to

the Inftruments of the Devil; ground and establish the former, in the found Principles and Fundamentals of Practical Christianity; and thereby to obviate, and difappoint the wicked and execrable Designs and Combinations of the latter, to fub ́vert and eradicate the very Foundation of the Christian Religion from amongst us.

83

MAY it please Almighty GoD to grant Succefs to my fincere Attempt to promote his Glory and the Good of Mankind, and efpecially to feed the Sheep and Lambs committed to my Charge, with proper and wholfonie Food and Nutriment.

I am, dear Youth, your
Affectionate humble Servant,

Daniel Hallows.

end

THE

THE

PREFACE.

IT

T is much to be lamented, that the fo very ancient and facred Art of Poetry, fhould be abused to ridicule, expofe, corrupt or difcountenance Virtue and Religion; or, to recommend, promote, encourage and propagate Vice and Immorality, Profaneness and Irreligion, Lewdness and Effeminacy in the World! Yet, this is the most unhappy and Shameful Ufe that too many, especially of our modern Poets, make of it; who make it the Means and Inftrument of corrupting, inftead of improving the Age.

MR. Abraham Cowley, who (as one obferves) was a Perfon in whom great Wit

A 3

and

and Learning, a noble Fancy and solid Judgement, improved by Travel and Converfation, were happily conjoined, to make an admirable Poet, and an accomplished Gentleman : Yet his Wit grew too luxuriant in the Heat of his youthful Blood, especially on LoveSubjects, which he feverely lamented afterwards; and upon this Occafion, reflected with extreme Concern, on the too common Abuse of Poetry and wished that none would ever ufe it, but to the Glory of God, and the Good of Mankind: That Wit and Eloquence might no more be abused in the beggarly Flatteries of Great Men, or the fervile Idolizing of Women; or in wretched Scurrility and Lampoon; or in laying falfe Colours on Virtue and Vice, &c.

AH! what difmal Reflections (fays Dr. Woodward) will many licentious Poets make upon themselves, when they come to die, if they die in their Senfes ? Efpecially, many

of

vii of those who write for the Stage, whose Leffons of Impiety and Vice, have been fo often repeated with all the Advantages that Wit and Beauty, Action and Ornaments could give them, in order to make the deeper Impreffion on the thronged Auditory. It will then be as little for their Honour, as for their Comfort, that they have been the Means of the Corruption, and confequently of the Destruction of many Perfons of the best Parts and Quality; who might otherwife have given great Glory to God, and done good Service to their Country. Alas! what Reftitution can they make to the World for thefe Damages? Or, what can they give in exchange for the Souls they have undone for ever? *

POETRY (Jays a judicious and ingenious Author) by her original Inftitution, was never defigned to mifguide and pervert Mankind,

* See Dr. Woodward's Fair Warnings to a careless World, p. 143, 144.

kind, but to inftruct and delight them; and ought not to be the worse thought of, for the Mifmanagement of the Artift: " I can "think (fays be) no Objections to be of any "Force against Poetry, if the true Ends of "its Inftitution be aimed at, and its useful "Laws and Rules duly obferved."

THE wifeft Law-givers, and the ftrictest Moralifts have found it necessary to deliver their Precepts and Inflitutions in Verse, that they might be the better retained in the Memories, and make a deeper Impreffion upon the Affections of those who were to obferve them.

MOSES, JOB, DAVID, and SOLOMON, compofed their feveral Odes and Anthems, in the most lively and exalted Manner, and celebrated the Praises of their Maker, with all the Delicacy of Thought, and Harmony of Numbers.

WHEN