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England. pag. 116, 117. and the Divinity of Cbrift exprefly deny &, in pag. 123, 124 With fome fcandalous Anecdotes, and a Narrative.

The fame in Duodecimo..

1

IV. Mr. Pope's Literary Correfpendence. Vol. 3. Printed for E. Curl 8° 1735. [In this is only one Letter by Mr. Pope to the Duchefs of Buckingham, which the Publisher fome way procur'd and printed again ber Order. It also contains four Letters intitled Mr. Pope's to Miss Blount, which are literally taken from an old Tranflation of Voiture's to Mad. Rambouillet. The fame in Duodecimo.

V. Mr. Pope's Literary Correfpondence, Vol. 4. Printed by the fame, contains not one Letter of this Author. The fame in Duodecimo.

VI. Mr. Pope's Literary Correspondence. Vol. 5. Containing only one Letter of Mr. P. and another of the Lord B with a fcandalous Preface, how he could come at more of their Letters. 8° Printed for the fame, 1736.

VII. Letters of Mr. Pope and several Eminent Perfons. Vol. from 1705 to 1711. Printed and fold by the Bookfellers of London and Weftminder.

8° 1735.

The fame, Vol. 2. from 1711, &c. Printed and fold by the Bookfellers of London and Westminster. The fame in 12mo. with a Narrtive.

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8° 1735. VIII. Letters of Mr. Pope and feveral Eminent Perfons. From 1705 to 1735. Printed and fold by the Bookfellers of London and Weftminster. 12mo. 1735. [This Edition is faid in the Title to contain more

Letters

Surreptitious and Incorrect Editions. 3

Letters than any other, but contains only Two, faid to be the Bishop of Rochester's, and printed before by Curl]

IX. Letters of Mr. Pope and feveral Eminent Perfons. From the Year 1705 to 1735. Vol. 1. and Vol. 2. Printed for T. Cooper, at the Globe in Pater nofter Row. 1735 12mo.

[In this was inferted the Forged Letter from the Bifcop of Rochester, and fome other things, unknown to Mr. Pope.]

PREFACE

Prefixed to the First Genuine Edition in 4°. 1737.

I

F what is here offer'd the Reader fhould happen in any degree to please him, the

thanks are not due to the Author, but partly to his Friends, and partly to his Enemies: It was wholly owing to the Affection of the former, that fo many Letters, of which he never kept copies, were preferv'd, and to the Malice of the latter that they were produc'd in this manner.

He had been very difagreeably us'd, in the publication of fome Letters written in his youth, which fell into the hands of a Woman who printed them, without his, or his correfpondent's confent, in 1727. This treatment, and the apprehenfion of more of the fame kind, put him upon recalling as many as he could from thofe who he imagin'd had kept any. He was forry to find the number fo great, but immediately leffen'd it by burning three parts in four of them: The reft he fpar'd, not in any pre

ference

ference of their Stile or writing, but merely as they preferv'd the memory of fome Friendships which will ever be dear to him, or fet in a true light fome Matters of fact, from which the Scriblers of the times had taken occafion to asperfe either his Friends or himself. He therefore lay'd by the originals, together with those of his Correfpondents, and caus'd 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. Wycherley 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 laft refolution to have fupprefs'd thofe Poems. As fome of the letters wbich had pass'd between him and our Author clear'd that point, they were publifh'd in 1729, with a few marginal notes added by a friend.

If in these letters, and in those which were printed without his confent, there appear too much of a juvenile ambition of Wit, or affectation of Gayety, he may reasonably hope it will be confider'd to whom, and at what age, he was guilty of it, as well as how soon it was over. The reft, every judge of writing will fee, were by no means Efforts of the Genius,

but

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.

It is notorious, how many Volumes have been publish'd under the title of his Correfpondence, with promifes ftill of more, and open and repeated offers of encouragement to all perfons who fhould fend any letters of his for the prefs. It is as notorious what Methods were taken to procure them, even from the Publifher's own accounts in his prefaces, viz. by tranfacting with people in neceffities, I or of abandon'd 2 characters, or fuch as dealt without names in the 3 dark. Upon a quarrel with one of thefe laft, he betray'd himfelf fo far as to appeal to the publick in Narratives and Advertisements: like that Irish Highway-man a few years before, who preferr'd a Bill againft his Companion, for not fharing equally in the mony, rings and watches, they had traded for in Partnership upon Hounflow-Heath.

Several have been printed in his name which he never writ, and addrefs'd to perfons to whom

See the Preface to Vol. 1. of a Book called Mr,

Pope's Literary Correspondence.

2 Poftfcript to the Preface to Vol. 4.

rative and Anecdotes before Vol. 2.

3 Nar

they

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