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THE

WORKS

O F

Mr. ALEXANDER POPE.

CICERO pro ARCH.

Hec ftudia adolefcentiam alunt, fenectutem oblectant; Secundas res ornant, adverfis perfugium

folatium præbent; delectant domi, non impediunt foris; pernoctant nobifcum, peregrinantur, rufticantur.

LONDON: Printed by W. BOWYER, for BERNARD LINTOT between the Temple-Gates.. 1717,

1

Jane Cary

PREFACE.

I

Am inclined to think that both the writers of books, and the readers of them, are generally

not a little unreasonable in their expectations. The first seem to fancy that the world must approve whatever they produce, and the latter to imagine that authors are obliged to please them at any rate. Methinks as on the one hand, no single man is born with a right of controuling the opinions of all the reft; fo on the other, the world has no title to demand, that the whole care and time of any particular person should be facrificed to its entertainment. Therefore I cannot but believe that writers and readers are under equal obligations, for as much fame, or pleasure, as each affords the other.

Every one acknowledges, it would be a wild notion to expect perfection in any work of man: and yet one would think the contrary was taken

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