would prove as ineffectual, as they would have then been low and illiberal. The favour which the public has shewn to our humble labours, without any such helps, encourages us to proceed in the manner in which we originally began. There is no considerable change in the order and method of the work; a small improvement we have indeed made, by classing our Miscellaneous Papers somewhat more exactly. Besides, as a work of this kind depends for its materials on the events and publications of the year, it would be improper so scrupulously to restrain ourselves to one set of heads, and to one proportion of matter under each, A as not to conform ourselves to things as they arise. Some years abound in one species of entertainment, and are barren in another. In our last Register we had an article of ExTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES. This year has produced hardly any thing of that kind, and therefore we have omitted that title; but we have made the reader amends under that of CHARACTERS; which contains a very great variety of accounts of eminent persons, good and bad; some drawn by very masterly hands; none in a manner that is contemptible. We are the more pleased with our fertility in this part, as we know no kind of reading that can be at once more useful and more agreeable. We do not pretend, that with all our care, and with something more of experience, we have been able to avoid all the errors, and to supply all the defects which might have been observed in our first volume. They have been in that overlooked or pardoned by the candour of the public; and we shall never, we hope, forfeit our title to that indulgence by laying claim to perfection; we shall make the errors of each year lessons for the ensuing; and when we have done our best, we shall stand in need of pardon. We have only to add, that we request the favour of the correspondence dence of ingenious persons. It is hoped that the choice we have hi therto made will not give any gentleman cause to be ashamed that his performance should appear among the pieces we select, whether in prose or in verse. We received indeed some papers, but they came too late, our plan having been then unalterably settled. We hope that those gentlemen who intend to favour us, will send in their letters before November, THE |