Essays, biographical, literary, moral, and critical

ADVERTISEMENT.

THE Essays which compose this volume were originally published in The Bristol Mercury. The approbation expressed of them by a few individuals, whose opinion the Author valued, induced him to submit them to the Public in a collected form; and the favorable manner in which his little book was received, left him no reason to regret his determination.

For indolence or negligence the author has no wish to offer any apology; but it may serve to mitigate the severity of cri

ticism to remark, that these Essays were commenced merely as exercises in composition, without any reference to a separate publication, and that most of them were written during the hours of relaxation from the duties of a laborious and arduous profession.

For this edition, the Essays have been carefully and diligently revised:-some errors have been corrected, and many alterations made, but principally in the language-except that two Essays in the first edition (Nos. 18 and 23) are omitted in this, and two others inserted. Every suggestion of criticism has been maturely weighed, and, when it approved itself to the Author's reconsideration, gratefully adopted. Upon the whole, the author

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begs to express his obligation to his critics for their favorable opinion of his book, and hopes that in its present form it may be found still more worthy of their approbation and of the public patronage.

The two Essays, Nos. 16 and 26, were written by the late Mr. Reed, of Thornbury, and have been subsequently reprinted in a volume entitled "Remains. of William Reed," &c. The memoir of Roberts, three Essays signed C., and one with signature U., were communicated by correspondents: for the imperfections of the others, the author of this advertisement is alone responsible.

Knihy