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 verfes are here first printed from the Manufcript-copies of his principal poems of later date; That many new notes of the Author are here added to his Poems; and lastly, that feveral pieces, both in profe and verfe, make now their firft 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 firft Poets in the world is but his fecond praife. He was in a higher Class. He was one of the nobleft works of God. He was an honest Man . A Man who alone poffeffed more real virtue than, in very corrupt times, needing a Satirift like him, will fometimes fall to the fhare 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 thefe writings; and a vindication of his moral character, exemplified by his more diftinguished virtues; his filial piety, his dif interested friendships, his reverence for the conftitution of his country, his love and admiration of VIRTUE, and, (what was the ne "A wit's a feather and a chief's a rod, "An honeft Man's the nobleft work of God, ceffary effect) his hatred and contempt of VICE, his extenfive 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 fhould. Nor indeed could they be concealed, if we were fo difpofed, for they fhine, thro' 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 have taken the fame advantage of my abfence (for, while I live, I will freely truft it to my Life to confute them) may I find a Friend as careful of my honeft fame as I have been of His! Together with his Works, he hath bequeathed me his DUNCES. So that as the property is transferred, I could wish they would now let his memory alone. The veil which Death draws over the Good is fo facred, that to tear it, and with facrilegious hands, to throw dirt upon the Shrine, fcandalizes even Barbarians. And tho' Rome permitted her flaves to calumniate her beft Citizens on the day of Triumph, yet the fame petulancy at their Funeral would have been rewarded with execration and a Gibbet. The Public may be malicious: but is rarely vindictive or ungenerous. It would abhor all infults, on a writer dead, tho' it had borne with the ribaldry, or even fet the Ribalds on work, when he was alive. And in this there was no great harm: for he must have a strange impotency of mind indeed whom fuch miferable fcriblers can be supposed to ruffle. Of all that grofs Beotian phalanx who have written fcurriloufly against me, I know not so much as One whom a writer of reputation would not wish to have his enemy, or whom a man of honour would not be afhamed to own for his friend. I am indeed but flightly converfant in their works, and know little of the particulars of their defamation. To my Authorship they are heartily welcome. But if any of them have been fo far abandoned by Truth as to attack my moral character in any inftance whatsoever, to all and every one of These and their Abettors, I give the LYE in form, and in the words of honeft Father Valerian, MENTIRIS IMPUDENTISSIME. PREFACE. Am inclined to think that both the writers of I books, and the readers of them, are generally not a little unreasonable in their expectations. The first seem to fancy the world muft approve whatever they produce, and the latter to imagine that authors are obliged to please them at any rate. Methinks, as on the one hand no fingle man is born with a right of controuling the opinions of all the rest ; fo on the other, the world has no title to demand, that the whole care and time of any particular person should be facrificed to its entertainment. Therefore I cannot but believe that writers and readers are under equal obligations, for as much fame, or pleasure, as each affords the other. Every one acknowledges, it would be a wild no tion to expect perfection in any work of man: and yet one would think the contrary was taken for granted, by the judgment commonly paft upon Poems. A Critic fupposes he has done his part, if he proves a writer to have failed in an expreffion, or erred in any particular point: and can it then be wondered at, if the Poets in general feem refolved not to own themselves in any error? For as long as one fide will make no allowances, the other will be brought to no acknowledgments *. I am afraid this extreme zeal on both fides is ill * In the former editions it was thus-For as long as one fide de pifes a well-meant endeavour, the other will not be jatisfied with a moderate approbation. But the Author altered it, as thefe words were rather a confequence from the conclufion he would draw, than the Conclufion itfelf, which he has now inferted. |