ine myself to
my object, which is to make you, my dear friend, as easy-hearted as
myself with respect to these poems. Trouble not yourself upon their
present reception; of what moment is that compared with what I trust is
their destiny?--to console the afflicted; to add sunshine to daylight,
by making the happy happier; to teach the young and the gracious of
every age to see, to think, and feel, and, therefore, to become more
actively and securely virtuous; this is their office, which I trust they
will faithfully perform, long after we (that is, all that is mortal of
us) are mouldered in our graves. I am well aware how far it would seem
to many I over-rate my own exertions, when I speak in this way, in
direct connection with the volume I have just made public.

I am not, however, afraid of such censure, insignificant as probably the
majority of those poems would appear to very respectable persons. I do
not mean London wits and witlings, for these have too many foul passions
about them to be respectable, even if they had more intellect than the
benign laws of Providence will allow to such a heartless existence as
theirs is; but grave, kindly-natured, worthy persons, who would be
pleased if they could. I hope that these volumes are not without some
recommendations, even for readers of this class: but their imagination
has slept; and the voice which is the voice of my poetry, without
imagination, cannot be heard. Leaving these, I was going to say a word
to such readers as Mr. ----. Such!--how would he be offended if he knew I
considered him only as a representative of a class, and not an unique!
'Pity,' says Mr. ---- 'that so many trifling things should be admitted to
obstruct the view of those that have merit.' Now, let this candid judge
take, by way of example, the sonnets, which, probably, with the
exception of two or three other poems, for which I will not contend,
appear to him the most trifling, as they are the shortest. I would say
to him, omitting things of higher consideration, there is one thing
which must strike you at once, if you will only read these poems,--that
those 'to Liberty,' at least, have a connection with, or a bearing upon,
each other; and, therefore, if individually they want weight, perhaps,
as a body, they may not be so deficient. At least, this ought to induce
you to suspend your judgment, and qualify it so far as to allow that the
writer aims at least at comprehensiveness.

But, dropping this,