,PREFACE 

#a<da<d 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,WILLIAM ,GODW9 

,TEXT 3 

,FROM3 ,WILLIAM ,GODW9 7#a#g#h#d74 ,IMOG53 ,A ,PA/ORAL ,ROMANCE ,FROM ! ,ANCI5T 
,BRITI%4 

,P,R,E,F,A,C,E 

  

,IF WE C\LD ALL[ \RSELVES 9 ?AT 
LIC5SE ( CONJECTURE1 :I* IS BECOME ALMO/ 9SEP>ABLE FROM ! 
*>ACT] ( AN $ITOR1 WE %\LD SAY3 ,?AT ,MILTON HAV+ WRITT5 IT 
UPON ! BORD]S ( ,WALES1 MI<T HAVE HAD EASY REC\RSE TO ! 
MANUSCRIPT :OSE CONT5TS >E N[ FIR/ GIV5 TO ! PUBLIC3 ,& ?AT 
! S+UL>ITY ( PRES]V+ ! NAME ( ! PLACE :]E IT WAS FIR/ 
P]=M$ 9 ! TITLE ( HIS POEM1 WAS 9T5D$ = AN +5U\S & 
WELL-BR$ ACKN[L$GM5T ( ! S\RCE FROM :5CE HE DREW HIS *OICE/ 
MAT]IALS4 

,BUT NOT)/&+ ! PLAUSIBILITY ( !SE 
CONJECTURES1 WE >E N[ 9CL9$ TO GIVE UP \R ORIG9AL OP9ION1 & TO 
ASCRIBE ! P]=MANCE TO A G5TLEMAN ( ,WALES1 :O LIV$ SO LATE AS 
! REIGN ( K+ ,WILLIAM ! ?IRD4 ,! NAME ( ?IS AMIABLE P]SON WAS 
,RICE AP ,?OMAS4 ,! ROMANCE WAS C]TA9LY AT ONE TIME 9 HIS CU/ODY1 
& WAS H&$ D[N AS A VALUABLE LEGACY TO HIS DESC5DANTS1 AMONG :OM 
! PRES5T TRANSLATOR HAS ! HONOR TO RANK HIMSELF4 ,RICE AP ,?OMAS1 
,ESQUIRE1 WAS A MAN ( A MO/ SWEET & 9(F5SIVE DISPOSITION1 BELOV$ 
& RESPECT$ BY ALL HIS NEI<BORS & T5ANTS1 & 0PASS+ RI* ) 
0SIXTY0 P\NDS A YE>40 ,9 HIS DOME/IC HE WAS ELEGANT1 HOSPITABLE1 & 
EV5 SUMPTU\S1 = ! TIME & C\NTRY 9 :I* HE LIV$4 ,HE WAS 
H[EV] NATURALLY ( AN AB/EMI\S & RECLUSE DISPOSITION4 ,HE AB\ND$ 
9 S+UL>ITIES1 :I* W]E P>DON$ TO HIS H>MLESSNESS & HIS 
VIRTUES2 & HIS TEMP] WAS FULL ( S5SIBILITY1 S]I\SNESS1 & 
MELAN*OLY4 ,HE DEVOT$ ! GREAT] P>T ( HIS TIME TO /UDY2 & HE 
BOA/$ ?AT HE HAD ALMO/ A COMPLETE COLLECTION ( ! MANUSCRIPT 
REMA9S ( \R ,WEL% B>DS4 ,HE WAS (T5 HE>D TO PREF] EV5 TO 
,TALIESS91 ,M]L91 & ,ANEURIM1 ! EFFUSIONS ( ! IMMORTAL ,CADWALLO1 
& 9DE$ ?IS WAS ! ONLY SUBJECT UPON :I* HE WAS EV] KN[N TO 
DISPUTE ) EAG]NESS & F]VOR4 ,9 ! MID/ ( ! CONTROV]SY1 HE 
W\LD FREQU5TLY PRODUCE PASSAGES FROM ! ,PA/ORAL ,ROMANCE1 AS DECISIVE 
( ! QUE/ION4 ,& TO CONFESS ! TRU?1 ,I KN[ NOT H[ TO EXCUSE ?IS 
PIECE ( JOCKEY%IP & ILL FAI?1 EV5 9 ,RICE AP ,?OMAS1 :OM ,I REG>D 
AS ! FA!R ( MY FAMILY1 & ! *IEF ORNAM5T ( MY BELOV$ 
C\NTRY4 

