external, as the manuscripts themselves afforded, what pieces appeared
to have been at any time intended by the author for publication. Our
next was to select such as, though not originally intended for
publication, yet appeared to contain matter that might contribute to the
gratification and instruction of the public. Our last object was to
determine what degree of imperfection and incorrectness in papers of
either of these classes ought or ought not to exclude them from a place
in the present volume. This was, doubtless, the most nice and arduous
part of our undertaking. The difficulty, however, was, in our minds,
greatly diminished by our conviction that the reputation of our author
stood far beyond the reach of injury from any injudicious conduct of
ours in making this selection. On the other hand, we were desirous that
nothing should be withheld, from which the public might derive any
possible benefit.

Nothing more is now necessary than that I should give a short account of
the writings which compose the present volume.


I. Fourth Letter on a Regicide Peace.

Some account has already been given of this Letter in the Advertisement
to the fourth quarto volume.[2] That part of it which is contained
between the first and the middle of the page 67[3] is taken from a
manuscript which, nearly to the conclusion, had received the author's
last corrections: the subsequent part, to the middle of the page 71,[4]
is taken from some loose manuscripts, that were dictated by the author,
but do not appear to have been revised by him; and though they, as well
as what follows to the conclusion, were evidently designed to make a
part of this Letter, the editor alone is responsible for the order in