them in print; believing, if any thing was good, it would defend itself,
and what was bad could never be defended. That I used no artifice to
raise or continue a reputation, depreciated no dead author I was obliged
to, bribed no living one with unjust praise, insulted no adversary with
ill language: or, when I could not attack a rival's works, encouraged
reports against his morals. To conclude, if this volume perish, let it
serve as a warning to the critics, not to take too much pains for the
future to destroy such things as will die of themselves; and a _memento
mori_ to some of my vain cotemporaries the poets, to teach them that,
when real merit is wanting, it avails nothing to have been encouraged by
the great, commended by the eminent, and favoured by the public in
general.

November 10, 1716.


VARIATIONS IN THE AUTHOR'S MANUSCRIPT PREFACE.


After the words 'severely remarked on,' p. 2, l. 41, it followed
thus--For my part, I confess, had I seen things in this view at first,
the public had never been troubled either with my writings, or with this
apology for them. I am sensible how difficult it is to speak of one's
self with decency: but when a man must speak of himself, the best way is
to speak truth of himself, or, he may depend upon it, others will do it
for him. I'll therefore make this preface a general confession of all my
thoughts of my own poetry, resolving with the same freedom to expose
myself, as it is in the power of any other to expose 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, or, if