The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison (Volume 5) (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1891. Excerpt: ... "March 12, 1715. "Received then the sum of fifty guineas for the copy ol the comedy called The Drummer, or the Haunted House. I say received by order of the author of the said comedy. "eichaed Steele." And added, at the same time, that, since Mr. Tickell had not thought fit to make that play a part of Mr. Addison's Works, he would sell the copy to any bookseller that would give most for it. This is represented thus circumstantially, to show how incumbent it is upon me, as well in justice to the bookseller, as for many other considerations, to produce this comedy a second time, and take this occasion to vindicate myself against certain insinuations thrown out by the publisher of Mr. Addison's writings, concerning my behaviour in the nicest circumstance, that of doing justice to the merit of my friend. I shall take the liberty, before I have ended this letter, to say, why I believe the Drummer a performance of Mr. Addison: and after I have declared this, any surviving writer may be at ease, if there be any one who has hitherto been vain enough to hope, or silly enough to fear, it may be given to himself. Before I go any further, I must make my public appeal to you and all the learned world, and humbly demand, whether it was a decent or reasonable thing, that works written (as a great part of Mr. Addison's were) in correspondence with me, ought to have been published without my review of the catalogue of them; or if there were any exception to be made against any circumstance in my conduct, whether an opportunity to explain myself should not have been allowed me before any reflections were made upon me in print. When I had perused Mr. Tickell's preface, I had soon many objections, besides his omission to say anything of the Drummer, against his long-expected...