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thoughts into a narrower compass than profe-writers, the perufal of the poets is one of the most effectual means of ftoring the mind with moral knowledge, that is, with regard to the conduct of life, the most ufeful and important of all kinds of knowledge. Add to this, that what we learn in poetry, makes a much deeper impreffion upon the mind, and is likely to be much longer retained, than what we learn in profe. Addison is perhaps as fenfible a writer as either Shakespeare or Pope; yet how feldom do we hear the former quoted, and how fre quently the two latter!

THE EDITOR.

ADVER

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TO THE

SECOND EDITION..

THE

HE Editor begs leave to obferve, that, in compliance with the request of fome of the molt eminent mafters of academies, as well as of fome of the most accomplished governeffes of ladies' boarding-fchools in and about town, he has inferted a great number of pieces in this edition that are not to be found in the laft; and, in order to exprefs his gratitude to the public for the very favourable reception the book has hitherto met with, he has contrived to do fo without encreafing the price of the volume. At the fame time he mult be permitted to remark, that, as the judgment of youth ought to be exercifed as well as their memory, he has felected fome of thefe additional pieces from the critical works of our moft admired poets, fuch as the Duke of Buckingham's Effay on Poetry, and Mr. Pope's Effay on Criticism; for to cultivate the memory (as is too frequently done) to the total neglect of the judgment andthe other faculties of the mind, is, to fay the leaft, a very ridiculous and abfurd mode of inftruction.

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