The author[1] of the present Volume, in tendering his sincere thanks to
the gentlemen of Her Majesty’s Customs,[2] and to his other numerous and
kind patrons, who so liberally subscribed towards the publication of his
little work, assures them that he is deeply sensible of his obligations
to them for the almost uniform courtesy with which his solicitations
were met; because (being perfectly conscious at the onset of his
undertaking how necessary it was to prepare to subject himself to censure
as well as approbation, and to arm himself with those indispensable
virtues—patience, perseverance, endurance, and thankfulness, without
which the attempt would have been futile, and being also aware that
nothing but a favourable response to his appeal could possibly lead to
the accomplishment of his object) the success which has attended his
efforts is certainly far beyond what might have been expected by one in
so humble and so obscure a position in life.
There is, however, one gentleman[3] in particular to whom it is the
Author’s duty to be—if ’twere possible—more than grateful, for his
generous condescension in permitting the manuscripts to be placed in his
hands for perusal, and who—after surveying a portion of them—not only
recommended the method of publication which was adopted, but gave effect
to his advice by kindly becoming the first subscriber to the work—for
the Author never would have presumed to publish these poems on his own
personal estimation of whatever merit they may possess, so that unless
such an impetus had been given to the project it is more than probable he
never would have had the gratification of seeing them produced in their
present form.
This the Author hopes will afford to his numerous subscribers, and to
those in whose hands it may perchance happen to fall, a not unreasonable
excuse for his having intruded himself into the unmerciful arena of
poetical literature, and, perhaps, be the means of saving his little
work—the product of his leisure hours—from being thrust into the gloomy
recesses of oblivion.