THE HE present work comprises a collection of two hundred and eighteen of the most popular Poems in the language, from the "Merle and Nightingale" of William Dunbar, to "Christ's Entry into Jerusalem" of Dean Milman—the production of a period of three hundred and fifty years-to which has been added, the only poem given of a living Poet, the Laureate's "MayQueen." In making this selection, the main object has been to avoid a book of mere extracts, or beauties of the Poets, and to bring together as great a variety of complete Favourite English Poems as possible, so as to gain a representative production of every Favourite Poet since the commencement of the 16th century, accepting as the test of selection the public favour with which the poem has been generally received. The selection has, of course, to some extent been fettered by space; within the limits of a single volume it would be impossible to include Poems that are in themselves volumes,-such as Milton's "Paradise Lost," or Spenser's "Faërie Queene;" but where the Poet's master production has on this account been inadmissible, the best representative poem of the author has been selected. "L'Allegro" and "Lycidas" are given in full in the one instance, and a distinct episode of "Una and the Red Cross Knight" in the other. The principle the Editor has kept in view has been to give each poem unabridged; and the rule of the selection, subject to length, has been the simple one of public favouritism. The greatest popularity has been accepted as the general test of selection rather than the more matured verdict of the critic. Very possibly, this has not led to the omission of as many critically extolled poems as might be thought; public approval being very comprehensive. The extension to more than double the number of poems in the present edition over any previous one, the completeness of the arrangement, with dates throughout, and good list of Contents and Index, combine, it is hoped, to carn for the work a permanent literary value. The illustrations have been also greatly added to, they now comprise three hundred and twenty of perhaps some of the very best woodcuts ever produced for book illustration, from designs by eminent artists, the whole of which, with but one or two exceptions, have been designed and engraved for the Publishers for different editions of this work and its contributories. LONDON, October, 1869. |