I cannot deliver these volumes to the public without feeling emotions
of gratitude toward Heaven, in recollecting how often this corrected
Work has appeared to me an instrument of Divine mercy, to mitigate the
sufferings of my excellent relation. Its progress in our private hours
was singularly medicinal to his mind: may its presentment to the
Public prove not less conducive to the honor of the departed Author,
who has every claim to my veneration! As a copious life of the Poet is
already in the press, from the pen of his intimate friend Mr. Hayley,
it is unnecessary for me to enter on such extensive commendation of
his character, as my own intimacy with him might suggest; but I hope
the reader will kindly allow me the privilege of indulging, in some
degree, the feelings of my heart, by applying to him, in the close of
this Preface, an expressive verse (borrowed from Homer) which he
inscribed himself, with some little variation, on a bust of his
Grecian Favorite.

{Ôs te patêr ô paidi, kai oupote lêsomai aute.}

Loved as his Son, in him I early found
A Father, such as I will ne'er forget.

Footnote:
1. Very few signatures had at this time been affixed to the notes; but
I afterward compared them with the Greek, note by note, and
endeavored to supply the defect; more especially in the last three
Volumes, where the reader will be pleased to observe that all the
notes without signatures are Mr. Cowper's, and that those marked
B.C.V. are respectively found in the editions of Homer by Barnes,
Clarke, and Villoisson. But the employment was so little to the