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RIGHT HONOURABLE

ROBERT

I

Earl of HOLDERNESS E.

My LORD,

Should not have taken the Liberty of addreffing these Volumes to your Lordship, which were compiled only for Youth, and are unworthy your Confideration, but you have done me a Favour, my Lord, which I want to acknowledge, and it is uncertain whether I may ever have another Opportunity.

When I, who never had the Honour to be known to your LordA 2 ship,

ship, took the Freedom to reprefent to you, as his Majefty's Secretary of State, the Cafe of an unfortunate poor Foreigner, who had fallen a Victim to public Clamour, and was about to be torn from a Wife and Children, destitute of all the Neceffaries of Life, you heard me, my Lord, and you relieved them with that Readiness, that Alacrity, and Chearfulness which will ever diftinguish a noble, beneficent and generous Mind.

Though this Relation may be grateful to others, it will, I know, be disagreeable to your Lordship; for great Minds receive no Pleasure from what may have the appearance of Adulation; but yet I hope to ftand excufed, fince this Acknowledgement is a Duty that I owe, not only to your Lordship, but to the Public; for if I mistake not,

the

the only Use of reciting the Virtues and Actions of the Great, is to make others emulate their Example; and if all Dedications, like this, were written from the Heart, and inftead of the ufual Terms of Compliment, contained fome Portion of the Patron's Life, which was worthy the Imitation of others, every fuch Address would prove an Incitement to great and good Actions, and be often of more Confequence to the Public than the Book itself.

I have the Honour to be, my Lord, with the moft perfect Gratitude and Respect,

Your LORDSHIP'S

moft obliged, and

St. Paul's Churchyard, Nov. 12,

1761.

most obedient Servant,

JOHN NEWBERY.

ADVERTISEMENT.

MR

R. NEWBERY begs leave to recommend these and the subsequent Volumes to the young Gentlemen and Ladies who have read his little Books. In those he attempted to lead the young Pupil to a Love of Knowledge, in these he has endeavoured to introduce him to the Arts and Sciences, where all useful Knowledge is contained. This may be faid, he apprehends, without depreciating the Claffics, which are ever to be held in Efteem, but are to be esteemed principally for being the Keys of Literature, and for difclofing to us the Tafte and Wisdom of the Ancients.

The Reader will perceive that a very free Use has been made of the Works of many Authors, and the Nature of the Subject required it; for it is in Criticism, as in Life, one good Example is worth many Precepts.

The Examples here collected from different Books will give no Offence, it is hoped, either to the Authors or Proprietors; for, whatever may be the Fate of these Volumes, they can neither depreciate the Merit of those Books, nor anticipate their Sale; but will, we apprehend, have a contrary Effect.

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