whose members labour by every method, vel prece, vel pretio, vel vi, to throw discredit on my book; and thus the truth, which will at length be fully established by my supplement, will in the mean time be gradually forcing its way. To all of any discernment, who have looked into Sir Richard's book, (very, very few, indeed, are those who have had patience to read it through!) it is evidently a party production, calculated for the political and religious fervour of the day. To those who examine it with attention and discernment, it appears manifestly founded on garbled informations, and garbled affidavits, and interlarded with fictions. When a man gives évidence in a court of justice, he is bound to declare the whole truth; and by a cross-examination much may be elicited, which otherwise might lie concealed. But, though an affidavit may contain nothing but the truth, yet, since it may not contain the whole truth, it may be so framed and worded, by garbling the evidence of the affidavit man, as to give a misrepresentation, instead of a fair statement, of a fact. By such garbling a moderately handsome female might be represented as ugly enough, by a selection of all which might favour that idea, and the omission of whatever could militate against it. I am personally acquainted with men, whose affidavits are published in the baronet's collection, whose evidence, on an examination in a court of justice,

would prove the truth of what I say. If a history of this period could be written on the croppy side of the question, in the same spirit as that of the baronet, and with a like support of a powerful faction, a picture of the rebellion would be exhibited directly the reverse of his, founded on affidavits in a similar way. On the publica. tion of such a book, my readers might be better able to judge whether investigating the path of truth between the extremes of party, I have endeavoured to confine myself within those bounds, quos ultra citraque nequit consistere

rectum.

My wish is to hold the balance even; to expose the faults of all parties alike; to present in plain unornamented language topics of mutual forbearance and forgiveness to both sides, who ought to rest satisfied with mutual vengeance already inflicted. I have reason to conclude that some practical good has already ensued from the faithful mirror which I have endeavoured to place before them, neither distorting the one side, nor flattering the other. I know some, and hear of many, who formerly boasted of shocking atrocities as heroic exploits, or laud> able effusions of loyalty or zeal for the protestant religion, who are now silent on the subject, or speak in such a tone as denotes either shame or contrition for these acts of theirs. I feel much pleasure in the change, and even some degree of

pride in having, in some small measure, contributed to a reformation in my countrymen.

The baronet boasts of the rapid sale of his book. All productions absurdly violent in favour of a predominant party, have in the fervour of the moment a quick sale, and are soon forgotten; while works of real merit have a contrary course. The sale of the former sort of books is even forced sometimes in part. Dialogues of the following import are ascribed to a writer of memoirs, perhaps of the rebellion of the Duke of Monmouth against king James the Second, when thousands of protestants were put to death, and even women burned alive, by the instruments of a Roman catholic king, the least imputation of disloyalty to whom was fatal to the accused person. I should be sorry to impute such dialogues to our baronet.

Author. Pray, sir, how do you like my memoirs?

Gentleman. Indeed, Sir Francis, I have not read them.

Author. What! not read my book! that is astonishing well, you have bought it, and will read it immediately.

Gentleman. Indeed, I must confess, I have not bought it.

Author. What! not bought it! A library is no library without it. You must buy it. I'll send now for it for you.

Gentleman. Indeed I cannot buy it, as I wish to forget my sufferings in that calamitous period. Author. I must insist on your buying it, for you cannot otherwise be a loyalist.

Argumentum ad-I forget my logic.-Candid and reasonable men are to be the ultimate judges, of my book, as they are of all booksand not Sir Richard, and the divan of which he is the mouth-piece; or the monk-ridden part of the catholics-all of these are equally hostile to me and my book. While I adhere to the salutary spirit, the presiding moderation, and healthful temperament of the constitution of the British empire, I may be excused, if occasionally I indulge a smile at the expence of these worthies; or shed a tear over their infirmities. From the black and angry passions of the hour, and rooted prejudices of a naturally brave, bold and generous, but mismanaged people, I expect not, nor could expect either favour, or approbation.—I have other sources of comfort-other grounds of hope. Here I intended to end my preface, but I find another objection made from a powerful quarter.

Though I have been many years engaged in the naturally blended studies of geography and history, I never once in all that time imagined, that to write on such subjects, in a manner tending to the information of the understandings, and the improvement of the morals, of my countrymen, could be considered as reprehensible

in me in my capacity of a minister of religion. I regard the church as the great asylum of knowledge, the only department affording at once competence and leisure for the improvement of the various branches of literature, which from a want of the one or the other of these requisites, are generally either neglected or abused. Rare, very rare indeed, is the coincidence of competent wealth, high powers of the intellect, industry, and leisure from official duties in any department. The church is well known to afford leisure enough; but if the mighty Newton had been a churchman without patrimony or patronage, we should still be ignorant of the theory of the tides, and of the simple and delightful harmony of the world maintained by the balanced. forces of gravitation and projection. How greatly religion is corrupted by ignorance, and purified and promoted by the advancement of knowledge in every direction, is evidently perceptible by all except the stupidly ignorant. Most certainly theological subjects cannot be successfully cultivated without amply deep and extensive information in other respects; and those writers, who, in their different provinces, elucidate the several objects of their study and research, contribute to assist the profound student in divinity and nothing is more clear to me than that the patronization of literature in all its branches by prelates would be the most efficacious mode for the improvement of religion, and the