英文文学A Tale of a TubWord文档格式.docx
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英文文学A Tale of a TubWord文档格式.docx
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APanegyricalEffayupontheNumberTHREE.
ADiffertationupontheprincipalproductionsofGrub-ftree.
LecturesupontheDiffectionofHumanNature.
APanegyrickupontheWorld.
AnAnalyticalDifcourfeuponZeal,Hiftori-theo-phyfi-logicallyconfidered.
AgeneralHiftoryofEars.
AmodeftDefenceoftheProceedingsoftheRabbleinallAges.
ADefcriptionoftheKingdomofAbfurdities.
AVoyageintoEngland,byaPerfonofQualityinTerraAuftralisincognita,tranflatedfromtheOriginal.
ACriticalEffayupontheArtofCanting,Philofophically,Phyfically,andMuficallyconfidered.
TotheRightHonourableJohnLordSomers.
MyLORD,
ThoughtheauthorhaswrittenalargeDedication,yetthatbeingaddressedtoaPrincewhomIamneverlikelytohavethehonourofbeingknownto;
aperson,besides,asfarasIcanobserve,notatallregardedorthoughtonbyanyofourpresentwriters;
andIbeingwhollyfreefromthatslaverywhichbooksellersusuallylieundertothecapricesofauthors,IthinkitawisepieceofpresumptiontoinscribethesepaperstoyourLordship,andtoimploreyourLordship’sprotectionofthem.GodandyourLordshipknowtheirfaultsandtheirmerits;
forastomyownparticular,Iamaltogetherastrangertothematter;
andthougheverybodyelseshouldbeequallyignorant,Idonotfearthesaleofthebookatalltheworseuponthatscore.YourLordship’snameonthefrontincapitalletterswillatanytimegetoffoneedition:
neitherwouldIdesireanyotherhelptogrowanaldermanthanapatentforthesoleprivilegeofdedicatingtoyourLordship.
Ishouldnow,inrightofadedicator,giveyourLordshipalistofyourownvirtues,andatthesametimebeveryunwillingtooffendyourmodesty;
butchieflyIshouldcelebrateyourliberalitytowardsmenofgreatpartsandsmallfortunes,andgiveyoubroadhintsthatImeanmyself.AndIwasjustgoingonintheusualmethodtoperuseahundredortwoofdedications,andtranscribeanabstracttobeappliedtoyourLordship,butIwasdivertedbyacertainaccident.ForuponthecoversofthesepapersIcasuallyobservedwritteninlargelettersthetwofollowingwords,DETURDIGNISSIMO,which,foraughtIknew,mightcontainsomeimportantmeaning.ButitunluckilyfelloutthatnoneoftheAuthorsIemployunderstoodLatin(thoughIhavethemofteninpaytotranslateoutofthatlanguage).IwasthereforecompelledtohaverecoursetotheCurateofourParish,whoEnglisheditthus,Letitbegiventotheworthiest;
andhiscommentwasthattheAuthormeanthisworkshouldbededicatedtothesublimestgeniusoftheageforwit,learning,judgment,eloquence,andwisdom.Icalledatapoet’schamber(whoworksformyshop)inanalleyhardby,showedhimthetranslation,anddesiredhisopinionwhoitwasthattheAuthorcouldmean.Hetoldme,aftersomeconsideration,thatvanitywasathingheabhorred,butbythedescriptionhethoughthimselftobethepersonaimedat;
andatthesametimeheverykindlyofferedhisownassistancegratistowardspenningadedicationtohimself.Idesiredhim,however,togiveasecondguess.Whythen,saidhe,itmustbeI,ormyLordSomers.FromthenceIwenttoseveralotherwitsofmyacquaintance,withnosmallhazardandwearinesstomyperson,fromaprodigiousnumberofdarkwindingstairs;
butfoundthemallinthesamestory,bothofyourLordshipandthemselves.NowyourLordshipistounderstandthatthisproceedingwasnotofmyowninvention;
forIhavesomewherehearditisamaximthatthosetowhomeverybodyallowsthesecondplacehaveanundoubtedtitletothefirst.
ThisinfalliblyconvincedmethatyourLordshipwasthepersonintendedbytheAuthor.Butbeingveryunacquaintedinthestyleandformofdedications,IemployedthosewitsaforesaidtofurnishmewithhintsandmaterialstowardsapanegyricuponyourLordship’svirtues.
Intwodaystheybroughtmetensheetsofpaperfilleduponeveryside.TheysworetomethattheyhadransackedwhatevercouldbefoundinthecharactersofSocrates,Aristides,Epaminondas,Cato,Tully,Atticus,andotherhardnameswhichIcannotnowrecollect.However,Ihavereasontobelievetheyimposeduponmyignorance,becausewhenIcametoreadovertheircollections,therewasnotasyllabletherebutwhatIandeverybodyelseknewaswellasthemselves:
thereforeIgrievouslysuspectacheat;
andthattheseAuthorsofminestoleandtranscribedeverywordfromtheuniversalreportofmankind.SothatItookuponmyselfasfiftyshillingsoutofpockettonomannerofpurpose.
