4 Injury the Author's Credit and Repu tation may receive from any Imper fection or Uncorrectnefs in thefe following Tracts, fince the Perfons from whom I had them, and in whose Hands I have Reason to believe the Author left them, when his Affairs called him: out of this Kingdom, are of so much Worth themselves, and have fo great a Regard for the Author, that I am confident they would neither do, nor fuffer any thing that might turn to his Difadvantage. I must confefs I am upon another account under fome: Concern, which is, left fome of the following Papers are fuch as the Author perhaps would rather fhould not have been Published at all; in which Cafe, I fhould look upon my self highly obliged to ask his Pardon : But even on this Suppofition, as there is no Perfon named, the fuppofed Author is at liberty to difown as much as he thinks fit of what is here Publifhed, and fo can be chargeable with no more of it than he pleases to take upon himself. FROM FROM this Apology I have been making, the Reader may in part be fatisfied how these Papers came into my Hands; and to give him a more particular Information herein, will prove little to his Ufe, tho' perhaps it might fomewhat gratify his Curiofity, which I fhall think not material any farther to do, than by affuring him, that I am not only my felf fufficiently convinced that all the Tracts in the following Collection, excepting Two, before both of which I have in the Book expreffed my Doubtfulness, were wrote by the fame Hand, but feveral Judicious Perfons, who are well acquainted with the fuppofed Author's Writings, and not altogether Strangers to his Conversation, have agreed with me herein, not only for the Reafons I have before hinted at, but upon this Account alfo, that there are in every one of thefe Pieces fome particular Beauties that discover this Author's Vein, who excels too much not to be distinguished, fince in all his Writings fuch a furprizing Mixture of Wit and Learning, true Humour and and good Senfe, does every-where appear, as fets him almost as far out of the Reach of Imitation, as it does bes yond the Power of Cenfure. THE Reception that thefe Pieces will meet with from the Publick, and the Satisfaction they will give to all Men of Wit and Tafte, will foon decide it, whether there be any Reason for the Reader to fufpect an Impofition, or the Author to apprehend an Injury: The former, I am fully fatiffied, will never be; and the latter, I ám fure, I never intended. In con fidence of which, fhould the Author, when he fees thefe Tracts appear, take fome Offence, and know where to place his Refentment, I will be fo free as to own, I could without much Uneafiness fit down under fome degree of it, fince it would be no hard Task to bear fome Displeasure from a. fingle Perfon, for that for which one is fure to receive the Thanks of every Body else. THE THE Difcourfe of the Contests and Diffen- Commons in Athens and Rome, with AN Argument to prove that the Abolish- ing of Chriftianity in England, may as things now ftand, be attended with fome Inconveniences, and perhaps not A Meditation upon a Broom-Stick, ac- cording to the Style and Manner of PREDICTIONS for the Year 1708. Wherein the Month and day of the Month are fet down, the Perfons Na- med, and the great Actions and Events of next Tear particularly Related as they will come to pass. Written to prevent the People of England from being farther Impofed by Vulgar |