The Works of Aaron Hill

Aaron Hill is one of those central figures of the early eighteenth-century literary scene who was friendly with Alexander Pope and who eagerly engaged in debates of aesthetics and theatre. His writings, especially his correspondence (contained in the first two volumes of the edition), testify to his reputation as a critic as well as arbiter of taste. In his letters to James Thomson, Pope and David Mallet (among others), he discusses recent publications, literary and philosophical trends and reflects the coterie culture at whose centre he lived. Among recent examples of modern scholarly interest in Hill is Christine Gerrard's Aaron Hill: The Muses' Projector (Oxford, 2003). The works of Hill are not available in any modern edition, nor has it been attempted before to reprint this important and definitive 1753 edition. Sandro Jung's new introduction to Hill's works and correspondence sheds light on the literary contacts that he entertained from the early eighteenth century, tracing the successes of his tragedies as well as his involvement in the theorisation of such aesthetic modes as the sublime.