IfbyalteringthetitleIcouldmakethesamematerialsserveforanotherdedication(asmybettershavedone),itwouldhelptomakeupmyloss;
butIhavemadeseveralpersonsdiphereandthereinthosepapers,andbeforetheyreadthreelinestheyhaveallassuredmeplainlythattheycannotpossiblybeappliedtoanypersonbesidesyourLordship.
Iexpected,indeed,tohaveheardofyourLordship’sbraveryattheheadofanarmy;
ofyourundauntedcourageinmountingabreachorscalingawall;
ortohavehadyourpedigreetracedinalinealdescentfromtheHouseofAustria;
orofyourwonderfultalentatdressanddancing;
oryourprofoundknowledgeinalgebra,metaphysics,andtheOrientaltongues:
buttoplytheworldwithanoldbeatenstoryofyourwit,andeloquence,andlearning,andwisdom,andjustice,andpoliteness,andcandour,andevennessoftemperinallscenesoflife;
ofthatgreatdiscernmentindiscoveringandreadinessinfavouringdeservingmen;
withfortyothercommontopics;
IconfessIhaveneitherconsciencenorcountenancetodoit.Becausethereisnovirtueeitherofapublicorprivatelifewhichsomecircumstancesofyourownhavenotoftenproduceduponthestageoftheworld;
andthosefewwhichforwantofoccasionstoexertthemmightotherwisehavepassedunseenorunobservedbyyourfriends,yourenemieshaveatlengthbroughttolight.
ItistrueIshouldbeveryloththebrightexampleofyourLordship’svirtuesshouldbelosttoafter-ages,bothfortheirsakeandyourown;
butchieflybecausetheywillbesoverynecessarytoadornthehistoryofalatereign;
andthatisanotherreasonwhyIwouldforbeartomakearecitalofthemhere;
becauseIhavebeentoldbywisementhatasdedicationshaverunforsomeyearspast,agoodhistorianwillnotbeapttohaverecoursethitherinsearchofcharacters.
ThereisonepointwhereinIthinkwededicatorswoulddowelltochangeourmeasures;
Imean,insteadofrunningonsofaruponthepraiseofourpatron’sliberality,tospendawordortwoinadmiringtheirpatience.IcanputnogreatercomplimentonyourLordship’sthanbygivingyousoampleanoccasiontoexerciseitatpresent.ThoughperhapsIshallnotbeapttoreckonmuchmerittoyourLordshipuponthatscore,whohavingbeenformerlyusedtotediousharangues,andsometimestoaslittlepurpose,willbethereadiertopardonthis,especiallywhenitisofferedbyonewhois,withallrespectandveneration,
MyLORD,YourLordship’smostobedientandmostfaithfulServant,
THEBOOKSELLER.
TheBooksellertotheReader
Itisnowsixyearssincethesepaperscamefirsttomyhand,whichseemstohavebeenaboutatwelvemonthaftertheywerewritten,fortheAuthortellsusinhisprefacetothefirsttreatisethathehadcalculateditfortheyear1697;
andinseveralpassagesofthatdiscourse,aswellasthesecond,itappearstheywerewrittenaboutthattime.
AstotheAuthor,Icangivenomannerofsatisfaction.However,Iamcrediblyinformedthatthispublicationiswithouthisknowledge,forheconcludesthecopyislost,havinglentittoapersonsincedead,andbeingneverinpossessionofitafter;
sothat,whethertheworkreceivedhislasthand,orwhetherheintendedtofillupthedefectiveplaces,isliketoremainasecret.
IfIshouldgoabouttotellthereaderbywhataccidentIbecamemasterofthesepapers,itwould,inthisunbelievingage,passforlittlemorethanthecantorjargonofthetrade.Ithereforegladlysparebothhimandmyselfsounnecessaryatrouble.Thereyetremainsadifficultquestion—whyIpublishedthemnosooner?
Iforboreupontwoaccounts.First,becauseIthoughtIhadbetterworkuponmyhands;
andsecondly,becauseIwasnotwithoutsomehopeofhearingfromtheAuthorandreceivinghisdirections.ButIhavebeenlatelyalarmedwithintelligenceofasurreptitiouscopywhichacertaingreatwithadnewpolishedandrefined,or,asourpresentwritersexpressthemselves,“fittedtothehumouroftheage,”astheyhavealreadydonewithgreatfelicitytoDonQuixote,Boccalini,LaBruyere,andotherauthors.However,Ithoughtitfairerdealingtoofferthewholeworkinitsnaturals.Ifanygentlemanwillpleasetofurnishmewithakey,inordertoexplainthemoredifficultparts,Ishallverygratefullyacknowledgethefavour,andprintitbyitself.
TheEpistleDedicatorytoHisRoyalHighnessPrincePosterity
SIR,
IherepresentyourHighnesswiththefruitsofaveryfewleisurehours,stolenfromtheshortintervalsofaworldofbusiness,andofanemploymentquitealienfromsuchamusementsasthis;
thepoorproductionofthatrefuseoftimewhichhaslainheavyuponmyhandsduringalongprorogationofParliament,agreatdearthofforeignnews,andatediousfitofrainyweather.Forwhich,andotherreasons,itcannotchooseextremelytodeservesuchapatronageasthatofyourHighness,whosenumberlessvirtuesinsofewyears,maketheworldlookuponyouasthefuture
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