Alte fpectare fi voles, neque fermonibus VULGI dederis te, nec in Præmiis humanis fpem pofucris rerum tuarum: fais te illecebris oportet ipfa Virtus trahat ad verum decus. QUID DE TE ÁLI LOQUANTUR IPSI VIDEANT, SED LO QUENTER TAMEN.

Cic.

WORKS

O F

Alexander Pope Efq.

VOLUME I.

CONTAINING HIS

JUVENILE POEMS.

LONDON

Printed for H. LINTOT, J. and R. TONSON,

and S. DRAPER.

MDCCLL

Thorp 9.28 44

10-11-44

AE.

50257

ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE

Large OCTAVO EDITION,

MR

R. POPE, in his laft illness, amufed himself, amidst the care of his higher concerns, in preparing a corrected and complete Edition of his Writings *; and, with his ufual delicacy, was even folicitous to prevent any share of the offence they might occafion, from falling on the Friend whom he had engaged to give them to the Public †.

* "I own the late encroachments upon my "constitution make me willing to fee the end of all "further care about me or my works. I would rest "for the one in a full refignation of my Being to be "difpofed of by the Father of all Mercy; and for "the other (though indeed a trifle, yet a trifle may * be fome example) I would commit them to the "candour of a fenfible and reflecting judge, rather "than to the malice of every fhort-fighted and "malevolent critic, or inadvertent and cenforious "Reader. And no hand can set them in fo good a "light, &c." Let. cxx. to Mr. W.

f "I also give and bequeath to the faid Mr. "Warburton, the property of all fuch of my Works already printed as he hath written or fhall write "Commentaries or notes upon, and which I have "not otherwise difpofed of or alienated; and as he fhall publifh WITHOUT FUTURE ALTERA"TIONS."-His laft Will and Teftament.

In discharge of this truft, the Public has here a complete Edition of his Works; executed in fuch a manner, as, I am perfuaded, would have been to his fatisfaction.

The Editor hath not, for the fake of profit, fuffered the Author's Name to be made cheap by a Subfcription; nor his Works to be defrauded of their due Honours by a vulgar or inelegant Impreffion; nor his memory to be difgraced by any pieces unworthy of his talents or virtue, On the contrary, he hath, at a very great expence, ornamented this Edition with all the advantages which the beft Artists in Paper, Printing, and Sculpture could beftow upon it.

If the Public hath waited longer than the deference due to it fhould have fuffered, it was owing to a reason which the Editor need not make a fecret. It was his regard to the family-interefts of his deceafed Friend. Mr. Pope, at his death, left large impreffions of feveral parts of his Works, unfold; the property of which was adjudged to belong to his Executors ; and the Editor was willing they should have time to difpofe of them to the best advantage, before the publication of this Edition (which hath been long prepared) fhould put a stop to the fale.

But