THE WORK S OF Samuel Johnson, LL.D. A NEW EDITION, IN TWELVE VOLUMES. WITH AN ESSAY ON HIS LIFE AND GENIUS, BY ARTHUR MURPHY, Esq. VOLUME THE EIGHTH. LONDON: Printed by Luke Hanfard, Great Turnftile, Lincoln's-Inn-Fields; For H. Baldwin, J. Johnfon, G. G. and J. Robinson, P. Elmfly, J. OF THE EIGHTH VOLUME. MISCELLANEOUS ESSAY S. PREFACE to an Effay on MILTON's Ufe and Imitation of the Moderns in his PARADISE LOST LETTER to the Rev. DR. DOUGLAS, occafioned by his VINDICATION of MILTON. To which are fub- joined several curious original Letters from the Authors of the UNIVERSAL HISTORY, Mr. AINSWORTH, and 7 23 POLITICAL TRACTS. THE PATRIOT; addreffed to the Electors of Great Britain 155 A JOUR PREFACE* ΤΟ An ESSAY on MILTON's USE and [First published in the Year MDCCL. 1 IT T is now more than half a century fince the PARADISE LOST having broke through the clouds with which the unpopularity of the author, for a time, obfcured it, has attracted the general admiration of mankind; who have endeavoured to compenfate the errour of their first neglect, by lavish praises and boundlefs veneration. There feems to have arisen a contest, among men of genius and literature, who should most "It is to be hoped, nay, it is expected, that the elegant and nervous writer, whofe judicious fentiments, and inimitable ftile points out the author of Lauder's Preface and Postscript, will no longer allow one to plume himself with his feathers, who appears "fo little to have deserved his affistance; an affistance which I am "perfuaded would never have been communicated, had there been. "the least suspicion of those facts which I have been the inftrument of conveying to the world in these sheets." -Milton vindi cated from the charge of plagiarifm brought against him by Mr. Lauder, and Lauder himself convicted of several forgeries and grofs impofitions on the publick. By John Douglas, M. 4. Rector of Eaton Conftantine, Salop, 8vo. 1751, p. 77. advance |