far beyond the reach of injury from any injudicious conduct of
ours in making this selection. On the other hand, we were desirous that
nothing should be withheld, from which the public might derive any
possible benefit.

Nothing more is now necessary than that I should give a short account of
the writings which compose the present volume.

I. Fourth Letter on a Regicide Peace.

Some account has already been given of this Letter in the Advertisement
to the fourth quarto volume.[2] That part of it which is contained
between the first and the middle of the page 67[3] is taken from a
manuscript which, nearly to the conclusion, had received the author's
last corrections: the subsequent part, to the middle of the page 71,[4]
is taken from some loose manuscripts, that were dictated by the author,
but do not appear to have been revised by him; and though they, as well
as what follows to the conclusion, were evidently designed to make a
part of this Letter, the editor alone is responsible for the order in
which they are here placed. The last part, from the middle of the page
71, had been printed as a part of the Letter which was originally
intended to be the third on Regicide Peace, as in the preface to the
fourth volume has already been noticed.

It was thought proper to communicate this Letter before its publication
to Lord Auckland, the author of the pamphlet so frequently alluded to in
it. His Lordship, in consequence of this communication, was pleased to
put into my hands a letter with which he had sent his pamphlet to Mr.
Burke at the time of its publication, and Mr. Burke's answer to that
letter. These pieces, together with the note with which his Lordship
transmitted them to me, are prefixed to the Letter on Regicide Peace.

II. Letter to the Empress of Russia.
III. Letter to Sir Charles Bingham.
IV. Letter to the Honorable Charles James Fox.

Of these Letters it will be sufficient to remark, that they come under
the second of those classes into which, as I before observed, we divided
the papers that presented themselves to our consideration.

V. Letter to the Marquis of Rockingham.
VI. An Address to the King.
VII. An Address to the British Colonists in North America.

These pieces relate to a most important period in the present reign;
and I hope no apology will be necessary for giving them to the public.

VIII. Letter to the Right Honorable Edmund [Sexton] Pery.
IX. Letter to Thomas Burgh, Esq.
X. Letter