TWO POETICAL EPISTLES BY CRABBE.

ALTHOUGH the Rev. George Crabbe's poetry is essentially a product of the nineteenth century, he had done a considerable mass of work in verse and prose before the close of the eighteenth. Born at Aldeburgh in Suffolk in 1754, he began his career as a man of letters before the third quarter of the century had passed. His Inebriety, a Poem, published at Ipswich in 1775, was but the last of a long series of juvenilities. In the year 1780, in the course of which he issued anonymously The Candidate, a Poetical Epistle to the Editors of the Monthly Review, he was doing his utmost to make a living in London as a man of letters. Engaged to be married to Miss Sarah Elmy, to whom he gave the poetic name of "Mira," he kept for her a circumstantial journal of his proceedings, from which, as edited by his son in the Life prefixed to the standard edition of his works, we learn that he addressed to her a Poetical Epistle in the spring of 1780. From this work, never yet published, the poet's biographer quoted ten disjointed lines, whereby the composition is positively identifiable as the second of the following Epistles. This, though familiarly written and

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sent to Miss Elmy at her home, was worked into one of the many literary projects of this busy period, unquestionably meant for publication. In the seventeen folio pages of which the manuscript consists, the Epistle to Mira, yoked with a General Epistle from the Devil, and a preface by "Martinus Scriblerus," is beautifully written; but neither its caligraphy nor its subject appears to have tempted the publishers of the period; and the manuscript remained as a curious relic to pass into the collection of Mr. Buxton Forman. Crabbe was over twenty-five years old when this work was produced; it cannot therefore be classed as a juvenile work; indeed it was only one year earlier than that typical poem of his first period of maturity, The Library. It is worth recalling that the passage in the Epistle to Mira, including the couplet

Of substance I've thought, and the various disputes,
On the Nature of Man, and the Nations of Brutes,

refers to another undertaking, a treatise in prose which the poet entitled A Plan for the Examination of our Moral and Religious Opinions, of which his son records that only the "first rough draught" was preserved. In printing the Poetical Epistles from the holograph, the characteristic spelling, pointing, and capitalling are followed save in cases of positive error; for they add to the interest which the work derives from the great eminence attained by Crabbe in the present century as the author of those extraordinary transcripts of English life and experience, The Parish Register, The Borough, and Tales of the Hall.

POETICAL EPISTLES.

(BY THE REV. GEORGE CRABBE.)

(1.) FROM THE DEVIL. AN EPISTLE GENERAL. (2.) FROM THE AUTHOR.

An Introduction to the former of these, by the learned Martinus Scriblerus.

PERADVENTURE it may surprize thee, Reader, that an Author of our Dignity and Importance, should stoop to the servile employment of introducing to the World, the flimsy Production of an anonymous Scribler; unless thou art indeed persuaded that the great Personage above mentioned should have prevailed upon us to recommend his Labours to an Age not extremely partial to poetical Composition.

But whatever Intimacy we may be favoured with in either "Profound" we are in this Case, totally innocent of any Intention to deceive thee, for we apprehend did the Genius aforesaid, think proper to add the Sin of Rhyme to his other Failings, he has too great a Correspondence and Reputation among Mankind, to need our Solicitations in his Favour, were we ever so well disposed to grant them:

but knowing of no due Authority which any man hath to accuse Satan of this Infirmity, we judge it both Cruel and unnecessary, to load him with so heavy a Charge, as would in all probability render him more odious to Company in general, than any other Accusation he now labours under.

We are however aware of this Objection, that as the "Devil is ab Origine" the Author of Evil, so Poetry as one Species of it, may properly be placed to his Account; but as our argument principally relates to the Piece before us, we shall waive all general Discourse; and observe only that our Reasoning went no farther, than to show, (whatever may be his Talent for Poetry), that we have no right to affix his Name, in a particular Manner to any one Publication.

The very title of the Work, we have thought proper to introduce to our Acquaintance, for besides that it is an Approved Custom amongst Editors, we did not choose our honest and venerated Name, should appear to countenance a Falsity.

As pure Compassion is our motive for recommending this little Work to our learned Friends, so would we have its real Author sensible of the Honour we do him, and not with an Author-like spirit, carp at our Emendations, at the Time we are studiously aiming at his Benefit. Nor could we allow the Title he has chosen to pass at any rate, did he not assure us he can think of no other so likely to take with the humour of the Town.

It having occurred to us, that the judicious Authors of a periodical Publication, called the World, did in their first

Paper, counsel their Readers against being witty—purely for the Wit's sake-at their Expence, and more particularly did guard them against such Expressions of pretended Disapprobation as these, "'tis a vile World," "a sad World," &c., so gentle Friends we would borrow a Thought from the excellent Mr. Fitz-Adam, and advise ye, not to abuse our Author with the Terms "poor Devil," "dull Devil," "stupid Devil," and so forth, notwithstanding we do agree that it shall be imputed unto ye for wit when ye shall say of the ensueing Poem, "it is devilish good," devilish clever and such-like.

And to all our Brethren, the real Critics, and Judges of Literary productions, we would, towards that before us recommend Lenity; it is a first performance and of a young Author; and albeit there shall be found blemishes and Failings therein, we do in a certain Degree perceive Beauties not altogether unworthy our Approbation, the which if ye likewise behold, and point out to the Public after a friendly Sort, ye shall do well.