your Letters: he openly promifes encourage ment, or even pecuniary rewards, to those who will help him to any; and engages to infert whatever they fhall fend. Any fcandal is fure of a reception, and any enemy who fends it fcreened from a discovery. Any domestic or fervant, who can fnatch a letter from your pocket or cabinet, is encouraged to that vile practice. If the quantity falls fhort of a volume, any thing elfe fhall be joined with it (more especially fcandal) which the collector can think for his intereft, all recommended under your Name: you have not only Theft to fear, but Forgery. Any Bookfeller, tho' conscious in what manner they were obtained, not caring what may be the confequence to your Fame or Quiet, will fell and disperse them in town and country. The better your Reputation is, the more your Name will cause them to be demanded, and confequently the more you will be injured. The injury is of such a nature, as the Law (which does not punish for Intentions) cannot prevent; and when done, may punish, but not redrefs. You are therefore reduced, either to enter into a personal treaty with such a man (which tho' the readieft, is the meanest of all methods) or to take fuch other measures to fupprefs them, as are contrary to your Inclination, or to publish them, as as are contrary to your Modefty. Otherwise your Fame and your Property fuffer alike; you are at once expofed and plundered. As an Author, you are deprived of that Power, which above all others conftitutes a good one, the power of rejecting, and the right of judging for yourself, what pieces it may be most useful, entertaining, or reputable to publish, at the time and in the manner you think best. As a Man, you are deprived of the right even over your own Sentiments, of the privilege of every human creature to divulge or conceal them; of the advantage of your fecond thoughts; and of all the benefit of your Prudence, your Candour, or your Modefty. As a Member of Society, you are yet more injured; your private conduct, your domeftic concerns, your family fecrets, your paffions, your tenderneffes, your weaknesses, are expofed to the Mifconftruction or Refentment of fome, to the Cenfure or Impertinence of the whole world. The printing private letters in fuch a manner, is the worst fort of betraying Converfation, as it has evidently the most extenfive, and the moft lafting, ill confequences. It is the highest Offence against Society, as it renders the most dear and intimate intercourfe of friend with friend, and the moft neceflary commerce of man with man, unfafe, and to be dreaded. To open letters is esteemed the b 2 great eft eft breach of honour: even to look into them already opened or accidentally dropt, is held an ungenerous, if not an immoral act. What then can be thought of procuring them merely by Fraud, and the printing them merely for lucre? We cannot but conclude every honeft man will wish, that, if the Laws have as yet provided no adequate remedy, one at least may Contents of the Seventh Volume. LETTERS to and from Mr. WYCHERLEY. LETTER 1. OF F Mr. Dryden's death: his moral III. Mr. Wycherley's humanity; his encourage- ment of young writers; concerning the XI. Of the fame, a plan for correcting and XIII. On the fame, and further proposals for XV. More concerning corrections of the poems. XVI. From Mr. Wycherley, after his illness. XVIII. From Mr. Wycherley. Concerning the Mifcellanies, and the Critics. XIX. Concerning Mifcellanies, and the danger XXII. From Mr. Wycherley. His defire of bis |