CRITICAL ESSAYS O'N DRAMATIC POETRY. B Y Monfieur de VOLTAIRE. WITH NOTES by the TRANSLATOR. Et vos, O Lauri, carpam, et te, proxima Myrte, VIRGIL. LONDON: against Gray's-Inn, Holborn. MDCCLXI. ADVERTISEMENT. TH HE tranflator had often read with pleafure the following effays in the original; and was as often forry, that no writer of genius had undertaken to publish, in english, a complete translation of all monfieur de Voltaire's plays, or as the french term it, his Theatre, to which these several differtations are prefixed. Such an attempt would have been too great for the leifure or for the abilities of the present translator. Mr. Dryden's prefaces, which have done so great nour to that name, and which run pretty much on the same subject with thefe ho ADVERTISEMENT. of M. de Voltaire, have long been wished for, in a feparate edition from the rest of his works. To this thought, it must be confeffed, is owing the publication here given: a task no ways unpleafing to the perfon who undertook it ; nor, as he hopes, will be an unacceptable prefent to the public: efpecially fince thofe who have already gratified us with mafterly imitations of fome of M. de Voltaire's theatrical pieces, have omitted the prefatory difcourfes, which the author himself thought neceffary. i |