fixth, containing the Examiners, polite Converfation, and fome other tracts, which were foon followed by a feventh volume of letters, and an eighth of pofthumous 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 have been the author, the Battle of the Books, and the Fragment, make the first volume; the fecond is Gulliver's Travels ; the Mifcellanies 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 clafs, there were only three things that feemed to deferve attention, or that could direct the choice; that the verfe and profe fhould be kept feparate; that the pofthumous and doubtful pieces fhould not be mingled with thofe which the Dean is known to have A 3 pub Many other pieces both in profe and verfe, which had been written between the years 1691, and 1727, were then collected and published by the Dean in conjunction with Mr. Pope, Dr. Arbuthnot, and Mr. Gay, under the title of Mifcellanies; of all thefe pieces, though they were intended to go down to pofterity together, the Dean was not the author, as appeared by the title pages, but they continued undiftinguished till 1742, and then Mr. Pope, having new claffed them, afcribed each performance among the profe to its particular author in a table of contents, but of the verses he diftinguished only the Dean's, by marking the reft with an asterisk. In the year 1735, the pieces of which the Dean was the author, were felected from the mifcellany, and with Gulliver's Travels, the Drapier's Letters, and fome other pieces which were written upon particular occafrons in Ireland, were published by George Falkener, at Dublin, in four volumes; to these he afterwards added a fifth and a * See the preface to Vol. III. figned by the Dean and Mr. Pope. At all adventures yours and my name fhall ftand link- fixth, containing the Examiners, polite Converfation, and fome other tracts, which were foon followed by a feventh volume of letters, and an eighth of pofthumous 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 have been the author, the Battle of the Books, and the Fragment, make the first 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 clafs, there were only three things that feemed to deferve attention, or that could direct the choice; that the verfe and profe fhould be kept feparate; that the pofthumous and doubtful pieces fhould not be mingled with thofe which the Dean is known to have A 3 ; pub 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: Such are the Drapier's Letters, and fome other papers published upon the fame occafion, which have not only in the Irifh edition, but in every other, been fo mixed as to mifrepresent some facts and obfcure others: Such alfo are the tracts 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 ftrength and propriety. As to the pieces which have no connexion with each other, fome have thought that the Serious and the comic should have been put in feparate 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 than accident. g However, as the look like friends fide by fide, ferious and merry by turnsdiverting others juft as we diverted ourselves. Pope to Swift, March 8, 1726-7. reader |