poems, on the Characters of Women, much enlarged; and the Epiftles on Riches and Taste corrected and improved. To these advantages of the third Volume, must be added a great number of fine Verses taken from the Author's Manufcript-copies of thefe communicated by him for this purpose to the Editor. Thefe, when he first published the Poems to which they belong, he thought proper, for various reafons, to omit. Some from the Manuscript-copy of the Effay on Man, which tended to difcredit fate, and to recommend the moral government of God, had, by the Editor's advice, been restored to their places in the last Edition of that Poem. The rest, together with others of the like fort from his Manufcript-copy of the other Ethic Epiftles, are here inserted at the bottom of the page, under the title of Variations. The fourth Volume contains the Satires; with their Prologue, the Epiftle to Dr. Arbuthnot; and Epilogue, the two Poems intitled MDCCXXXVIII. The Prologue and Epilogue are here given with the like advantages as the Ethic Epiftles in the foregoing Volume, that is to fay, with the Variations, or additional verfes from the Author's Manufcripts. The Epilogue to the Satires is likewise enriched with many and large notes, now first printed from the Author's own Manuscript. The fifth Volume contains a correcter and completer Edition of the Dunciad than hath been hitherto published; of which, at prefent, I have only this further to add, That it was at my request he laid the plan of a fourth Book. I often told him, it was pity fo fine a poem fhould remain difgraced by the meanness of its fubject, the most infignificant of all Dunces, bad Rhy→ mers, and malevolent Cavillers: That he ought to raise and ennoble it by pointing his Satire against the most pernicious of all, Minute-philofophers and Free-thinkers. I imagined too, it was for the intereft of Religion, to have it known that fo great a Genius had a due abhorrence of these pests of Virtue and Society. He came readily into my opinion; but, at the fame time, told me it would create him many enemies. He was not mistaken. For though the terror of his pen kept them for fome time in respect, yet on his death they rofe with unrestrained fury, in numerous Coffee-house tales, and Grubstreet libels. The plan of this admirable Satire was artfully contrived to fhew, that the follies and defects of a fashionable Education naturally led to, and neceffarily ended in, Free-thinking; with defign to point out the only remedy adequate to fo fatal an evil. It was to advance the fame ends of virtue and religion, that the Editor prevailed on him to alter every thing in his moral writings that might be fufpected of having the leaft glance towards Fate or Naturalism; and to add what was proper to convince the world, that he was warmly on the fide of moral Government and a revealed Will. And it would be injustice to his memory not to declare that he embraced thefe occafions with the most unfeigned pleasure. The fixth Volume confifts of Mr. Pope's mifcellaneous pieces in verfe and profe*. Amongst the Verse feveral fine poems make now their firft appearance in * The prose is not within the plan of this edition. his Works. And of the Profe, all that is good, and nothing but what is exquifitely fo, will be found in this Edition. The seventh, eighth, and ninth Volumes consist entirely of his Letters. The more valuable, as they are the only true models which we, or perhaps any of our neighbours have, of familiar Epiftles. This collection is now made more complete by the addition of feveral new pieces. Yet, excepting a fhort explanatory letter to Col. M. and the Letters to Mr. A. and Mr. W. (the latter of which are given to fhew the Editor's inducements, and the engagements he was under, to intend the care of this Edition) excepting thefe, I fay, the reft are all published from the Author's own printed, though not published, copies, delivered to the Editor. On the whole, the Advantages of this Edition, above the preceding, are these, That it is the firft complete collection which has ever been made of his original Writings; That all his 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 verses are here first printed from the Manufcriptcopies of his principal poems of later date: That many new notes of the Author's are here added to his Poems; and lastly, that feveral pieces, both in profe and verse, make now their first appearance before the Public. The Author's Life deferves a juft 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 Clafs. He was one of the nobleft works of God. He was an honeft 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 history 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 these writings; and a vindication of his moral character, exemplified by his more diftinguifhed virtues : his filial piety, his difinterested friendship, his reverence for the conftitution of his country, his love and admiration of virtue, and (what was the necessary 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 interests of his virtues that they should. Nor indeed could they be concealed, if we were fo minded, for they shine through his Virtues; no man being more a dupe to the specious 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 take 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 honest fame as I have been of His! Together with his Works, he hath bequeathed me his Dunces. "A wit's a feather, and a chief's a rod, So 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 throw dirt upon the shrine fcandalizes even Barbarians. And though Rome permitted her Slaves to calumniate her best 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 er ungenerous. It would abhor thefe infults on a writer dead, though 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 whom fuch miferable fcribblers can ruffle. Of all that grofs Boeotian phalanx who have written fcurrilously against me, I know not fo much as one whom a writer of reputation would not wish to have his enemy, or whom a man of honour would not be ashamed to own for his friend. I am indeed but flightly conversant 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 abandoned by Truth as to attack my moral character in any instance whatsoever, to all and every one of these, and their abettors, I give the lye in form, and in the words of honest Father Valerian, "Mentiris impudentiffime." |