THE REPUBLIC OF LETTERS, A SELECTION, IN POETRY AND PROSE, FROM THE WORKS OF THE MOST EMINENT WRITERS, WITH MANY ORIGINAL PIECES. BY A. WHITELAW, EDITOR OF "THE CASQUET OF LITERARY GEMS." Books are yours, Within whose silent chamber treasure lies, And orient gems which, for a day of need, The sultan hoards in his ancestral tombs. Wordsworth. IN FOUR VOLUMES. WITH TWENTY ENGRAVINGS. VOL. I. GLASGOW: BLACKIE & SON, 8, EAST CLYDE STREET, AND 5, SOUTH COLLEGE STREET, EDINBURGH; W. CURRY, JUN. & CO., DUBLIN; AND SIMPKIN & MARSHALL, LONDON. MDCCCXXXV. 1 TO THOMAS BRYDSON, Esq. AUTHOR OF "PICTURES OF THE PAST," THE REPUBLIC OF LETTERS IS INSCRIBED, AS A SLIGHT TESTIMONY OF THE EDITOR'S HIGH REGARD FOR HIM AS A FRIEND AND AS A POET. WOK 19 FEB 36 PR E F A CЕ. THE REPUBLIC OF LETTERS may be considered as a continuation of the CASQUET OF LITERARY GEMS, lately published, in four 12mo volumes. Both works are of the same miscellaneous description, and pains have been taken that they should resemble each other in the variety and value of their contents. While, however, they are thus connected by similarity of design and execution, each publication has its respective claim to attention, as none of the pieces which have appeared in the one are repeated in the other. Several original pieces were given in THE CAsquet, without specification. In the REPUBlic of Letters, a much larger proportion of these are dispersed throughout the selection, and in most cases indicated by initial subscriptions. It is not expected that the intrinsic value of the work will be increased on this account,-for it would be absurd to hope, that the occasional contributions even of able writers would equal the selected beauties of English literature, but, by thus mingling new with old, it was considered that an additional variety would be given |