HP

X he following Pieces have already been noticedin the Introduction to the Firft Volume. Manyof them were juvenile performances ; and underthe perfuafion that they will be candidly receivedas fuch , they are now delivered to the Prefs.They certainly are entitled to greater indulgencethan could be claimed for Compofitions morefinilhed and elaborate, and written at the time ofmature age.

The minute account of Mr. Gibbon’s ftudieseach day, extradled from the Journal of his addonsand opinions, and his obfervations on the feveraiWorks he had perufed, evince a fmgular and unre«mittinginduftry.

In that view they may afford an ufeful leffon andexample to fuch young readers as {hall not alreadybe convinced of the neceflity of affiduous applica-tion in the acqaifition of every kind of learning.

My firft intention was , to have given only afhort fpecimen of the obfervations made by Mr.Gibbon, in the courfe of his reading; but I foundthem fo interefting, that I could not defift, fo foonas I intended, from making Extradas ; and, uponthe whole, I thought that the part to be publiftied

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