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THE

CRITICAL REVIEW:

O R,

Annals of Literature.

BY

A SOCIETY of GENTLEMEN.

VOLUME the SECOND.

Nothing extenuate,

Nor fet down aught in malice. SHAKESPEAR.

Ploravere fuis non refpondere favorem
Speratum meritis-

HOR.

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Printed for R. BALDWIN, at the Rofe in Pater-nofter-Rou
MDCCLVI.

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AP

Hist. Spec.

1-18-22

PREFACE.

TH

HE authors of the Critical Review with pleasure take this opportunity of repeating their acknowledgements to the public. They have now finished their fecond volume; and the friends of the work will not be forry to bear, that the fuccefs of it has been fuch as must inSpirit their endeavours, and have a favourable effect upon their future effays.

In spite of open affault and private affaffination; in Spite of published reproach and printed letters of abuse, diftributed like poifoned arrows in the dark; the Critical Review has not only maintained its footing, but confiderably extended its progrefs. The breath of fecret calumny excites a fpirit of inquiry and comparison, from which the work bath derived fingular advantage; and the loud blafts of obloquy, instead of tearing it up, ferve only to prove its strength and fix its roots the deeper.

The proprietors think it needless to make an apology for concluding this Second volume in five numbers; as every person will at once perceive the propriety of beginning the Third with the new year. The difference of free or fix fheets will hardly appear in the binding, a great book (according to the greek proverb) may be a great evil, an adage, which fome brother critics would do well to confider; and the proprietors are refolved to avoid fupplements, as an unneceffary incumbrance on their readers. They will take care to leave no matter for fuch a clumsy appendage, which the work drags heavily along, like a buge mortified excrefcence.

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