PREFACE. THE memory and judgement undoubtedly are, like all other human faculties, to be improved by moderate exercise; but it is to be regretted, that the improvement of the memory of children is too often either totally neglected by those who have the care of their education, or the youthful mind is overloaded by the retention of long and entire poems, which, in most instances, give them a rooted disgust to that kind of exercise. To enable the teacher to fteer between these two extremes, the editor of this little work has felected, from our most admired poets, the Poetical Blossoms, in which he flatters himself the complaint alluded to will be done away, 2 and and the rifing generation be inftructed while they are amused. Poetry is more eafily remembered than profe, and the juvenile orators have more opportunity of difplaying their talents in fpeaking a few verfes, than they can have from the repetition of long profe fpeeches. Children are capable of these exercises of the memory much fooner than the generality of tutors imagine; and I am clearly convinced, from long practice and repeated trials, that were young people to get one of these fhort poems by heart, and be obliged to repeat it to their tutors, who fhould teach them to pronounce it accurately, and point out to them where properly to lay the emphafis, it would be attended with the most pleasing effects. POETICAL |