The two first poems in the second quarto, are declared, in their titles, to be the production of "Mrs Thimelby while the titles of some of the others, together with the general resemblance of sentiment, and style, throughout the whole, seem to point her out as the author of them all. I have therefore ventured to entitle the Second Division, "Poems by the Honourable Mrs Henry Thimelby."
With respect to the Third Division, I feel it necessary to offer some explanation to the reader. I candidly confess, that, with the exception of the first, and perhaps three, or four more pieces, I do not believe there is one poem in the whole Third Division, but what has been in print before. Of this fact, however, I was not aware, till the whole plan of the publication had been arranged, and a considerable portion of the Third Division had been printed.
When I first began to peruse these manuscript poems, and to transcribe them, I took the precaution to consult some learned friends about them, who are well acquainted with ancient English poetry; and I also carefully examined the principal collections of poetry in our language. I looked over the early volumes of the edition of the "British Poets," by my friend Dr Anderson;[1] I searched the poetical miscellanies of Dryden, Pope, Dodsley, and others; I examined the collections of Percy, Headley, Ellis, and Ritson; and finding but two or three, out of my manuscript, among them, I fairly concluded at first, that they were original poems, composed, like those in the First, and Second Divisions, by some of the Aston family, or their friends. On further investigation, I have discovered Several of them, in the numerous little volumes of poetry, which were published
during the latter part of the 17th century;[2] though they are
