. IN PROSE A ND VERSE The Second Edition. LONDON; Printed for JOHN MORPHEW, near Sta- THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER. T O Publish the Writings of Persons without their Con fent, is a Practice, generally fpeaking, fo unfair, and has fo many times proved an unfufferable Injury to the Credit and Reputation of the Authors, as well as a fhameful Impofition on the Publick, either by a fcandalous Infertion of Spurious Pieces, or an Imperfect and Faulty Edition of fuch as are Genuine; that though I have been Master of fuch of the following Pieces as have never yet been Printed, for several Months, I could never, though much importuned, prevail on my felf to Publifh them, fearing even a Poffibility of doing an Injury in either of those two Refpects to the Perfon who is generally known to be the Author of fome and, with greater Reason than I am at prefent at Liberty to give, fuppofed to be the Author of all the other Pieces which make up this Collection. But as my own Unwillingness to do any thing which might prove an Injury to the fuppofed Author's Reputation, to whom no Man pays a jufter Efteem, or bears a greater Respect than my felf, has hither to kept me from giving the World fo agreeable an Entertainment as it will receive from the following Papers, so the Senfe I had that he would really now fuffer a much greater in both Inftances from other hands, was the Occafion of my determining to do it at prefent; fince fome of the following Pieces have lately appeared in Print, from very imperfect and uncorrect Copies. Nor was the Abufe like to ftop here; for thefe, with alb the Defects and Imperfections they came out under, met with fo much Applaufe, and fo univerfal a good Reception ception from all Men of Wit and Tafte, as to prompt the Bookfellers, who had heard that other of these Tracts were in Manufcript in fome Gentlemens. Hands, to feek by any means to procure them, which fhould they compafs, they would, without Queftion, publifh in a manner as little to the Author's Credit and Reputati on, as they have already done thofe few which unfortunately have fallen' into their Poffeffion. This being a known Fact, I hope will be fufficient to make this Publication, tho' without the Author's Confent, or Knowledge, very confiftent with that Refpect I fincerely bear him: Who, if it fhould not appear to be perfectly without Fault, can with little Juftice complain of the Wrong he receives by it, fince it has prevented his fuffering a much greater; no more than a Man who is pushed down out of the way of a Bullet, can with Reafon take as an Affront, either the Blow he falls by, or the Dirt he rifes with. BUT indeed I have very little Uneafinefs upon me for fear of any A 4 In |