ADVERTISEMENT. THOUGH the present edition of the Flowers of Literature retains, in the title-page, the name of the original editor, it varies considerably from the first edition, and may, indeed, almost be regarded as a new selection. The work has, in fact, been treated something in the manner of the notorious Sir John Cutler's stockings; but, it is hoped, with a very different result from that which took place with respect to the miser's hose. His stockings, as the reader doubtless remembers, were originally of silk; they were, however, so repeatedly mended with worsted, that they at length became wholly of that humble commodity. Now we, on the contrary, flatter ourselves that from Mr. Oxberry's roughly-woven web we have drawn out much that was of an exceedingly coarse and homely kind, and have replaced it by threads of a richer material, and of a finer texture. In plain English, we have excluded from these volumes many trivial or mean pieces, and have substituted in their place a variety of compositions in prose and verse, by the most 4 3004 352 (RECAP) |