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ΑΝ

ANSWER

ΤΟ

Mr. de FONTENELLE's

History of Oracles.

In which Mr. Van-Dale's Syftem concerning
the Authors of the Heathen Oracles, and
the Cause and Time of their Silence is
confuted: And the Opinion of the Fathers
upon that Subject vindicated.

Translated from the French. Ball

WITH

Some REFLECTIONS upon the REMARKS of
Mr. Le CLERC, in his Bibliotheque Choifie,
In a PREFACE.

By a Prieft of the Church of England.

To which is prefix'd a LETTER to the Tranflator,
by the Reverend George Hickes, D. D.

LONDON, Printed by W. B. for Henry Clements at the Half-
Moon in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1709.

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SIR,

W

ITH your Book I return you very many thanks for the great benefit and pleafure I have had in reading of it, both as it is a folid, and clear Answer to de Fontenelle, and his Master VanDale, and as it is in my judgment, one of the best Translations I ever read, of any Original into another Language. The French must no more boaft So much of their Vaugelas's, and D'Ab

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D'Ablancourts: believe me, Sir, you have equall'd if not outdone them all; and to convince you I do not flatter you, if you can overcome your modefty So far, as to let it be printed, I will venture this my cenfure of it to the World, and upon me be all the blame from the fevereft Criticks, if it do not answer the Character I have here given of it in the opinion af All, who truly understand the propriety, and purity of the French and English Tongues. In reading of it I could not find to the best of my obfervation one French word, or phrase in it, but all pure and natural English; and I was also exceedingly pleafed to find how happily you had transfused into it all the Spirit, and Sublime of the Original, from the beginning to the end, which will make it as useful, and delightful to all English Readers, as if it had been Originally English; and more efpécially acceptable to all thofe, who underftand both Tongues. Moreover the great care, and pains you have taken to make the Author's Citations more

exact,

exact, and easie to be found, than in the Original, will very much gratify all curious, and inquifitive Readers, who understand the learned Languages; and all English-men who have any veneration left for the Fathers, or love, and zeal for the Chriftian Reli gion, will thank you for the accurate Margin, as well as the Text, and for giving your Country a moft correct, and seasonable Book at a time of need, when fo many write to dishonour the former, and to bring the latter into queftion and difrepute, and to make the whole Chriftian Syftem, and the most eminent, and authentick accounts of Miracles, by which the World was converted to it, to be the product of ignorance, and credulity, if not pure ficti on, and cheat.

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But in this admirable Answer to de Fontenelle, which you by your verfion have made yours, the English Reader will fee one of the most eminent Miracles that attended the propagation of Christianity, I mean the filencing and decay of Oracles, clearly proved. A 3

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