Preface

Preface The annual publication of the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies has once again selected from among the many essays submitted from its meetings, regional and national. All of the papers read at meet­ ings that appear here have been rewritten and enlarged for publication. This collection is again representative of the Society’s meetings, of the breadth of interests of its members. From bees and beehives to music and Mozart, from sociological and literary studies to essays linking philoso­ phers such as Locke and Hume to literary and historical writing, from several essays on eighteenth-century journals to essays on particular writ­ ers, this collection illustrates the research of our members. One feature merits particular attention: the opening series on bees. Introduced by Carol Blum, the three essays that follow are revisions of papers presented in a seminar at the Cincinnati meetings. These writers explore the multiple use of bees and the hive as symbols for a wide variety of virtues. We are pleased to be able to print a unified series on this important but curious topic. The editors would like to thank Jean S. Yolton for her expert help in editing these papers for publication. A grant from the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University in New Brunswick helped defray the editorial expenses. xi ...