laft, he betrayed himself fo far, as to appeal to the public in Narratives and Advertisements: like that Irish highwayman a few years before, who preferr'd a bill against his companion, for not sharing equally in the money, rings and watches, they had traded for in partnership upon Hounflow-heath. Several have been printed in his name which he never writ, and addreffed to perfons to whom they were never written*; counterfeited as from bishop Atterbury to him, which neither that bishop nor he ever faw+; and advertized even after that period when it was made felony to correspond with him. I know not how it has been this author's fate, whom both his fituation and his temper have all his life excluded from rivalling any man, in any pretenfion, (except that of pleafing by poetry) to have been as much aspersed and written at, as any First Minifter of his time: pamphlets and news-papers have been full of him, nor was it there only that a private man, who never troubled either the world or common conversation with his opinions of Religion or Government, has been represented as a dangerous member of Society, a bigotted Papift, and an enemy to the Establishment. The unwarrantable publication of his Letters hath at leaft done him this fervice, to fhew he has conftantly enjoyed the friendfhip of worthy men; and that if a catalogue were to be taken of his friends and his enemies, he needs not to blush at either. Many of them having been written on the moft trying occurrences, and all in the openness of friendship, are a proof what were his real fentiments, as they flowed warm from the &c. * In Vol. III. Letters from Mr. Pope to Mrs. Blount, Vol. II. of the fame, 8°. p. 20. and at the end of the Edition of his Letters in 12°, by the booksellers of London and Weftminfter; and of the laft Edition in 12°, printed for T. Cooper, 1725. heart, heart, and fresh from the occafion; without the leaft thought that ever the world fhould be witness to them. Had he fate down with a defign to draw his own picture, he could not have done it fo truly; for whoever fits for it (whether to himself or another) will inevitably find the features more compofed, than his appear in these letters. But if an author's hand, like a painter's, be more diftinguishable in a flight sketch than in a finished picture, this very carelessnefs will make them the better known from fuch counterfeits, as have been, and may be imputed to him, either through a mercenary or a malicious defign. We hope it is needlefs to fay, he is not accountable for feveral paffages in the furreptitious editions of those Letters, which are fuch as no man of com→ mon sense would have published himself The errors of the prefs were almoft innumerable, and could not but be extremely multiplied in fo many repeated editions, by the avarice and negligence of piratical printers, to not one of whom he ever gave the leaft Title, or any other encouragement than that of not profecuting them. For the Chafms in the correfpondence, we had not the means to fupply them, the Author having destroyed too many Letters to preferve any Series. Nor would he go about to amend them, except by the omiffion of fome paffages, improper. or at leaft impertinent, to be divulged to the publick: or of fuch entire Letters, as were either not his, or not approved of by him. He has been very sparing of those of his Friends, and thought it a respect shown to their memory, to fupprefs in particular fuch as were moft in his favour. As it is not to Vanity but to Friendship that he intends this Monument, he would fave his enemies the mortification of fhowing any further how well their Betters have thought of him: and at the fame time a 2 fecure fecure from their cenfure his living Friends, who (he promises them) fhall never be put to the blush, this way at leaft, for their partiality to him. But however this Collection may be received, we cannot but lament the Caufe, and the Necefity of fuch a publication, and heartily with no honeft man may be reduced to the fame. To state the cafe fairly in the prefent fituation. A Bookfeller advertizes his intention to publish your Letters: he openly promifes encouragement, or even pecuniary rewards, to thofe who will help him to any; and ingages to infert whatever they fhall fend. Any scandal is fure of a reception, and any enemy who fends it fcreened from a discovery. Any domeftic or fervant, who can fnatch a letter from your pocket or cabinet, is encouraged to that vile practice. If the quantity falls short of a volume, any thing else shall be joined with it (more efpecially fcandal) which the collector can think for his intereft, all recommended under your Name: you have not only Theft to fear, but Forgery. Any Bookfeller, tho' confcious in what manner they were obtained, not caring what may be the confequence to your Fame or Quiet, will fell and disperse them in town and country. The better your Reputation is the more your Name will cause them to be demanded, and confequently the more you will be injured. The injury is of fuch a nature, as the Law (which does not punifh for Intentions) cannot prevent; and when done, may punifh, but not redrefs. You are therefore reduced, either to enter into a perfonal treaty with fuch a man (which tho' the readieft, is the meaneft of all methods) or to take fuch other measures to fupprefs them, as are contrary to your Inclination, or to publish them, as are contrary to your Modefty. Otherwife your Fame and your Property fuffer alike; you are at once expof d and plundered. As an Author, you are deprived of that Power, which above all all others conftitutes a good one, the power of re- |