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one and the other, by not troubling themfelves about the Matter.

As, in this Point, we have apparently confulted the Eafe, and Conveniency of our Readers, more than our own Profit, fo fhall we likewife proceed to do, with Regard to the Style; which, we will endeavour, fhall neither be fo groveling and flat, to difguft the Polite, nor yet fo high-flown, and filled with Metaphors, or hard Words, as to be unintelligible to the meaneft,Capacity: In short, we shall take care to convey our Meaning, in as plain, though perhaps, not quite as vulgar Terms, as poffible; and to enforce it, in as perfuafive and affecting, though not in as learned a Manner, as the Subject may require, or we perhaps might be able.

Thus much we thought fit to premife, not only to comply with the Custom of the Times, which ren. ders it, in a Manner, a Thing of Course, and not to be avoided, to fay fomewhat, by Way of Introduction, to every new Thing that appears; but because we conceive it altogether proper, and neceffary, our Readers fhould be apprized, in fome Measure, what they are to expect in the fubfequent Sheets. Do they want Stories, that are at once moral, diverting, and instructive, they may find them here, ranged under the proper Heads; but, if they feek fuch as are trifling, ludicrous, or loose, we would advise them to look elsewhere, they are altogether foreign to our Subject.

Our Design is, to render this Book fuch one, that it may be an ufeful and fit Prefent, for a tender and careful Mother, to put into the Hands of her Children; a good Mafter into thofe of his Appren tices or Servants; an affectionate Husband, into those of his Wife; or one hearty and fincere Friend, into thofe of another; fuch a one, that any Lover,

who

who means honestly, and has honourable Defigns, may very properly put into the Hands of his Miftrefs; but not a loose Debauchee, into thofe of the innocent Maiden, whom he wants to feduce; in fhort, fuch an one, as will be an Incentive to Virtue, not a Provocative to Vice. On the contrary, we hope, and intend, it fhall be a forcible Diffuafive from all Sorts of evil Practices, by difplaying, at one View, and in the ftrongest Light, the melancholy Tendency, and dreadful Confequences, of all fuch fatal Courles.

In this little Book, as in a faithful Glafs, the Great Ones of the Earth, who, though they make a Shew of acknowledging a Deity, act only in Subfurvience to their own Paffions, and thofe frequently of the vileft Sort, will fee the pernicious Effects of fo unworthy, and fo ungrateful a Procedure. We fay, ungrateful, for what greater Ingratitude can there be, than for Perfons, whom bountiful and all 1. gracious Providence has advanced, to the most exalted Stations; has furrounded with Riches, Splendor, Honour, and Power, on purpofe to be it's genuine -Subftitutes, and shower and diffufe Bleffings upon all under their Dominions; by the due and equal Ad. miniftration of Juftice, without Refpect of Perfons; by protecting the Injured, and punishing the Oppreffor, however great; by rewarding Merit, and chaftifing of Offenders, of whatever Rank: What greater Ingratitude, we fay, can there be, than for fuch Perfons to act a quite contrary Part, become quite the Reverse to their People; instead of a Bleffing prove the greateft of Curfes; fruftrate the Defigns of bounteous Heaven, by turning Peace and Plenty, into Want, Beggary, and Confufion; fcattering Plagues around them, like an all-devouring Peftilence, in the Shape of the moft burthenfome Taxes, and intolerable and enfnaring penal Laws; together with useless Armaments, not fo much as intended

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tended, for the Benefit of those who pay them; making the Throne a Protection and Skreen for Oppreffion, instead of an Afylum for the Injured and Oppreffed; and, in fhort, acting in all Things juft the Reverse, of that beneficent Being, whofe Reprefentatives they are, or fhould be; What can be greater Ingratitude, we repeat it once more, than for fuch Perfons, who fhew plainly, by the whole Tenor of their Lives, that GOD is not in all their Thoughts, never content with burthening their innocent and willing Subjects, with the most exceffive Impofts, to perfift in the fame defperate Course, with unrelenting Cruelty, deaf to all falutary Remonftrances, till the poor haraffed Nation, finking under the Weight of their Calamities, and quite exhaufted, becoming unable to help themfelves, fall a Prey to the first Invader?

