British Public Characters of 1798..

Such a multiplicity of facts, in fo extenfive and various a group of characters, could not have been fupplied by any one or two individuals. Although a delicate task, the mode generally adopted in the compofition of this Work, has been to apply to fome friend of the party, whofe intimate knowledge of the relative facts and circumstances qualified him to do ample justice to the character. This indifpenfible arrangement, requifite to produce the faithful execution of the volume, has, however, occafioned a variety in the style and manner of the feveral articles, which, at first sight, may give it a fort of heterogeneous appearance, but will not detract from its real merit in the eftimation of the judicious reader.

It is poffible that a faftidious obferver, or other person more intimately connected with the fubject of the feveral memoirs, may here and there dete fome venial error, forne trifling anachro

nism,
or apparent misconstruction; for these the
Editors can only atone, by expreffing their earnest
wish for more correct information, which will be
thankfully received, and punctually attended to in
a future edition. That fome inaccuracies are un-
avoidable in a work of this nature, must naturally
be expected by every perfon accustomed to ha-
bits of literary compofition, or who poffeffes suffi-

cient knowledge of the complicated occurrences which mark the career of public and private life.

The Editors are more feriously apprehenfive left, in any inftance whatever, they should unfortunately and unintentionally be a means of wounding the acute fenfibility, the laudable amof any individual; bition, or the generous pride -no procedure could be more alien to their wishes and intentions. Any representation on the part of those who may think themselves agbe tranfmitted to the Edigrieved, which may tors, fhall be treated with marked deference and attention. The moft fcrupulous caution has been exercised, to diveft the tout ensemble of every appearance of national and political partialities. No attachment to any particular fet of men or opinions, no prejudices against men in place, no prepoffeffions in favour of men out of place, no bias towards any controverted points of theology, no perfonal antipathies, no malevolent exaggerations, no invidious difpofition to detract from acknowledged virtue or merit, have influenced, in whole or in part, the conduct of the Projector and Conductors of the Work.

If the prefent volume fhould be honoured by a degree of approbation and patronage correfpondent to the anxious wishes and expectations of the Editors, it is their defign to prefent the

Public

Public with a fimilar volume in the courfe of the year 1799, and to continue the work in each fucceeding year. That there will be abundant materials for fuch a continuation must be obvious, when it is confidered, that the following illuftrious and prominent characters are omitted in the prefent volume, only for want of room or competent materials: the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Duke of Grafton, the Duke of Bedford, Lord Kenyon, Mr. Erskine, Mr. Sheridan, Lord Grenville, the Duke of Portland, Earl Howe, Earl St. Vincent, Lord Bridport, Lord Auckland, Mr. Tierney, Mr. Wilberforce, Sir Jofeph Banks, Mr. Weft, Earl Spencer, Earl Fitzwilliam, Mr. Haftings, Mr. Wyndham, the Earl of Lauderdale, the Duke of Leeds, Lord Somerville, and nearly three hundred other eminent and remarkable perfons, connected with the political and literary world.

For the fake of variety, no particular arrangement of the articles has been adopted; an attention to the fame object has also dictated the multifarious choice of characters. Each reader will probably judge of the requifite degree of publicity annexed to a perfonage, according to his own peculiar connexions and caft of thinking it is believed, however, that no character is inferted, which is not justly confidered as confpi-

cuous

cuous in a very extended circle, and which does not possess a sufficient degree of merit, or original feature, to be properly entitled to public notice.

Communications for the fecond volume, or corrections of the prefent, are requested to be addreffed to Mr. PHILLIPS, No. 71, St. Paul's Church-yard.

November 10, 1798.

Portraits given in the Frontispiece, most of which will be found to be as ftriking Likenesses as any that bave appeared, and all of them strongly characteristic.