953 M787 TO THE PUBLIC.. wan No new Publication awakens lefs curiofity than a volume of Miscellaneous Poems by an unknown Au❤ thor. Under this disadvantage, (among many dif couragements more which need not be named,) the following trifles are offered to the world;-yet if they' have merit they cannot be entirely overlooked; if shey have none they will be juftly neglected. THE WANDERER OF SWITZERLAND, the firft and longest essay in this collection, has a peculiar claim on the liberality of criticism. Whatever its fate or its character may be, it is neither written in the spirit, nor after the manner of any preceding Poet. An heroic fubject is celebrated in a lyric measure, on a dramatic plan. To unite with the majesty of epic fong, the fire, rapidity and compreffion of the ode, and M865205 [vi] give to both the grace and variety of earnest impaffioned converfation, would be an enlargement of the boundaries of Parnaffus. In fuch an adventure, fuccefs would be immortality; and failure itself, in the prefent inftance, is confecrated by the boldness of the first attempt. Under thefe circumftances, THE WAN-.. DERER OF SWITZERLAND will be hofpitably received by every lover of the Mufes: and though the Poet may have been as unfortunate as his Hero, the infir mities of both will be forgiven for the courage which cach has difplayed. The Hiftorical facts alluded to in this narrative may be found in the Supplement to Coxe's Travels, and in Planta's Hiftory of the Helvetie Confederacy. It is proper to obferve, that many of the fmaller Pieces have already appeared in the POETICAL REGIS➡ › TER, and other periodical publications: the favour which a few of thefe anonymously obtained gave birth to the prefent volume, |