,SOME READ]S WILL PROBABLY H[EV] BE 9CL9$ TO 
APOLOGIZE = ! CONDUCT ( ,MR4 ,?OMAS1 & TO LAY AN EQUIVAL5T BLAME 
TO MY *>GE4 ,!Y WILL TELL ME1 ?AT NO?+ BUT ! WEAKE/ P>TIALITY 
C\LD BL9D ME TO ! G5U9E AIR ( ANTIQUITY ) :I* ! 
COMPOSITION IS EV]Y :]E IMPRESS$1 & TO ASCRIBE IT TO A MOD]N 
WRIT]4 ,BUT ,I AM CONSCI\S TO MY HONE/Y & DEFY !IR MALICE4 ,SO F> 
FROM BE+ S5SIBLE ( ANY IMPROP] BIAS 9 FAVOR ( MY ANCE/OR1 ,I AM 
CONT5T TO /R5G!N !IR H&S1 BY ACKN[L$G+ ?AT ! MANUSCRIPT1 
:I* ,I AM NOT AT ALL DESIR\S ( REFUS+ TO !IR 9SPECTION1 IS 
RI*LY EMBLAZON$ ) ALL ! DISCOLORATION & RU/ !Y CAN POSSIBLY 
DESIRE4 ,I CONFESS ?AT ! WORD+ HAS ! PURITY ( ,TALIESS91 & ! 
EXPRESSIV5ESS ( ,ANEURIM1 & IS SU* AS ,I KN[ ( NO MOD]N ,WEL% MAN 
:O C\LD WRITE4 ,& YET1 9 SPITE AS !Y WILL PROBABLY TELL ME ( 
EVID5CE & COMMON S5SE1 ,I /ILL AV] MY P]SUASION1 ?AT IT IS ! 
PRODUCTION ( ,RICE AP ,?OMAS4 

,BUT 5\<1 & P]HAPS TOO 
MU*1 = ! QUE/ION ( ITS ANTIQUITY4 ,IT W\LD BE UNFAIR TO S5D IT 
9TO ! WORLD )\T SAY+ SOME?+ ( ! NATURE ( ITS 
COMPOSITION4 ,IT IS UNLIKE ! ,>CADIA ( SIR ,PHILIP ,SIDNEY1 & UNLIKE1 
:AT ,I HAVE JU/ TAK5 ! TR\BLE ( RUNN+ OV]1 ! ,DAPHNIS ( 
,GESSN]4 ,IT NEI!R ON ! ONE H& LEAVES BEH9D IT ! LAWS ( 
CRITICISM1 & MIXES TOGE!R ! DIFF]5T /AGES ( CIVILIZATION2 NOR 
ON ! O!R WILL IT P]HAPS BE F\ND FRIGID1 UN9T]E/+1 & 
9SIPID4 ,! PREVAIL+ OP9ION ( ,PA/ORAL SEEMS TO HAVE BE51 ?AT IT 
IS A SPECIES ( COMPOSITION ADMIRABLY FITT$ = ! SIZE ( AN ECLOGUE1 
BUT ?AT EI!R ITS NATURE WILL NOT BE PRES]V$1 OR ITS SIMPLICITY WILL 
BECOME SURFEIT+ 9 A LONG] P]=MANCE4 ,& ACCORD+LY1 ! ,PA/ORAL 
,DRAMAS ( ,TASSO1 ,GU>9I1 & ,FLET*]1 H[EV] !Y MAY HAVE BE5 
COMM5D$ BY ! CRITICS1 & ADMIR$ BY ?AT CR$UL\S TRA9 :O CLAP 
& />E :5EV] !Y >E BID1 HAVE :5 ! RECOMM5DATION ( NOVELTY 
HAS SUBSID$ BE5 LITTLE ATT5D$ TO & LITTLE READ4 ,BUT ! GREAT 
,MILTON HAS PROV$ ?AT ?IS OBJECTION IS NOT 9SUP]ABLE4 ,HIS ,COMUS IS A 
MA/]-PIECE ( POETICAL COMPOSITION4 ,IT IS AT LEA/ EQUAL 9 ITS K9D 
EV5 TO ! ,P>ADISE ,LO/4 ,IT IS 9T]E/+1 DESCRIPTIVE & PA!TIC4 
,ITS FAME IS CONT9UALLY 9CREAS+1 & IT WILL BE ADMIR$ :]EV] ! 
NAME ( ,BRITA9 IS REPEAT$1 & ! LANGUAGE ( ,BRITA9 IS 
UND]/OOD4 

