英文文学A Tale of a TubWord文档格式.docx

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