Although on internal evidence Boswell did not believe this piece to be written by Johnson, external evidence presented by Robert Anderson in his biography of Johnson (1795) has convinced most Johnsonian bibliographers that it belongs in the canon. Anderson was apparently unaware of it, but George Gleig had earlier included this dedication in Works 1789, hinting that Mrs. Thrale knew it to be by Johnson.1 The dedication was reprinted, with minor revisions, in the Literary Magazine for May 1757 (II.180–82), with a flattering introduction, calling the work “masterly.” It was reprinted again in the London Chronicle (17–19 May 1757), introduced more briefly but similarly as “earnest and masterly.” The London Chronicle version incorporates the revisions in the Literary Magazine and mainly differs from it in capitalization. Hazen believes the revisions to be Johnson’s, but Fleeman doubts it in Bibliography. Our copy-text is the dedication as it appears in the only extant edition of Lindsay’s book.2 It seems to us, however, that at least two revisions in the Literary Magazine version are Johnson’s (see nn. p and m below); we have preferred his apparent substitution of “removed” for “answered” as the correct verb to use with the object “difficulties” and his substitution of “obtrude” for “intrude” as the right verb for the object “our own expositions.” We have also preferred a few minor changes that seem to us improvements, although they could easily have been the work of a compositor rather than Johnson. In the textual notes, we record all the differences between the Literary Magazine and the 1757 texts. We do not record the differences in the London Chronicle version because it follows the Literary Magazine, except on points of capitalization and the spelling of “publick” without k.3