Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Charles Bidwell and Distributed
Proofreaders
[Illustration]
By ROBERT BLOOMFIELD
Author of "The Farmer's Boy" and "Rural Tales".
LONDON:Printed for Vernor, Hood, and Sharpe, Poultry;and Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, Paternoster-Row.
1806.
WRIGHT, Printer, No. 32, St. John's Square, Clerkenwall.
A man of the first eminence, in whose day (fortunately perhaps for me) Iwas not destined to appear before the public, or to abide the Herculeancrab-tree of his criticism, Dr. Johnson, has said, in his preface toShakspeare, that—"Nothing can please many, and please long, but justrepresentations of general nature." My representations of nature, whatevermay be said of their justness, are not general, unless we admit, whatI suspect to be the case, that nature in a village is very much likenature every where else. It will be observed that all my pictures are fromhumble life, and most of my heroines servant maids. Such I would havethem: being fully persuaded that, in no other way would my endeavours,either to please or to instruct, have an equal chance of success.
The path I have thus taken, from necessity, as well as from choice, iswell understood and approved by hundreds, who are capable of ranging inthe higher walks of literature.—But with due deference to their superiorclaim, I confess, that no recompense has been half so grateful or half soagreeable to me as female approbation. To be readily and generallyunderstood, to have my simple Tales almost instinctively relished by thosewho have so decided an influence over the lives, hearts, and manners of usall, is the utmost stretch of my ambition.
I here venture, before the public eye, a selection from the various pieceswhich have been the source of much pleasure, and the solace of my leisurehours during the last four years, and since the publication of the "RuralTales." Perhaps, in some of them, more of mirth is intermingled than manywho know me would expect, or than the severe will be inclined to approve.But surely what I can say, or can be expected to say, on subjects ofcountry life, would gain little by the seriousness of a preacher, or byexhibiting fallacious representations of what has long been termed RuralInnocence.
The Poem of "Good Tidings" is partially known to the world, but, as itwas originally intended to assume its present appearance and size, I havegladly availed myself of an endeavour to improve it; and, from its presentextended circulation, I trust it will be new to thousands.
I anticipate some approbation from such readers as have been pleased withthe "Rural Tales;" yet, though I will not falsify my own feelings byassuming a diffidence which I do not conceive to be either manly orbecoming, the conviction that some reputation is hazarded in "a thirdattempt," is impressed deeply on my mind.
With such sentiments, and with a lively sense of the high honour, and ahope of the bright recompence, of applause from the good, when heightenedby the self-approving voice of my own conscience, I commit the book to itsfate.
In thus addressing myself to you, and in expressing my regard for yourperson, my anxiety for your health, and my