The Church of England, in which "the _Exercise_ of _Reason_ in the
solemn Worship of God, is the sacred _Right_, and indispensible
_Duty_, of Man," receives its share of eulogy. In every connection the
Tories are violently attacked.
The Dedication ends in a peroration of praise for Walpole's public
achievements which "shall adorn the History of _Britain_," and for his
"_Private Virtues_ and all the _softer Features_" of his mind. His
home of retirement is referred to in the lines of Milton:
"Great Palace now of Light!
Hither, as to their Fountain, other Stars
Repairing, in their golden Urns, draw Light;
And here [sic] the Morning Planet gilds her Horns."
[P.L. 7. 363-66]
"Thus splendid, and superior, your Lordship now flourishes in
honourable Ease, exerting universal Benevolence...." But in
dedications, as in lapidary inscriptions, as Dr. Johnson might
have agreed, a writer need not be upon oath.
At the end of the _Essay_ Morris reprinted two essays from _The
Spectator_, Nos. 35 and 62, and William Congreve's "An Essay concerning
Humour in Comedy. To Mr. Dennis" (Congreve's _Works_, ed. Summers, III,
161-68). Since these are readily available, they have not been included
in this edition.
The present facsimile is made from a copy owned by Louis I.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25