ufually practised by those who found themselves unable to write. Hence, our abridgements are generally more tedious than the works from which they pretend to relieve us, and they have effectually embarraffed that road which they laboured to fhorten.

As the prefent compiler ftarts with fuch humble competitors, it will scarcely be thought vanity in him if he boasts himself their fuperior. Of the many abridgements of our own hiftory hitherto published, none feems poffeffed of any fhare of merit or reputation; fome have been written in dialogue, or merely in the stiffness of an index, and fome to anfwer the purposes of a party. A very small share of taste, therefore, was fufficient to keep the compiler from the defects of the one, and a very fmall fhare of philofophy from the misreprefentations of the other.

It is not easy, however, to fatisfy the different expectations of mankind in a work of this kind, calculated for every apprehenfion, and on which all are confequently capable of forming fome judgment. Some may fay that it is too long to pass under the denomination of an abridgement, and others that it is too dry to be admitted as an history; it may be objected that reflection is almost entirely banished to make room for facts, and yet that many facts are wholly omitted, which might be neceffary to be known.

It must be confeffed that all these objections are partly true; for it is impoffible in the fame work, at once, to attain contrary advantages. The compiler who is ftinted in room, must often facrifice intereft to brevity; and on the other hand, while he endeavours to amuse, must frequently tranfgrefs the limits to which his plan fhould confine him. Thus all fuch as defire only aA 2 mufe

mufement may be difgufted with his bre,vity, and fuch as feek for information may object to his difplacing facts for empty description.

To attain the greatest number of advantages with the feweft inconveniencies, is all that can be attained in an abridgement, the very name of which implies imperfection. It will be sufficient, therefore, to fatisfy the writer's wishes, if the prefent work be found a plain unaffected narrative of facts, with just ornament enough to keep attention awake, and with reflection barely fufficient to fet the reader upon thinking. Very moderate abilities were equal to fuch an undertaking; and it is hoped the performance will fatisfy fuch as take up books to be informed or amufed, without much confidering who the writer is, or envying him any fuccefs he may have had in a former compilation.

As the prefent publication is defigned for the benefit of thofe who intend to lay a foundation for future ftudy, or defire to refresh their memories upon the old, or who think a moderate share of history sufficient for the purposes of life, recourse has been had only to thofe authors which are best known, and those facts only have been felected, which are allowed on all hands to be true. Were an epitome of history the field for dif playing erudition, the author could fhew that he has read many books which others have neglected, and that he also could advance many anecdotes which are at present very little known. But it must be remembered that all these minute recoveries could be inferted only to the exclufion of more material facts, which it would be unpardonable to omit. He foregoes, therefore, the petty ambition of being thought a reader of forgotten

books;

books; his aim being not to add to our prefent ftock of history, but to contract it.

The books which have been used in this abridgement are chiefly Rapin, Carte, Smollett, and Hume. They have each their peculiar admirers, in proportion as the reader is ftudious of hiftorical antiquities, fond of minute anecdote, a warm partizan, or a deliberate reafoner. Of these I have particularly taken Hume for my guide, as far as he goes; and it is but juftice to say, that wherever I was obliged to abridge his work I did it with reluctance, as I fcarce cut out a line that did not contain a beauty.

But though I must warmly subscribe to the learning, elegance, and depth of Mr. Hume's history, yet I cannot entirely acquiefce in his principles. With regard to religion, he seems defirous of playing a double part, of appearing to fome readers

as