On the advantages of this search, it were useless to expatiate: every one is sensible of it, and, sooner or later, it _must_ occur. Let us not allow our grandchildren to surpass us in everything, but let us set about this ourselves. Monstrous as the idea seems, it is simple of execution.
I will not take up the space so kindly afforded me by the Editor of "NOTES AND QUERIES" with speculation. The Association should be composed of a Literary Section and a Business Section: the first to be under the administration of a President and an efficient Board of Examiners, to look into literary matters, and examine and appoint the proper officers of the Investigation Parties; which parties must be composed of clever, adventurous, hardy, and adroit men, obtaining the assistance of the natives wherever they may be carrying on their researches; the Second Section to be under the direction of a Chairman and Finance Committee, to which the officers of the subordinate departments render their accounts.
I know not whether more will be required of me on this subject; very likely not: but I reserve much that I could say, until that time. I have now only to thank the Editor for inserting this long, but I will not say, wholly uninteresting proposal.
[Footnote 1: I need not remind you how favourable an opportunity is presented by this year.]
Dryden, as sir Walter Scott observes, left a name in literature "second only to those of Milton and Shakspere"; but, popular as his writings were, he gave no collective edition of his poetical or dramatic works. The current editions of his poems may therefore be open to censure, both on the score of deficiency and redundancy--and such I believe to be the fact.
An _Essay on satire_, itself a coarse satire, has been ascribed to him for more than a century on dubious authority, and the correctness of this ascription has been properly suggested as a question for examination.
We have to decide on the credibility of two opposite statements, as made in the publications about to be enumerated:--
1. "The works of John Sheffield, earl of Mulgrave, marquis of Normanby, and duke of Buckingham. LONDON: printed for John Barber, 1723. 4º. 2 vols."
2. "The works of John Sheffield, earl of Mulgrave, marquis of Normanby, and duke of Buckingham. Printed for John Barber, alderman of LONDON, 1726. Small 8º. 2 vols."
