Drapier's Letters, and some other pieces which were written upon particular occafions in Ireland, were published by George Falkener, at Dublin, in four volumes; to thefe he afterwards added a fifth and a fixth, containing zhe Examiners, Polite Conversation, and fome other traits, which were foon followed by a feventh volume of letters, and an eighth of posthumous pieces.

In this collection, although printed in Ireland, the tracts relating to that country, and in particular the Drapier's Letters, are thrown together in great confufion, and the Tale of a Tub, the Battle of the Books, and the Fragment, are not included.

In the edition which is now offered to the publick, the Tale of a Tub, of which the Dean's corrections fufficiently prove him to bave been the author, the Battle of the Books, and the Fragment, make the firft volume; the fecond is Gulliver's Travels; the Miscellanies will be found in the third, fourth, fifth, and fixth; and the contents of the other volumes are divided into two claffes, as relating to England or Ireland. As to the arrangement of particular pieces in each class, there

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there were only three things that seemed to deferve attention, or that could direct the choice that the verfe and profe should be kept separate; that the posthumous and doubtful pieces fhould not be mingled with thofe which the Dean is known to have published himself; and that thofe tracts which are parts of a regular feries, and illuftrate each other, should be ranged in fucceffion without the intervention of other matter: fuch are the Drapier's Letters, and some other papers published upon the fame occafion, which have not only in the Irish edition, but in every other, been fo mixed, as to mifreprefent fome facts and obfcure others: fuch also are the traits on the Sacramental Teft, which are now first put together in regular order, as they should always be read, by those who would fee their whole strength and propriety.

As to the pieces which have no connexion with each other, fome have thought that the fericus and the comic should have been put in Separate claffes; but this is not the method which was taken by the Dean himself, or by Mr. Pope, when they published the Mifcellany, in which the tranfition

From grave to gay, from lively to fevere, appears frequently to be the effect rather of

choice

choice than accident. However, as the reader will have the whole in his poffeffion, he may perfue either the grave or the gay with very little trouble, and without losing any pleasure or intelligence which he would have gained from a different arrangement.

Among the Mifcellanies is the hiftory of John Bull, a political allegory, which is now farther opened by a short narrative of the facts upon which it is founded, whether fuppofititious or true, at the foot of the page.

The notes which have been published with former editions bave for the most part been retained, because they were fuppafed to have been written, if not by the Dean, yet by fome friend who knew his particular view in the paffage they were intended to illuftrate, or the truth of the fact which they afferted; however, this has fince appeared not always to have been the case; for there is not the least reason to believe that

Letter of Pope to Swift, March 8, 1726-7.

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Stella

Stella was related to fir William Temple, or that he was vifited by king William at MoorePark, although both these facts are asserted, one in a note on the letter to lord Palmerfton, Vol. XII. p. 200, the other in a note on a letter to Dr. Sheridan, Vol. XII. p. 227.

The notes which have been added to this edition contain, among other things, an history of the author's works, which would have made a confiderable part of his life; but as the occafion on which particular pieces were written, and the events which they produced, could not be related in a feries, without frequent references and quotations, it was thought more eligible to put them together: in the text innumerable paffages have been restored, which were evidently corrupt in every other edition, whether printed in England or Ireland.

Among the notes will be found fome remarks on thofe of another writer, for which no apology can be thought neceffary, if it be confidered that the fame act is justice if the fubject is a criminal, which would have been murder if executed on the innocent.

LA

Lord

Lord Orrery has been so far from alling upon the principle on which Mr. Pope framed this petition in his univerfal prayer,

Teach me

To hide the faults I fee.

That where he has not found the appearance of a fault, he has laboured hard to make one, an instance of which will be found in his remark upon a maxim of Cadenus to Vaneffa:

That Virtue pleas'd by being shown,
Knows nothing which it dares not own.

He taught her, fays his lordship, that vice as foon as it defied fhame, was immediately changed into virtue; but the most obvious and natural meaning is just contrary. That we defire to conceal no act which upon reflection we do not dif cover to be vicious, because virtue is pleased in proportion as it is difplayed; and indeed these verfes could not be supposed an apology for lewdnefs, if his lordship believed his own assertion, that the Dean was, "Not to be swayed by de"liberate evil.”

Lord Orrery has alfo fuppofed the Dean him

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Self