Mr. John Wiltshire Mrs. Ward, of Aynho, Northamptonshire Rev. William Wynn, D. D. of the Tower, Flintshire Mr. John Wrangle, Merchant, in Wisbech Mifs Waite, of Wisbech Mr. Thomas Whitwell, of Wisbech Rev. John Warren, A. M. Vicar of Lynfton, Cambridge fhire Mr. Warmol, Surgeon, at Wisbech Sir Peter Warburton, Bart. of Arley, Chefhire Mifs Whitacre, of Knutsford The Rev. Henry Wright, Efq; Mr. James Wallet, of Luton, Lincolnshire Rev. John Weft, A. M. Rector of Mepal, in the Isle of Ely Rev. Joshua White, A. M. Mr. Winter, of Norfolk Street Peter Henry Warburton, Efq; Mr. John Williams, Apothecary, at Wrexham Rev. Thomas Williams, A. M. School-mafter, at Wrexham 2 Setts Mr. Robert Wensley, Attorney, at Wisbech Thomas Western, Efq; of Abington, Cambridgeshire Y Jofeph Yates, Efq; Lincoln's Inn, 2 Setts Rev. Mr. Young, A. M. Sen. Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge Dr. Young, of Sheffield Rev. Mr. William Young, Rector of Newton, in Norfolk Rev. Francis Yarborough, D. D. Principal of Brazen-nofe College, Oxford Rev. Mr. Yates, Fellow of Catherine Hall, Cambridge Mr. Yoxal, Land Surveyor, in Warington THE PREFACE. I'm T would be very unjuft to the memory of a Writer fo much and fo justly esteemed as Butler to suppose it necessary to make any formal apology for the publication of thefe Remains. Whatever is the genuine performance of a Genius of his clafs cannot fail of recommending itself to every reader of taste; and all that can be required from the Publisher is to fatisfy the World, that it is not imposed upon by false and fpurious pretenfions. THIS has already been attempted in the printed Proposals for the subscription; but as the perishing form of a loose paper feems too frail a monument to preserve a testimony of fo much importance, it cannot, I hope, be judged im per pertinent to repeat the substance of what I obferved upon that occafion--That the Manuscripts, from which this work is printed, are Butler's own hand-writing, as evidently appears from fome original letters of his found amongst them--That upon his death they fell into the hands of his good friend Mr. W. Longueville, of the Temple, who, as the writer of Butler's life informs us, was at the charge of burying him--That upon Mr. Longueville's decease they became the property of his fon the late Charles Longueville, Efq; who bequeathed them at his death to John Clarke, Efq; and that this gentleman has been prevailed upon to part with them, and favoured me with an authority to infert the following certificate of their authenticity. "I DO hereby certify, that the papers now proposed to be published by Mr. Thyer, Thyer, are the original manuscripts of Mr. Samuel Butler author of Hudibras, and were bequeathed to me by the late Charles Longueville, Efq; JOHN CLARKE. Walgherton, Cheshire, Nov. 20, 1754. ALTHOUGH from evidence of fuch a nature there cannot remain the leaft doubt about the genuineness of this work, and it be very certain that every thing in it is the performance of Butler; yet it must be owned at the fame time, that there is not the fame degree of perfection and exactness in all the compofitions here printed. Some are finished with the utmost accuracy, and were fairly transcribed for the prefs, as far as can be judged from outward appearance. Others, though finished, and wrote with the fame spirit and peculiar vein of humour which diftinguishes him from VOL. I. all |