THE

WORKS

O F

Alexander PopeEfq.

VOLUME I. ·

CONTAINING HIS

JUVENILE POEMS.

LONDON,

Printed for A. MILLAR, J. and R. ToNsoN,

and H. LINTOT.

MDCCLVII.

TO THE

Large OCTAVO EDITION.

MR

R. POPE, in his laft illness, amufed himself, amidst the care of his higher concerns, in preparing a corrected and complete Edition of his Writings; and, with his ufual delicacy, was even follicitous to prevent any fhare of the offence they might occafion, from falling on the Friend whom he had engaged to give them to the public'.

In difcharge of this truft, the Public has here a complete Edition of his Works; executed in fuch a manner, as, I am perfuaded, would have been to his fatisfaction.

66

a" I own the late encroachments upon my conftitu"tion made me willing to fee the end of all further care "about me or my works. I would reft for the one in a "full refignation of my Being to be difpofed of by the "Father of all mercy; and for the other (though indeed a trifle, yet a trifle may be fome example) I would com"mit them to the candour of a fenfible and reflecting judge, rather than to the malice of every short-fighted and malevolent critic, or inadvertent and cenforious "reader. And no hand can fet them in so good a light." &c. Let. cxx. to Mr. W. b" I also give and bequeath to the faid Mr. Warbur"ton, the property of all fuch of my Works already print"ed as he hath written or fhall write Commentaries or "Notes upon, and which I have not otherwife difpofed of 66 or alienated; and as he fhall publifh WITHOUT FUTURE ALTERATIONS."-His laft Will and Teftament. VOL. I.

a

The Editor hath not, for the fake of profit, fuffered the Author's Name to be made cheap by a Subfcription; nor his Works to be defrauded of their due honours by a vulgar or inelegant Impreffion; nor his Memory to be difgraced by any pieces unworthy of his talents or virtue. On the contrary, he hath, at a very great expence, ornamented this Edition with all the advantages which the best Artists in Paper, Printing, and Sculpture could bestow upon it.

If the Public hath waited longer than the deference due to it's generous impatience for the Author's writings fhould have fuffered, it was owing to a reason which the Editor need not be ashamed to tell. It was his regard to the family-interefts of his deceafed Friend. Mr. Pope, at his death, had 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 dispose of them to the beft advantage, before the publication of this Edition (which hath been long prepared) should put a stop 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 muft collect for himfelf.