The engravings in this edition are chiefly taken from Hogarth's defigns, an artist whose genius, in some respects, was congenial to that of our poet, though here he cannot plead the merit of originality, fo much as in fome other of his works, having borrowed a great deal from the small prints in the duodecimo edition of 1710.*

Some plates are added from original defigns, and some from drawings by La Guerre, now in my possession, and one print representing Oliver Cromwell's guard-room, from an excellent picture by Dobson, very obligingly communicated by my worthy friend, Robert Bromley, Efq. of Abberleylodge, in Worcestershire; the picture being seven feet long, and four high, it is difficult to give the likeneffes upon fo reduced a scale, but the artists have done themselves credit by preserving the characters of each figure, and the features of each face more exactly than could be expected: the picture belonged to Mr. Walsh the poet, and has always been called Oliver Cromwell's guard-room: the figures are certainly portraits; but I leave it to the critics in that line to find out the originals.

When I first undertook this work, it was defigned that the whole should be comprised in two volumes: the first com

* Hogarth was born in 1698, and the edition of Hudibras, with his cuts, published 1726.

prehending the poem, the second the notes, but the thick-
ness of the paper, and size of the type, obliged the binder to
divide each volume into two tomes; this has undefignedly
encreased the number of tomes, and the price of the work.*

*Mr. Rollin in his advertisement to the eleventh volume of his ancient history, fays, « Ce volume s'eft trouvé d'une groffeur fi enorme qu'on s'eft cru obligé de le divifer pour la ❝ commodité des lectures, & de la couper en deux tomes."

Autograph of Samuel Butler.

To thinke how Spencer dyed how Cowly mowind.
How Butler's faith & Serbies were Returnd