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THE

AUTHOR'S

PREFACE

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Tis as natural to Manto defire Knowledge, as Bodily Suftenance, the one being, the Food of the Mind, as the other is of the Body And the Appetites of both being homogeneous to the Principles from which they proceed; their Tendency to their feveral Objects, is as eager as the Faculty which produces it, is active; fo that tho both flow from the Fountains of one and the fame Nature; yet the one refting in a Material Repletion, must be acknowledged more limited than the other, which admits of no bounds of Satiety,

But though Knowledge be Man's Natural Defire, and the Similary Nourishment of his better Part, the Reasonable Soul; yet it is not alike sought after by all; nor in the Jame Degrees and Kind.

Some, whofe Conftitution has difpofed them to a Habit of Jazy Senfuality, and others whom continual Difappointments have baffled into a Neutrality and Indifferency, as to Action, think it fufficient for Man to know, either how to live with Pleasure and Epicurean Eafe, or to die with Affected Haughtinels and Stoical Apathy, neither of the Two regarding thofe Knowledges which delight Curiofity, or are useful to the Society of Mankind.

Others again, who are altogether refined into Spirit and Contemplation, think their time ill fpent, unless they can be able fo to Anatomize Nature, as to give the Caufes of Things, which either never did exift but in Appearance;

if they do, are far more profitably understood by their Effects than Principles And thefe two Extreams are the Preternatural Vices of Appetite; the one being the Stupidity and Defect, and the other, the Green-fickness, or Bulimia of the Defire.

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They therefore whom Age, Learning, and Experience, have licentiated to be Phyficians of the Mind, have taken fome Latitude in prefcribing Diets, according to the various Conftitutions of reasonable Men, allowing those whom a Natural Difpofition inclines to the light Food of Contemplation, fuch Studies as may nourish their Curiosity with the Airy Ideas of Philofophy and Speculative Mathematicks, and the nicer Learning of the Schools; judging That the most proper Nourishment for Sedentary Humours, and Volatile Fancies, who cover no more, but to know for themselves, and to be guided by others: But to Men of a more Robajt and Sociable Habit of Mind, who are defirous both to know and to do good to themselves, and by their quality and condition fitted for a Station in the World, when Providence pleafes to call them to it, they have always directed more Active and Useful Learning, fuch as Practical Mathema ticks and Hillory, the one for improving the Works and Inventions, and the other the Conduct and Actions of Men in Society judging Idlene's the Lethargy of the Mind, no ways to be fed, but to be cured by Difcipline and Animadverfion,

Now, Though Mathematicks, which tend to Operation, be of very great fe in an Induftrious and Flourishing State or Age; both for the Glory and Profit of a People, yet feeing they require a peculiar Talent of Mind to fucceed in that Study, they cannot, nor ought not, be recommended to Univerfal Practice beyond that Mediocrity which render's Gentlemen fit, as in that, fo in other Parts of Arts and Sciences, to converfe with Rational Company (it being inpoffible for one Man to be Mafter of all Human Knowledges) leaving the more laborions Profecution thereof to thofe whefe Genius or Vocation invites them to that Affiduity.

Bur of History it may be faid, that

Omne tulit punctum, 'nam mifcuit utile dulci.

It is to genuine and familiar to Men of all Estates, Age. Quality, Sex, and Condition, fo agreeable to the Inclination and fuitable to the Humour of All : So delightful in the Perufing, and profitable in the Retention affarding Content to the Aged, Pleafure to the Young, and Experience to bocks Comfort to the Difconfolare, Refreshment to the Weary, and Eafe to Difcompofed Minds, folacing the tedious Hours of Penfive Watchings: or otherwise charming anxious Thought, into a sweet and gentle reposex being never out of Seafor whilft Men have Life, and the World a Being; that amongst the many Elogies it hath received from the Learned Pieces of Ancient and Modern Writers, it may be justly accounted rather the Recreation than the Application of a Studious

Man.

It is indeed that Telescope by which we fee into diftant Ages, and take up the Actions of our Fore-Fathers, with as much Evidence as the News of the laft Gazette; it is the Mirror that reprefents the various Tranfactions of Times paft, and (hews as the Drefs of Antiquity; according to which we may rectifie or adjust our present Fashions; it is the Pandects of gentle and cafie Inftitutions and Laws, which ought to oblige us as much, if not more strictly to a Conformity, than the Preceptive Sandtions of Princes; feeing the Authority of the one does but inculcate our Duty, and the other gives us innumerable Instances of the feveral Rewards of Virtue, and Punishments of Vice: It is, in a word, the last Will and Teftament of our deceased Progenitors: which though it does not exprefly leave every one of us a particular Legacy, yet it fhews us how we way be poffeffed of their Inheritance; and according as we follow their Example, live in Reputation or Ignominyak

