: on Criticism, the Author, a little before his death, had corrected and published in Quarto, as a specimen of his projected Edition) was printed by him in his laft illness, but never published, in the manner it is now given. The difpofition of the Epistle on the Characters of Men is quite altered that on the Characters of Women much enlarged; and the Epiftles on Riches and Tafte corrected and improved. To these advantages of the THIRD Volume, must be added a great number of fine verfes, taken from the Author's Manufcript-copies of these poems, communicated by him for this purpose to the Editor. Thefe, the Author, when he first published the poems, to which they belong, thought proper, for various reafons, to omit. Some, from the Manufcript-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 reftored to their places in the laft Edition of that Poem. The reft, together with others of the like fort, from his Manufcript-copy of the other Ethic Epiftles, are here inferted at the bottom bottom of the page, under the title of Variations. The FOURTH Volume contains the Satires; with their Prologue, the Epistle 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 likewife inriched with many and large notes, now first printed from the Author's own Manufcript. The FIFTH Volume contains a correcter and completer Edition of the Dunciad than hath been hitherto published; of which, at present, 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 should remain difgraced by the meannefs of its fubject, the most infignificant of all Dunces, bad Rhymers and malevolent Cavillers: That he ought to raise and enoble it by pointing his Satire against the most pernicious of all, Minute philofophers and B 3 Free Free-thinkers. I imagined, too, it was for the interefts 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 tho' the terror of his pen kept them for fome time in respect, yet on his death they rose with unreftrained fury in numerous Coffee-house tales, and Grub-ftreet 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, FREETHINKING; with design to point out the only remedy adequate to fo deftructive 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 great injuf tice tice to his memory not to declare that he embraced thefe occafions with the most unfeigned pleasure. The SIXTH Volume confifts of Mr. Pope's miscellaneous pieces in verse and profe. Amongst the Verfe feveral fine poems make now their first appearance in 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 confift 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 several 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 these, I fay, the reft are all here published from the Author's own printed, tho' not published, copies delivered to the Editor. 1 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 laft corrections and improve→ ments; That a great number of his verfes are here firft printed from the Manuscriptcopies of his principal poems of later date; That many new notes of the Author are here added to his Poems; and laftly, that several pieces, both in profe and verfe, 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 Class. He was one of the noblest 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 "A wit's a feather, and a chief's a rod, the |