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that there are many gems, both in prose and verse,
hidden in works, which, however much esteemed in
their day, have long since ceased to be generally ac-
cessible. To gather
To gather a few of these, and to bring
them again to light, was one of the objects which
the compiler proposed to himself in this undertaking;
but it would have been inconsistent with the light and
cursory nature of his design, to have brought them
forward, either in any sort of chronological order, or
with any particular formality of disquisition. In fact,
the colloquies with which he has prefaced the extracts
were suggested by an after-thought, in order to give
an air of freshness to the results of a task that ne-

cessarily excluded originality.

To accomplish this, he has therefore not scrupled to assume opinions, which he would hesitate, in many instances, to acknowledge as his own, and also to maintain paradoxes, calculated rather to excite reflection than to induce persuasion; at the same time, nothing will be found either in the one or the other, to which any objection can be reasonably made. The book has indeed been prepared for the parlour table, and is likely to afford amusement, in the intervals of business, to a class of readers who would never

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think of looking at many of the originals from which the selections have been made. Every thing, accordingly, doubtful in principle, or questionable in tendency, has been carefully excluded; and, although it is in appearance a production of very humble pretensions, it will perhaps be found more valuable than some other publications, to which the public has been so indulgent as to receive with favour.

FEBRUARY 20, 1824.

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