32 THE BEE, OR Dcc. 22, 



affections of devotion, inao;nanimitj, generofity, fide- 

 lity, parental affeftion, and love, have formed univer- 

 fally the favourite object of poetical effufions ; yet the 

 tones which thefe affume, are fo infinitely diverfified, by 

 the varying circumftances of civil focietv, the modes 

 of thinking that have incidentally prevailed for a time ; 

 and the language in which they have been exprefled, 

 has been fo various, that thefe productions, while 

 they exhibit the moft undeniable proofs, that the hu- 

 man mind is radically the fame in all nations, afford a 

 like decifive teftimony, that it is fufceptible of being 

 bent into a variety of forms by accidental circum- 

 llances. 



As the traveller, therefore, by vifiting many coun- 

 tries, comes gradually to lofe thofe prejudices, which 

 his mind would naturally have imbibed, by a conti- 

 nual refidence in any one of thefe; fo the philologifl, 

 by being made acquainted with the different modes of 

 poetry that have prevailed, will gradually come to dif- 

 tinguifh the permanent and invariable traits of the hu- 

 man mind, from thofe accidental features that at times 

 have tended to difguife it, under the mafk of ornament 

 or affeftation. With this view, we fhall not foil to 

 prefent our readers with a few of thofe poetic ef- 

 fulions of our forefathers, which have hitherto been 

 preferved becaufe of their excellence, from the raven- 

 ous tooth of all deflroying time ; and fometimcs, though 

 rarely, we Ihall perhaps feleft fome fragments of the 

 poetry of other nations ; but this (hall be done with a 

 fparing hand, and with a due attention to our Englifh' 

 readers. 



The prefent ftile of poetry in Britain, is in many 

 refpecls confiderably different from that which prevail- 

 ed in former times. Yet, among thefe ancient relics, 

 are difcoverable many productions of unequivocal me- 

 rit. Even among thofe heaps of rubbilh, which a falfe 

 tafte had piled up, a gem of ineilimable value may 

 be foraetimes found. In this clafs may perhaps be 



