_I am, Sir,_
_Your Humble Servant,_
SILENCE DOGOOD.
_The New-England Courant_, June 11, 1722
_Silence Dogood, No. 7_
_Give me the Muse, whose generous Force,
Impatient of the Reins,
Pursues an unattempted Course,
Breaks all the Criticks Iron Chains._
Watts.
_To the Author of the_ New-England Courant.
_Sir,_
It has been the Complaint of many Ingenious Foreigners, who
have travell'd amongst us, _That good Poetry is not to be expected
in_ New-England. I am apt to Fancy, the Reason is, not because our
Countreymen are altogether void of a Poetical Genius, nor yet because
we have not those Advantages of Education which other Countries have,
but purely because we do not afford that Praise and Encouragement
which is merited, when any thing extraordinary of this Kind is
produc'd among us: Upon which Consideration I have determined, when I
meet with a Good Piece of _New-England_ Poetry, to give it a suitable
Encomium, and thereby endeavour to discover to the World some of its
Beautys, in order to encourage the Author to go on, and bless the
World with more, and more Excellent Productions.
There has lately appear'd among us a most Excellent Piece of
Poetry, entituled, _An Elegy upon the much Lamented Death of Mrs.
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