LIFE OF Jofeph Addison, Efq; Extracted from No III. and IV. GF: THE GENERAL DICTIONARY, Hiftorical and Critical. To which is prefixed, The LIFE of Dr. LANCELOT his Father. LONDON: Printed for N. PREVOST, against Southampton- 1-16.80.ENW English Pickering 1-10-27 14108 PREFACE. S EVERAL of our learned Subfcribers having intimated to us, that the Life we compiled of the celebrated Mr. Addison would be of fervice to those who have that Author's Works, 'tis chiefly in compliance with their advice that we publish the prefent edition of it. "Tis to the learned and ingenious Mr. Bayle that we owe this method of Biography, in which caft two Lives only (fuch excepted as are published in our General Dictionary) have appeared in English, viz. thofe of Hales and Chillingworth (1). But notwithstanding the advantages of this manner of writing, yet fome perfons object against it, as being unconnected, defultory, and perpetually breaking the. thread of the narration. This objection, however plaufible, will not be found A 2 (1) Both by Mr. Des Maizeaux. found of any weight, especially against hiftorical and critical Dictionaries. For an author who purposes to give the life at length, in the common way, of a perfon, how confpicuous foever, is frequently obliged to introduce a great number of particulars, infinitely lefs curious than thofe for which the Object of his writing is chiefly diftinguifhed; by which means much of the reader's time is fpent in running over a great number of lefs confiderable incidents. But the Biographer, who writes in Mr. Bayle's manner, firft draws the analyfis or outlines, as it were, of the life, and of this he forms his Text, for the use of those whose time may be precious, or who only defire a general account of perfons. But then, as fo fuccinct a narrative alone is not fatisfactory to a great number of readers, our Biographer felects fuch particular circumstances in the perfon's life, as are very curious, important, and diftinguish him from other men; and omitting all the reft, he throws thefe into the form of Notes or Remarks, which |