3«6 



THE BEE, OR March 2, 



and feldom fail to pleafe. Meo fum pauper tn Mre wns the boaft of an 

 old author. A man iifually appears to much better advantage in a plain 

 tire& of his ovun, thau in more gaudy apparel that has been made to fit 

 another. 



^o the Reader. 



At the clofe cf this volume, it would be unbecoming in the editer not 

 . to exprefs the juft fenfe he entertains of the favour with which an in- 

 dulgent public hath honoured this performance. So confciou', indced» 

 is he of the little merit of what is already done, that he finds himfelf 

 much at a lofs for words to exprefs the grateful fenfe he entertains of the 

 uncommon rticouragement he has received. Since the commencement 

 of this work, his attention has been too much occupied by the arrange- 

 »ieats, refpe6ting the mechanical execution of it, to allow him to be- 

 ftow that attention he wifhed to the literary part. Thefe embaraffments 

 arc now, however, in part abated, and he trufts that every day will di- 

 tmnifli th(;m more and more. But, upon reviewing this volume, he is 

 perfuaded that few of his readers will feel fo fenfibly its imperfections, 

 as he does himfelf. Relying upon the indulgence of the public, he judg- 

 ed it more advifcable to delay federal articles that came within the limits 

 of hi£ plan, than to attempt them at a time when it would have been 

 quite impra<fticable for him to have done them, what he would have 

 thought juftice in the execution. 



He has received fcveral communications from unknown correfpon- 

 dents, expreflive of much approbation ; from others, he has rceeived let- 

 ters in fuch a drain, as could not have failed\to excite his refible facul- 

 ties, had his mind been in a proper frame for it. Perfons who can fcartc- 

 ly fpell three words on end, and who cannot write a fentence, without 

 committing the ftrangeft grammatical blunders, affume the place of judg- 

 es, and, without hefitation, have cricicized every piece that has appear- 

 ed, in this collc6lion, and pronounced the whole, without one Cngle ex- 

 ception, " JVIoft execrable fluff." (pardon the vulgarity of the phrafe). 

 Perfons, whofe reading has fcarcely extended to a common newfpaptr, 

 mronounced the tvhole to be borrowed fr.mi other performances, and have 

 condefcended on particular pieces by name, as entirely trai>fcribcd from 

 other works, of which the editor well knew, that not a line or a 

 fcntence had ever been feen eifewhere. Thefe performances he has 

 allowed to flide into oblivion, without fo much as a note of remem- 

 fcraiice upon the blue cover. To fome others, he has been indebted 

 for fome juit reprehenfions and ufcful hints, if which he will avail 

 himfelf. 



One general theme on which thefe unfkllful critics have uniformly 

 divclt, is want of originality in the pieces that have been offered in this 

 mifceilany ; a circumflancc that flrongly betrayed their want of reading, 

 for inrefpetSt of the proportional number of criginal pieces, this mifcellany 

 asfaras It has gone, may fland a fair coaiparifon witli any other that is 



