X. It remains, that I should take some notice of the orthography which appears in these poems. Like some other editors of ancient poetry, I might at once have adopted the modern spelling; but this, I was afraid, might take away something from the original air of the poetry, and from its native appearance of genuineness, and authenticity. Many of the poems were undoubtedly written before our orthography was at all settled. These, therefore, are a subject of grammatical curiosity. To the eyes of many readers, this antiquated dress may be an additional charm; and to an editor, circumstanced as I am, in publishing pieces which have never been in print before, it was perhaps a duty to transcribe them exactly as I found them. Though I am very sensible, therefore, that many of these deviations from modern spelling, are to be attributed solely to the ignorance, or carelessness of the writer, yet, when they did not obscure the sense, nor greatly deform the words, I have generally copied them with scrupulous fidelity: and, in particular, where I had reason to think that the manuscript was in the hand of a lady, I felt too much respect for the fair sex, even to attempt to correct their errors.
XI. The notes, which I have added to these poems, are explanatory, illustrative, and critical: and I have endeavoured to make them such as I should wish to find, were I reading such poems without them. When my memory or reading supplied me with parallel passages from other authors, I have freely inserted them.
"It is always gratifying, says Johnson, to trace a sentiment."[1] And indeed, this is a species of illustration, with which every scholar, and I believe, almost every reader, is generally delighted.
In the notes, I have found an opportunity to insert two short po-
- ↑ Life of Waller.