Such Perfons there have been in the World, and fuch there may be again; nay, fuch there are at prefent; for what elle is the Fury of Spain, whom Heaven, in it's Wrath, has fent to be a Scourge to Christendom? We fay nothing of the Kings of France and Pruffia, though very little, if at all better, than the haughty Parmefan: But let fuch mercilefs Tyrants, who thus act the Part of malevolent Toads, and fuck Poifon from the fame Flowers, from whence the beneficent Bee would extract Honey, reflect, e'er it is too late, that, highly exalted as they are, there is ftill One above them, who can humble them in a Moment.

At least, if they are too proud, too much elate, and blinded with Profperity, to tell themselves this falutary Truth, this little Book, like a faithful Glafs, as was before observed, will fhew them, in the Perfons of the high and mighty ones, of former Ages, how unflable, and uncertain all fublunary Grandeur

Grandeur and Power is; and more especially, if eftablished in Tyranny and Impiery.

In effect, can any of those imperial Ravagers of Mankind, now living, ever hope to equal, much lefs to furpafs, the great and famous Nebuchadnezzar, either in the Greatnefs, Extent, or Rapidity of their Conquefts? If they cannot even flatter themfelves with fuch a vain Hope, they would do well to confider seriously, before they go hence, and are no more feen, what Fate befel him, even in the Height of his Profperity and Grandeur; when he had no. thing to fear from Man, all his Enemies being fubdued, and laid under his Feet. They would do well, we fay, to confider this feriously, what a melancholy Reverse he experienc'd in a Moment, even at the very Inftant, when he was applauding himself moft, on the Greatnefs of his Atchievements; the Height and Extent of his Power; with the feeming Prof pect, of the firm and never-to-be-fhaken Establishment of his Empire.

They would likewife do well to reflect, at the fame Time, whether they fhould like themfelves, to undergo the fame terrible, and moft fhocking Pennance; neither would it be amifs for them, to lay their Hands upon their Hearts, and ask themselves the following ferious and important, though perhaps, not very pleafing Queftions. Am I not every Moment liable, to the fame mortifying and intolerable Cataf- . trophe? Does not my Conscience affure me, I deferve it equally? Dare I aver, dare I even whifper it to myself, that fuch a Thing is impoffible; left the Moment I entertained that impious Thought, the Punishment fhould follow, and be put into immediate Execution? And, if I dare not even tell myself thus much, do I act either wifely, or fafely for my felf, in perfifting in the fame Courfe, of fpreading Havock and Defolation around Europe?

It were greatly to be wifh'd, and happy for their Subjects, that these Purple Homicides would put these home and falutary Queftions to themfelves; or, fince this is never to be expected, that fome of thofe, who have nearest Accefs to them,would have the Honefty, and Courage, to prefent them with fome fuch Monitory as this, with the Page ready doubled down, for their Perufal; we can't help thinking, it might be attended with very good and wholefome Effects but, we are greatly afraid, there is as little Hope of fuch Honefty and Boldness, in those who approach great Princes, as there is, generally speaking, of meeting with Wisdom, Humanity, and Moderation, in fuch Princes.

But, upon Recollection, to fay the Truth, in all Probability, were even fuch a bold and faithful Counsellor to be found, unless the Prince, who was thus admonished, were one of a Thoufand, it might not have all the good Confequences, which might otherwise reasonably be expected from it; perhaps, on the contrary, the honeft Man might be rewarded with Difgrace; nay, if it were under an abfolute Government, with Death itfelf, for what, in Reality, he would deserve the higheft Honours, and even a Statue of Gold; it is not therefore to be thought, in the prefent Iron Age, that any one will be found, who will be willing to fall a Martyr to Truth, and the Welfare of his Country, though he were fure even to be canonized for it. This is a melancholy Reflection, but there is hardly any thing, on this Side the Grave, that is without a Remedy, by an honest, prudent, and fteady Conduct; neither is there any Monarch fo degenerate, not even the moft tyrannical, and averfe to Good, who may not be prevailed upon, by wholefome, bold, and often repeated Remonftrances; and this, not out of any Regard to his People, or his faithful Counsellors, but out of a tender Respect for his own Safety,

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