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There are many Emendations might be made which efcap'd them both; in the famous and excellent Tragedy of Othello not a few, for Inftance one, when Othello comes in to murder Desdemona, he thinks if he should see her, it would be impoffible for him to do it, fo he says to himself

Put out the Light, and then, put out the Light.

Thus it is printed and spoke, even by Mr. Quin himfelf, with the Accent ftrong upon the Word thes which would feemingly intimate, that he meant first to put out the Candle, and then murder her, calling her the Light, whereas it should be pointed thus, Put out the Light, and then-Put out the Light ! That is, as to fay, put out the Light, and thenbut before he can speak the Words kill her, he exclaims to himself-Put out the Light! that raises Terror and Horror in him, so that he in a Manner expoftulates with himself about it, and thus the Senfe is clear, only by the Alteration of the Stops.

To speak our Sentiments freely, we do not believe that any Body will acquire much Fame in meddling with Shakespear, nor have I noted that Mr. Pope valued himself upon it enough to mention it once in any Letter, Poem, or other Work whatsoever, except the Preface, which he fays is his; but about the Amendments, &c. he fays nothing at all: Nay, as to his other Works, he feems to be far from thinking them fafe as to their Fame; thus he speaks to the World.

"In this Office of collecting my Pieces, I am "altogether uncertain, whether to look upon my"felf as a Man building a Monument, or burying "the Dead?

If Time fhall make it the former, may thefe

"Poems

"Poems (as long as they laft) remain as a Teftimo66 ny, that their Author never made his Talents fub"fervient to the mean and unworthy Ends of Party "or Self-intereft; the Gratification of publick Pre"judices, or private Paffions; the Flattery of the "Undeferving, or the Infult of the Unfortunate. "If I have written well, let it be confidered that "'tis what no Man can do without good Sense, a Quality that not only renders one capable of be"ing a good Writer, but a good Man. And if I "have made any Acquifition in the Opinion of any .. one under the Notion of the former, let it be con"tinued to me under no other Title than that of the "latter.

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"But if this Publication be only a more folemn "Funeral of my Remains, I defire it may be known " that I die in Charity, and in my Senfes; without cc any Murmurs against the Juftice of this Age, or

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any mad Appeals to Pofterity. I declare I thall "think the World in the right, and quietly fubmit "to every Truth which Time fhall difcover to the "Prejudice of these Writings; not so much as "wishing so irrational a Thing, as that every Body "fhould be deceiv'd, meerly for my Credit. How<< ever, I defire it may then be confidered, that "there are very few Things in this Collection which

were not written under the Age of five and twen"ty; fo that my Youth may be made (as it never "fails to be in Executions) a Cafe of Compaffion. "That I was never fo concern'd about my Works 66 as to vindicate them in Print, believing if any "Thing was good it would defend itself, and what

was bad could never be defended. That I used "no Artifice to raise or continue a Reputation, depreciated no dead Author I was obliged to, brib'd "no living one with unjuft Praife, infulted no Ad

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"versary

MS MARTHA BLOUNT

Parr Stulp

"versary with ill Language, or when I could not "attack a Rival's Works, encouraged Reports a"gainst his Morals. To conclude, if this Volume "perish, let it ferve as a Warning to the Criticks, "not to take too much Pains for the future to de"ftroy fuch Things as will die of themselves; and "a Memento mori to fome of my vain Cotemporaries "the Poets, to teach them that when real Merit is "wanting, it avails nothing to have been encourag'd "by the Great, commended by the Eminent, and "favour'd by the Publick in general.

And now we beg Leave, it being in proper Course, to mention the feveral Epiftles wrote by our Author, where he has treated different Subjects in an exceeding beautiful Manner; fome of them were wrote when he was very young, one to Mifs Blount when he was but 17 Years of Age, and another at the Coronation, about which hereafter we shall take Occafion to speak.

On Mr. Cragg's being advanced to be Secretary of State, he wrote him a fhort complimental Epiftle, where, fpeaking of his Abilities and Virtue, he adds:

All this thou wert; and being this before,

Know Kings, and Fortune cannot make thee more. This Gentleman was one between whom and Mr. Pope there was an unlimited Freedom, and a Life-enduring Friendship. It may be feen how familiar they were, by a Letter which Mr. Secretary Cragg's wrote to Mr. Pope from Paris, dated September 29 1716.

AST Poft brought me the Favour of your Let

taking too much upon me to decide, that 'twas a witty one; I never pretend to more Judgment than VOL. II.

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