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fact, from which the fcriblers of the times had taken

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occafion to asperse either his friends or himself. therefore lay'd by the Originals, together with those of his correfpondents, and caufed a copy to be taken to depofite in the library of a noble friend; that in cafe either of the revival of flanders, or the publication of furreptitious Letters, during his life or after, a proper use might be made of them.

The next year, the pofthumous works of Mr. Wycherly were printed, in a way difreputable enough to his memory. It was thought a juftice due to him, to fhew the world his better judgment; and that it was his last resolution to have fuppreffed thofe poems. As fome of the Letters which had paffed between him and our author cleared that point, they were published in 1729, with a few marginal notes added by a friend.

If in thefe Letters, and in those which were printed without his confent, there appear too much of a juvenile ambition of wit, or affectation of gaiety, he may reasonably hope it will be confidered to whom, and at what age, he was guilty of it, as well as how foon it was over. The reft, every judge of writing will fee, were by no means efforts of the genius, but emanations of the heart and this alone may induce any candid reader to believe their publication an act of neceffity, rather than of vanity.

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It is notorious how many volumes have been published under the title of his correfpondence, with promises still of more, and open and repeated offers

of encouragement to all perfons who should send any letters of his for the prefs. It is as notorious what methods were taken to procure them, even from the publisher's own accounts in his prefaces, viz. by tranfacting with people in neceffities, or of abandoned + characters, or fuch as dealt without names in the dark. Upon a quarrel with one of these last, he betrayed himself so far, as to appeal to the public in Narratives and Advertisements: like that Irish highway-man 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 never were written §; counterfeited as from bishop Atterbury to him, which neither that bishop nor he ever faw; and advertised 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 pre

* See the Preface to vol. i. of a Book called Mr. Pope's Literary Correspondence.

Poftfcript to the Preface to vol. iv.

Narrative and Anecdotes before vol. ii.

In Vol. iii. Letters from Mr. Pope to Mrs. Blount, &c. Vol. ii. of the fame, 8vo. pag. 20. and at the end of the Edition of his Letters in 12mo, by the bookfellers of London and Westminster; and of the laft Edition in 12mo, printed for T. "Cooper, 1725.

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tenfion, (except that of pleafing by poetry) to have been as much afpersed 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 Papist, and an enemy to the Eftablishment. The unwarrantable publication of his Letters hath at least done him this service, 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 most trying occurrences, and all in the openness of friendship, are a proof what were his real fentiments, as they flowed warm from the heart, and fresh from the occafion; without the leaft thought that ever the world fhould be witness to them. Had he fat down with a defign to draw his own picture, he could not have done it so 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 diftinguifhable in a flight sketch than in a finished picture, this very careleffness 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 needless to say, he is not accountable for several paffages in the furreptitious editions of thofe Letters, which are fuch as no man of common sense would have published himself. The errors of the press were almost 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 least Title, or any other encouragement than that of not profecuting them.

For the Chasms in the correspondence, we had not the means to fupply them, the Author having deftroyed 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 least impertinent, to be divulged to the public or of fuch entire Letters, as were either not his, or not approved of by him.

He has been very fparing of thofe of his Friends, and thought it a refpect 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 fecure from their cenfure his living Friends, who (he promises them) fhall never be put to the blush, this way at least, for their partiality to him. But however this Collection may be received, we cannot but lament the Caufe, and the Neceffity of

fuch a publication, and heartily wish no honeft man may be reduced to the fame. To ftate the cafe fairly in the present fituation. A Bookfeller advertifes his intention to publifh your Letters: he openly promises encouragement, or even pecuniary rewards, to those who will help him to any; and ingages to infert whatever they shall fend. Any fcandal 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 fhort of a volume, any thing else shall be joined with it (more especially scandal) 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' conscious in what manner they were obtained, not caring what may be the confequence to your Fame or Quiet, will fell and difperfe 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 such a nature, as the Law (which does not punish for Intentions) cannot prevent; and when done, may punish, but not redrefs. You are therefore reduced, either to enter into a perfonal treaty with fuch a man (which tho' the readieft, is the meanest of all methods) or to take fuch other measures to fupprefs them, as are contrary to your

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