,IF \R HYPO!SIS RESPECT+ ! DATE ( ! 
PRES5T P]=MANCE IS ADMITT$1 IT MU/ BE ACKN[L$G$ ?AT ! 
+5I\S ,MR4 ,?OMAS HAS TAK5 ! ,MASQUE ( ,MILTON = A MODEL2 & ! 
READ] ) :OM ,COMUS IS A FAVORITE1 WILL C]TA9LY TRACE SOME LIT]AL 
IMITATIONS4 ,) RESPECT TO ANY OBJECTIONS ?AT MAY BE MADE ON ?IS 
SCORE TO ! ,PA/ORAL ,ROMANCE1 WE WILL BEG ! READ] TO BE> 9 M9D1 
?AT ! VOLUMES BE=E HIM >E NOT AN ORIG9AL1 BUT A TRANSLATION4 
,RECOLLECT+ ?IS1 WE MAY1 BESIDE ! AU?ORITY ( ,MILTON HIMSELF1 & 
O!RS AS GREAT POETS AS EV] EXI/$ :O HAVE IMITAT$ ,HOM] & ONE 
ANO!R AT LEA/ AS MU* AS \R AU?OR HAS DONE ,COMUS1 SUGGE/ TWO V]Y 
WEI<TY APOLOGIES4 ,9 ! FIR/ PLACE1 IMITATION 9 A C]TA9 DEGREE1 
HAS EV] BE5 CONSID]$ AS LAWFUL :5 MADE FROM A DIFF]5T LANGUAGE3 
,& 9 ! SECOND1 !SE IMITATIONS COME TO ! READ] EXAGG]AT$1 BY 
BE+ PRES5T$ TO HIM 9 ,5GLI%1 & BY A P]SON :O CONFESSES1 ?AT 
HE HAS LONG BE5 CONV]SANT ) \R GREATE/ POETS4 ,! TRANSLATOR HAS 
ALWAYS ADMIR$ ,COMUS AS MU* AS ! ,PA/ORAL ,ROMANCE2 HE HAS READ !M 
TOGE!R1 & BE5 US$ TO CONSID] !M AS ILLU/RAT+ EA* O!R4 ,ANY 
V]BAL CO9CID5CES 9TO :I* HE MAY HAVE FALL51 >E !RE=E TO BE 
ASCRIB$ :]E !Y >E DUE1 TO HIM1 & NOT TO ! AU?OR4 ,& UPON ! 
:OLE1 LET ! IMP]FECTIONS ( ! ,PA/ORAL ,ROMANCE BE :AT !Y WILL1 
HE TRU/S HE %ALL BE REG>D$ AS MAK+ A VALUABLE PRES5T TO ! 
CONNOISSEURS & ! M5 ( TA/E1 & AN AGREEABLE ADDITION TO ! 
9NOC5T AMUSEM5TS ( ! LESS LABORI\S CLASSES ( ! POLITE 
WORLD4 

,FROM 3 ,AN>*Y ,>*IVES4 

,*RONOLOGY 3 
,NOVEMB] #c1 #a<c 3 ,PREFACE -- ,PUBLICATION4 
,JANU>Y #b#g1 #bag 3 ,PREFACE -- ,ADD$4 

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