Excerpt from The Seasons: With Critical Observations of Various Authors on His Genius and Character Bishop Newton first rendered to the cause Of literature and to the general reader, a most important service, by selecting from the papers of Addison, in the Spectator, the criticisms which they contained upon the Paradise Lost, and by distributing them in the form of notes to the various parts Of the poem to which they related, that they might conveniently be read in connection with the pas sage thus illustrated Or explained. In the illustration Of Thomson, I have adopted the same course, by selecting from the pages of reviews and other works, such valuable criticisms as I have discovered upon The Seasons, and by distributing them through the poem for the con venience of the reader: SO that the notes will be found to embrace a tolerably extensive Cyclopedia Of erudite and tasteful criticism, in reference to this poem, from the. Pens of some of the most distinguished critics of the pres ent century - no small advantage surely to all who have not access to these original sources, or if. They had, have not the time or industry to look them up', as they might be found useful for the better appreciation of the succes sive portions of the work. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.