PREFACE

NE

EVER did any Writer Thew lefs folicitude, about the fate of his Works, than Swift, From the time they werfent into the world, he seems not to have had any farther concern about them. As foon as his eaglets were fledged

He whistled them off, and let them down the wind prey at fortune.

Το

SHAKESPEARE.

And ever after he was as carelefs about their fate, as birds are with regard to their difperfed broods.

For a long time his several productions remained in a detached state, without the name of any Author; nor could the general admiration they excited, prevail on him to reveal himself, or claim them as his own. In this refpect, he seems to have been actuated by the same principle which governed his whole conduct in life, that of the most perfect disinterestednefs; and as he had laid it down for a maxim, from the beginning, that he never would receive any pecuniary gratification for his Writings, fo he used his best endeavours to avoid, as much as poffible, even the reward of fame. Or if, in process of time, the Author of Works bearing the ftamp of such uncommon genius, fhould be difcovered, it would be allowed that he courted not fame, but fame followed him. The improvement of mankind being the chief object

VOL. II.

A

object he had in view in all his publications, he thought the extraordinary talent, bestowed on him, for this purpofe, with foliberal a hand, ought to be as liberally employed, without any mean mixture of felfish motives *

The first time that any of his ftraggling pieces were collected together, with his own confent, was fo late

as

In a letter from Swift to Mr. Pulteney, dated May 12, 1735, there is the following paragraph:-" I never got a farthing by any thing I writ, except one about eight years ago, and that was by Mr. Pope's prudent management for me." Here we have a confirmation of what I have advanced above, that he had laid it down as a maxim not to accept of any pecuniary gratification for his writings, by the pofitive affertion of the Author, whofe veracity cannot be doubted. And that he fwerved from it in this fingle inftance he imputes to Mr. Pope's prudent management for him. By which expreffion he feems to infinuate that it was not altogether with his approbation.

On the other hand it has been afferted that Swift got a fum of money for his firft work, The Tale of a Tub; and as a proof of this, it is faid, there is still in being an entry made in the books of the first publisher of a certain fum paid for that work. But this entry does not fay to whom it was paid; and I shall here produce a certain proof that it was neither to Swift nor his order. That the first edition was made without his privity or confent, appears clearly from the following paffages in the Apology prefixed to his own edition in 1709, where Swift, fpeaking of himfelf, fays," He was then a young gentleman much in the world, and wrote to the taste of those who were like himself; therefore, in order to allure them, he gave a liberty to his pen, which might not fuit with maturer years, or graver characters ; and which he could easily have corrected, with a very few blots, had he been master of his papers for a year or two before their publication.How the Author came to be without his papers, is a ftory not proper to be told, and of very little use, being a private fact; of which the reader would believe as little, or as much, as he thought good. He had, however, a blotted copy by him, which he intended to have written over with many alterations, and this the publishers were well aware of, having put it into the Bookseller's Preface, that they apprehended a furreptitious copy, which was to be altered, &c. This,

though

as the year 1726, when he was far advanced in life. These were publied by Mr. Pope in fome volumes of Mifcellanies, interfperfed with works of his own, preceded by a Preface to which both their names were fubfcribed.

Seven or eight years after this, the first collection of his Works, unmixed with thofe of others, was made by George Faulkner, printer and bookfeller in Dublin, in four volumes octavo. This Work was car ried on, not only without the Dean's confent, bus much against his inclination, as may be feen by feve ral of his Letters written to different perfons about that time. Yet Faulkner, in order to ftamp a crethough not regarded by readers, was a real truth, only the furreptitious copy was rather that which was printed; and they made all the hafte they could, which indeed was needlefs, the Aathor not being at all prepared: but he has been told the book eller was much in pain, having given a good jum of money for the copy."

From the above paffage it is evident that the first edition was printed, without the Author's privity, from a furreptitious copy, and the money was paid to the poffeffor of that copy; who certainly, under fuch cir cumftances, muft wish to be concealed, and therefore no name is annexed to the entry in the Bookfeller's account book mentioned before.

Among many others, the following paffages in two of his letters to Mr. Pulteney, will clearly prove the point. "You will hear, per haps, that one Faulkner hath printed four volumes, which are called my works. He hath only prefixed the first letters of my name. It was done utterly against my will; for there is no property in printers or bookfellers here, and I was not able to hinder it. I have never get looked into them, nor I believe ever fhall." March 8th, 1734

In another letter to the fame, dated May 12th, 1735, he fays, "You are pleafed to mention fome volumes of what are called my Works. I have looked on them very little -The printer applied to my friends, and got many things from England. The man was civil and humble, but I had to dealings with him, and therefore he confulted fome friends, who were readier to direct him than I defired they Should."

encouraging the Work,

De prevailed on to give the least

ormation about any other of his Writings, not before publicly known to be his, though frequently importuned on that head by Dr. Sheridan, and many others of his friends, who were inclined to ferve Faulkner, and wished to make the edition as complete as poffible on which account they could, at that time, furnish out only four volumes. There was but one point in which he interfered; that of not fuffering his name to be prefixed, but only the initial letters.

The avidity with which these Works were devoured by the Public, brought on a fearch for all the other Writings of the Author, not contained in this collection, and feveral fucceffive volumes were published as they were found out. Out of these the ingenious Dr. Hawkfworth formed an elegant edition enriched with notes, many of which are retained in this.

When all that had hitherto been printed was exhausted, the curiosity was keener with regard to original pieces, and fuch manufcripts as had never feen. the light. Among these none have met with a more favourable reception from the Public, than the col

lection