Pickering 5-18-29 241248 1εvol. ADVERTISEMENT OF THE EDITOR. THE HE idea of this compilation was fuggefted by the great value that has frequently been fet upon collections of fcraps cut out of newfpapers-the title, by that of a French book*, of a nature fomewhat fimilar. In making the selection, recourse has seldom been had to publications of earlier date than the year 1793; a period when the collifion of political parties, and the momentous incidents of the war, and of the French revolution, began to clicit stronger flashes of wit and fatire, from the mind of genius, than had been produced for a long time before. By far the greater part of the Effays and Jeux d'Esprit thus rescued from oblivion, are of an antiminifterial tendency; but this is not the confequence of any partiality. It was equally the wifh and intereft of the Editor to gratify all parties; and that he might do so, he waded through a great number of files of minifterial. papers, till he was wofully convinced of the truth of Mr. Burke's obfervation, that "the balance of intellect is entirely on the fide of the Jacobins." The wit and humour of the adverse faction, as far at least as he could judge from the evidence of the Public Journals, may be compared to "two grains of wheat hid in two bushels of chaff you fhall feek all day ere you find them, and when you have them, they are not worth the Search *." The juft application of the foregoing words will indeed be manifeft to the reader himself, when he fees the inferiority of the few minifte rial articles that have been introduced, one or two excepted. They are, however, the beft, as has already been intimated, that could be obtained, after long and laborious researches. The opportunity that better leifure may afford, of extending thofe refearches in future years, may probably diminish a difproportion, of * Shakespeare, which the friends to the prefent administration will doubtless complain, in fpite of the best reafons that can be affigned. Upon the whole, however, the Editor flatters himself, that he fhall be allowed the me rit of having extracted from sources, to people in general perfectly unattainable, and from an enormous mass of chaotic matter, a treat highly gratifying to all who have any relish for wit or humour. Many of the Effays contained in this volume are, perhaps, little, if at all inferior to the best papers in the Spectator; and they have been drawn from publications, of which the purchafe would amount to a very confiderable fum. Of the few Notes and Anecdotes interfperfed, he will only fay, that he thought the former ne ceffary, and believes the latter true. Though it might be fufficient praise to have affumed the office of the industrious bee, by collecting fweets from all quarters, the Editor wifhes it to be understood, that he had alfo fome fhare in the original compofition. He is the author of a number of the articles, which he will not point out, but which, he confeffes,, are not likely to be claffed with thote of fupe rior merit. It is intended that a fimilar volume fhall ap pear at the commencement of every year. As there will be more time for its production, the plan will receive every improvement of which it is fufceptible; the Notes and Anecdotes will be more copious; and the felection will be: made with ftill greater care. THE EDITOR. N. B. In afcribing the articles to the various publications whence they have been taken, the Editor is aware, that fe veral errors may have been made. In fome cafes he was forced to depend upon memory. In others, he has pro-bably mistaken borrowed articles for originals.. A |