O intrude in this manner upT on your time, fo usefully employed in the focial duties of your profession, would expose me in fome measure to blame, were it upon a lefs important occafion than that of recommending the following work to your generous protection. The dignity of the fubject, which, handled by other pens, has been thought worthy of being infcribed to the moft illuftrious perfonages of the last and prefent age, will plead, I hope, fome excufe for an addrefs, which is defigned not fo much to interrupt your occupations, as to avail itself of the fanction of your name in introducing this work to the public.

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public. And indeed a nobler fubject I could not felect for the favor of your acceptance, than that which fo nearly relates to the moral duties of life, and the foundation of human contentment and happiness; a fubject moreover illuftrated by one of the ableft mafters of the prefent age, whose extraordinary ability and skill in curing the diforders of the mind, may be compared very aptly to yours in removing thofe of the body. One of the principal encouragements I had to this addrefs, is the near relation between the following work, and thofe elevated fentiments with which you have been always infpired. Such an admirable fyftem of moral precepts, fuch noble maxims of true Chriftian policy, and fuch excellent rules for the government of our lives, cannot but be acceptable to a gentleman, who, in the whole tenor of his conduct, has been an illuftrious example of those rules and maxims which are here moft judiciously established. A very good opportunity this of entering

upon

upon the encomium of thofe virtues which have fo eminently distinguished you at the head of your profeffion; but the little value any commendations of mine would have, the apprehenfion I fhould be under of being fufpected of adulation, and the danger I fhould incur of offending your modefty, who have as great a contempt for praise as ambition to deserve it, obliges me to wave any attempt of this nature. However I cannot help taking notice of that true greatness and magnificence of foul, with which you have at all times moft liberally contributed to the advancement of learning, and whereby you have juftly acquired the flattering title of patron and protector of letters. In fact, the extenfive bleffings that fortune has bestowed upon you, have been employed not as inftruments of private luxury, but as means of promoting those arts, which have received an additional luftre, fince they have fhone fo confpicuoufly in your perfon. Your friendship and correspondence have been courted by the greatest men of the prefent age; and A 3

your

your house, like that of Atticus, has been open to the learned of all orders and ranks, who unanimoufly respect you, not only as a fupreme judge of learning and wit, but moreover as an arbiter elegantiarum, and mafter of finished urbanity. The collection you have made of valuable curiofities and books, wherein you have rivalled the magnificence of fovereigns, is the admiration and talk of all Europe, and will be a lafting monument of your true tafte of grandeur, and folidity of judgment. I need not mention any thing here in praise of your excellent works; their character is fufficiently established by the very name of their author, who is univerfally allowed to have wrote with a purity and fpirit, equal to the fuperior fkill and fuccefs with which his practice has been fo remarkably distinguished. The polite reception you have always given to the learned of foreign nations has rendered your name fo precious abroad, that you are never mentioned. but with

the