one.

I thought tolerable. Authors, who forgive themfelves fome particular lines for the fake of a whole Poem, and vice verfa a whole Poem for the fake of fome particular lines. I believe no one qualification is fo likely to make a good writer, as the power of rejecting his own thoughts; and it must be this (if any thing) that can give me a chance to be For what I have published, I can only hope to be pardon'd; but for what I have burn'd, I deferve to be prais'd. On this account the world is under fome obligation to me, and owes me the juftice in return, to look upon no verfes as mine that are not inferted in this collection. And perhaps nothing could make it worth my while to own what are really fo, but to avoid the imputation of fo many dull and immoral things, as partly by malice, and partly by ignorance, have been afcribed to me. I must further acquit myself of the prefumption of having lent my name to recommend any Mifcellanies, or Works of other men; a thing I never thought becoming a perfon who has hardly credit enough to answer for his own.

I would not be like thofe

In this office of collecting my pieces, I am altogether uncertain, whether to look upon myself as a man building a monument, or burying the dead.

If Time fhall make it the former, may thefe Poems (as long as they laft) remain as a teftimony, that their Author never made his talents fubfervient to the mean and unworthy ends of Party or Self-intereft; the gratification of public prejudices, or private paffions; the flattery of the undeferving, or the infult of the unfortunate. If I have written well, let it be confider'd that 'tis what no man can do whitout good fenfe, a quality that not only renders one capable of being 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 continued to me under no other title than that of the latter.

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 senses; without any murmurs against the justice of this age, or any mad appeals to pofterity. I declare I fhall think the world in the right, mit to every truth which time

and quietly fubfhall discover to

the prejudice of thefe writings; not fo much as wifhing fo irrational a thing, as that every body should be deceived merely for my credit. However, I defire it may then be confidered, That there are very few things in this col

lection which were not written under the age of five and twenty fo that my youth may be made (as it never fails to be in Executions) a cafe of compaffion. That I was never fo con

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cerned about my works as to vindicate them in print, believing, if any thing was good, it would defend itfelf, and what was bad could never be defended. That I ufed no artifice to raife or continue a reputation, depreciated no dead author I was obliged to, bribed no living one with unjust praife, infulted no adverfary with ill language; or when I could not attack a Rival's works, encouraged reports against his Morals. To conclude, if this volume perifh, let it ferve as a warning to the Critics, not to take too much pains for the future to deftroy fuch things as will die of themselves; and a Memento mori to fome of my vain contemporaries the Poets, to teach them that, when real merit is wanting, it avails nothing to have been encou raged by the great, commended by the eminent, and favoured by the public in general.

Nov. 10, 1716.

Variations in the Author's Manufcript

AFTER

Preface.

FTER pag. V. 1. 3. it followed thus- For my part, I confefs, had I feen things in this view, at first, the public had never been troubled either with my writings, or with this apology for them. I am fenfible how difficult it is to fpeak of ones felf with decency: but when a man must speak of himself, the best way is to fpeak truth of himself, or, he may depend upon it, others will do it for him. I'll therefore make this Preface a general confeffion of all my thoughts of my own Poetry, refolving with the fame freedom to expofe myfelf, as it is in the power of any other to expofe them. In the first place, I thank God and nature, that I was born with a love to poetry; for nothing more conduces to fill up all the intervals of our time,

if rightly ufed, to make the whole courfe of life entertaining: Cantantes licet ufque (minus via lædet.) 'Tis a vaft happiness to poffefs the pleafures of the head, the only pleasures in which a man is fufficient to himself, and the only part of him which, to his fatisfaction, he can employ all day long. The Mufes are amica

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omnium horarum; and, like our gay acquaintance, the best company in the world as long as one expects no real fervice from them. I confefs there was a time when I was in love with myself, and my firft productions were the children of felf-love upon innocence. I had made an Epic Poem, and Panegyrics on all the Princes in Europe, and thought myself the greateft genius that ever was. I can't but regret thofe delightful vifions of my childhood, which, like the fine colours we fee when our eyes are fhut, are vanifhed for ever. trials and fad experience have fo undeceived me by degrees, that I am utterly at a loss at what rate to value myself. As for fame I fhall be glad of any I can get, and not repine at any I mifs; and as for vanity, I have enough to keep me from hanging myfelf, or even from wifhing those hanged who would take it away. It was this that made me write. The sense of my faults made me correct: befides that it was as pleasant to me to correct as to write.

Many

At p. VII. 1. II. In the firft place I own that I have used my beft endeavours to the finishing these pieces. That I made what advantage I could of the judgment of authors dead and living; and that I omitted no means