48. circling. (2. 647. And at the bottom, B. xii. ver. 599. ver. 603. Inchain'd with adamant rock and circling fire, Alfo, over circling is written folid.) her first to know. with canfe Humbled for evils past ver. 610. Whither thou went'ft, and whence return’ft – ver. 648. Then wearied, afterwards carefull, next focial, and lastly with focial steps their way Through Eden took, with hope and promife chear'd. And for hope and promife is alfo given heav'nly favour. volumes, I have been favoured, by the learned Malcolm Laing, Efq. with a final interleaved Copy of Paradife Loft, containing memoranda of Mr. Čallander for notes on the whole poem, and a few remarks completed. In a letter from the late Mr. Mafon to Dodfley, the bookfeller, dated May 31, 1747, which was in the poffeffion of my friend, the late Ifaac Reed, Efq. an editorial intention is announced; which, though not accomplished, it may not be improper here to notice; as it coincides with the opinion of him, who has fo ably illuftrated the picturefque defcription, and romantick imagery, of the poems which Mr. Mafon mentions; and to whofe illuftrations the editor muft next express his obligations." I could wish to know," fays Mr. Mafon, "whether Tonfon or any other Bookfeller has a property in the fecond volume of Milton. I have often thought it a great pity that many of the beautiful pieces it contains fhould be fo little read as they certainly are. I fancy this has arifen from the bad thing they are tack'd to. I want vaftly to have a feparate edition of the Tragedy, Mak, Lycidas, L'Allegro, &c. And I fancy I fhall fome time or other undertake it myself; but, if you think that it would fell at prefent, I would willingly give you my affiftance either for a preface, or notes, or any thing that should be thought neceffary; and this merely for the fake of the incomparable poet, whom I am not content with having confidered and praised as the Author of Paradife Loft alone." What Mr. Mafon might have intended, the late Mr. Warton effected. In 1785 the Publick was prefented with Lycidas, L'Allegro, Il Penferofo, Arcades, Comus, Odes, Sonnets, &c. accompanied with Mr. Warton's critical and explanatory notes; of which a fecond edition, with many alterations and large additions, was published in 1791, foon after his lamented death: In whom Poetry and Antiquity loft one of their moft zealous votaries, Criticifm one of its ableft affertors, Society one of its moft agreeable members, and the Univerfity of Oxford one of her most valuable and moft refpected fons. Mr. Warton appears to have alfo planned an edition of Paradife Regained and Samfon Agoniftes, 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 first. 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 encreafed efteem of the worthy author. In the selection I have made, the candid reader will acknowledge many an ingenious and folid remark, evincing the taste and learning by which Mr. Dunfter 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. Johnfon and Mr. Hayley; and in fhort, 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, publifhed 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, several are retained. The labours of Mr. Warton and Mr. Dunfter have rendered more perhaps unneceffary. 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 manufcript remarks by the late Mr. Bowle; after whofe decease thefe volumes came into Mr. Steevens's hands; and, fince the death of Mr. Steevens, have become my property. This fin gular kindness was conferred by Mr. Steevens at the commencement of this undertaking; not without a pro mife 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 Hiftorical 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 bishops 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 icholar, 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 illuftration 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. Thefe 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 thefe letters, entrufted to me alfo by Dr. Dampier, I felected the truly Miltonick Sonnet written by Mr. Stillingfleet, which I have printed in the Preliminary Ob |