Page:The history of Tom Jones (1749 Volume 2).pdf/12

Ch. 1. kind of poetical Embellihments. Thee are, indeed, deigned to upply the Place of the aid Ale, and to refreh the Mind, whenever thoe Slumbers which in a long Work are apt to invade the Reader as well as the Writer, hall begin to creep upon him. Without Interruptions of this Kind, the bet Narrative of plain Matter of Fact mut overpower every Reader; for nothing but the everlating Watchfulnes, which Homer hath acribed to Jove himelf, can be Proof againt a News Paper of many Volumes.

We hall leave to the Reader to determine with what Judgment we have choen the everal Occaions for inerting thee ornamental Parts of our Work. Surely it will be allowed that none could be more proper than the preent; where we are about to introduce a coniderable Character on the Scene; no les, indeed, than the Heroine of this Heroic, Hitorical, Proaic Poem. Here, therefore, we have thought proper to prepare the Mind of the Reader for her Reception, by filling it with every pleaing Image, which we can draw from the Face of Nature. And for this Method we plead many Precedents. Firt, this is an Art well known to, and much practied