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Mr. Pope, at his death, left large impreffions of feveral parts of his Works, unfold; the property of which was adjudged to belong to his Executors; and the Editor was willing they should have time to difpofe of them to the best advantage before the publication of this Edition (which hath been long prepared) fhould put a ftop to the fale.

But it may be proper to be a little more particular concerning the fuperiority of this edition above all the preceding: fo far as Mr. Pope himself was concerned. What the Editor hath done, the Reader must collect for himself.

The first Volume, and the original poems in the fecond, are here printed from a copy corrected throughout by the Author himself, even to the very preface: which, with feveral additional notes in his own hand, he delivered to the Editor a little before his death. The Juvenile Tranflations, in the other part of the second Volume, it was never his intention to bring into this Edition of his Works, on account of the levity of fome, the freedom of others, and the little importance of any. But these being the property of other men, the Editor had it not in his power to follow the Author's intention.

The third Volume, all but the Effay on Man (which, together with the Effay on Criticism, the Author, a little before his death, had corrected and published in Quarto, as a specimen of his projected Edition) was printed by him in his laft illness (but never published) in the manner it is now given. The difpofition of the Epistle on the Characters of Men is quite altered: that

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en the Characters of Women, much enlarged; and the Epiftles on Riches and Tafte corrected and improved. To thefe advantages of the third Volume, must be added a great number of fine Verses taken from the Author's Manufcript-copies of these poems, communicated by him for this purpose to the Editor. Thefe, when he first published the Poems to which they belong, he thought proper, for various reasons, to omit. from the Manufcript-copy of the Effay on Man, which tended to difcredit fate, and to recommend the moral government of God, had, by the Editor's advice, been reftored to their places in the last Edition of that Poem. The reft, together with others of the like fort from his Manufcript-copy of the other Ethic Epiftles, are here inserted at the bottom of the page, under the title of Variations.

The fourth Volume contains the Satires; with their Prologue, the Epiftle to Dr. Arbuthnot; and Epilogue, the two Poems intitled MDCCXXXVIII. The Prologue and Epilogue are here given with the like advantages as the Ethic Epiftles in the foregoing Volume, that is to fay, with the Variations, or additional verses from the Author's Manufcripts. The Epilogue to the Satires is likewise enriched with many and large notes, now first printed from the Author's own Manufcript.

The fifth Volume contains a correcter and completer Edition of the Dunciad than hath been hitherto publifhed; of which, at prefent, I have only this further to add, That it was at my request he laid the plan of a fourth Book. I often told him, it was pity so fine a poem fhould remain difgraced by the meannefs of its

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fubject, the most infignificant of all Dunces, bad Rhymers, and malevolent Cavillers: That he ought to raise and ennoble it by pointing his Satire against the most pernicious of all, Minute-philofophers and Free-thinkers. I imagined too, it was for the interest of Religion, to have it known that fo great a Genius had a due abhorrence of thefe pefts of Virtue and Society. He came readily into my opinion; but, at the fame time, told me it would create him many enemies. He was not miftaken. For though the terror of his pen kept them for fome time in respect, yet on his death they rose with unrestrained fury, in numerous Coffee-houfe tales, and Grubftreet libels. The plan of this admirable Satire was artfully contrived to fhew, that the follies and defects of a fashionable Education naturally led to, and neceffarily ended in, Free-thinking; with defign to point out the only remedy adequate to fo fatal an evil. It was to advance the fame ends of virtue and religion, that the Editor prevailed on him to alter every thing in his moral writings that might be fufpected of having the leaft glance towards Fate or Naturalism; and to adď what was proper to convince the world, that he was warmly on the fide of moral Government and a revealed Will. And it would be injuftice to his memory not to declare that he embraced these occafions with the most unfeigned pleasure.

The fixth Volume confifts of Mr. Pope's mifcellaneous pieces in verfe and profe*. Amongst the Verse feveral fine poems make now their first appearance in

* The profe is not within the plan of this edition.

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his Works. And of the Profe, all that is good, and nothing but what is exquifitely fo, will be found in this Edition.

The feventh, eighth, and ninth Volumes confifteentirely of his Letters. The more valuable, as they are the only true models which we, or perhaps any of our neighbours' have, of familiar Epiftles. This collection is now made more complete by the addition of feveral new pieces. Yet, excepting a fhort explanatory letter to Col. M. and the Letters to Mr. A. and Mr. W. (the latter of which are given to fhew the Editor's inducements, and the engagements he was under, to intend the care of this Edition) excepting thefe, I fay, the reft are all published from the Author's own printed, though not publifhed, copies, delivered to the Editor.

On the whole, the Advantages of this Edition, above the preceding, are thefe, That it is the firft complete collection which has ever been made of his original Writings; That all his principal poems, of early or later date, are here given to the Public with his last corrections and improvements; That a great number of his verses are here first printed from the Manufcriptcopies of his principal poems of later date; That many new notes of the Author's are here added to his Poems; and lastly, that several pieces, both in profe and verse, make now their first appearance before the Public.

The Author's Life deserves a just Volume; and the Editor intends to give it. For to have been one of the first Poets in the world is but his fecond praife. He was

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in a higher Class. He was one of the nobleft works of God. He was an honeft Man *. A man who alone poffeffed more real virtue than, in very corrupt times, needing a Satirift like him, will fometimes fall to the share of multitudes. In this hiftory of his life, will be contained a large account of his writings; a critique on the nature, force, and extent of his genius, exemplified from these writings; and a vindication of his moral character, exemplified by his more distinguished virtues : his filial piety, his difinterested friendship, his reverence for the constitution of his country, his love and admiration of virtue, and (what was the necessary effect) his hatred and contempt of vice, his extensive charity to the indigent, his warm benevolence to mankind, his fupreme veneration of the Deity, and, above all, his fincere belief of Revelation. Nor fhall his faults be concealed. It is not for the interefts of his virtues that they should. Nor indeed could they be concealed, if we were so minded, for they shine through his Virtues; no man being more a dupe to the fpecious appearances of Virtue in others. In a word, I mean not to be his Panegyrift, but his Hiftorian. And may I, when Envy and Calumny take the fame advantage of my absence (for, while I live, I will freely trust it to my Life to confute them) may I find a friend as careful of my honest fame as I have been of His! Together with his Works, he hath bequeathed me his Dunces.

"A wit's a feather, and a chief's a rod,
"An honest Man's the noblest work of God."

So

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