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List of first lines of famous literary works
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Preface to the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica
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Preface to the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica
Preface to the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica First page of the preface to the first edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica, 1768.

List of first lines of famous literary works

Written by
René Ostberg
René Ostberg is an associate editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. 
René Ostberg
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

“Utility ought to be the principal intention of every publication.” So reads the first line in the preface of the first edition (1768) of the Encyclopædia Britannica. The opening line of a work may be the most important sentence an author writes. Hook your readers at the outset or risk losing their interest, no matter how good the rest of the story is. Assuming we still have your attention, read on to discover the first...

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