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Infomuch that the ruder Ages of the World, who were unacquainted with Letters, and consequently ignorant of refined Sciences thought Hiftory next to their Religion, the only useful and proper Study of Mankind; And judging the forming of the Manners, and regulating the Actions of Man, to be the chief Duty and Care of Societies, they thought Documents, Precepts, and Laws, too weak a Means to work fo great effect, without they were confirmed and strengthned by the Examples of their Predeceffors; to which prone Nature, even amongst the moft Barbarous, does willingly render an

implicite Veneration: And therefore feeing their Libraries were their Memories, and Words their Characters, fo Songs and rude Rhimes were. the only Books whereby their Bards and Druids inftructed their Children in the Hiftories of former Ages, making the famous Actions of their Ancestors fo much the more the Pattern of their Conduct and Manners, as it was the Subject of their innocent Melody and Mirth: And this Custom is at this Day in practice amongst the incultivated Heathens of Africa and America.

But when the kind Heavens were pleased to gratifie the Industry of Man with the Invention of Letters no Subject feemed to the Ancients, so worthy of the Prerogative of being avanfmitted to Rofterity, as that of History; And indeed, the moft Ancient that can be found of their Writings is of that kind. Whether it was that they knew no Immortality, but that of Fame or found no better way to provide with fecurity for their Off-fpring, in whom they were to live to Pofterity, than by handing down to them the Methods and honeft Courfes, by which fome attained to Honour, Wealth, and Command, whilst others by the contrary ways, lived and died in Obfcurity, Poverty, and Contempt,

And the defire of perpetuating the Memory, is fuch a glimmering glance of the Primitive, but offufcated Light of Nature, that fome think it a convincing Argument to prove the Immortality of the Son, it being a vain thing for any, but especially a reasonable Being, to defire that, to which it hath no natural Capacity: And the rather, that the greater and more elevated Souls of all Ages have afpired as much to the perpetuating of their Fame, as they have to the purchafing Alexanof the fame; Witness in Ancient times the great. der, who envied no Man but Achilles, for the happiness he had in having Homer for his Hiftoriographer: And fince bine Julius Cæfar, who notwithstanding be was tired out with The Fatigues of a continued and difficult War; yet as he thought no Man able to do what he had done, fo he judged none worthy to perpetuate his Memory, and to write as be Fought, but himself.

But what Satisfaction foever dying Men may have in the Profpect of a lafting Name, it is certain, the living reap great benefit from the Register of their Actions; for would a Prince have Measures to Govern, a Subject how to Obey,

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Statefman how to give Counsel, a Judge and Magistrate how to execute Justice, a Husband and Father bow-to-Command and Cherish, a Wife and Child how to Love, Honour, and Obey, and all Conditions of Men how to perform mutual good Offices in every kind of Society; Hiftory, and efpe cially the truest and most Ancient of All, the Holy Scrip ture, is that Repofitory from whence they may draw the trueft Maxims for all Duties, exemplified with the good or bad Succeffes of those who have followed for tranfgreffed the fame. And this much in short of History in general.

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But as all Hiftories are not of the fame Nature, fo neither are they of the fame Usefulness and Advantage: Not to mention the Ancient Poets, which are good in their way; Tome are Fictitious Romances, which befides the Satisfaction they give the Author's Inventing Head, are of very little, if of any Ufe, unless it be to teach young Gallants to frut it in the Phrafe of Heroes, and Ladies to Repartee like a PlayBook: And the Moralities which we are told, are couched therein, are too frequently applied in Serenades, Love-Letrers, and Affignations.

Others are Real Hiftories, or at least intended to be such and are either Ancient or Modern, Univerfal or Particular; of Kingdoms, or of Private Families, Foreign or Domeftick: And are all very profitable, according to the feveral Qualities and Capacities of the Readers, which is a Point that needs no particular Difcuffion in this place.

In the writing of Hiftories, fome Authors affect an exactnefs of recounting Matters with the minuteft Circumstances that attend them, and of omitting nothing that can have any place in the Book; which unless it be fome confpicuous and famous Tranfactions, looks liker the Depofitions of a Witnefs in a Trial, or the Breviate of a Lawyer at the Bar, than the Annals or Chronicles of a Nation; for it is enough for Po fterity to know the memorable Actions of a great King, or the Atchievements in a famous Battel; with fuch Gircumftances as render them most confiderable in themselves, and fignificant to the Reader; though they be not told what kind of Beard the King wore on his Wedding-Day, or to whom the Ground belonged where the Battel was foughts

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