Thorp PREFACE. FR ROM the favourable reception given to my Abridgment of Roman History published fome time fince, feveral friends, and others, whose business leads them to confult the wants of the public, have been induced to fuppofe that an English history written on the fame plan would be acceptable. It was their opinion that we still wanted a work of this kind, where the narrative, though very concife, is not totally without intereft, and the facts, though crowded, are yet diftinctly seen. The business of abridging the works of others has hitherto fallen to the lot of very VOL. I. a dull dull men; and the art of blotting, which an eminent critic calls the most difficult of all others, has been usually practised by those who found themselves unable to write. Hence, our abridgments 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 shorten. As the prefent compiler ftarts with such humble competitors, it will scarcely be thought vanity in him if he boasts himself their fuperior. Of the many abridgments of our own history hitherto published, none feems 'poffeffed of any share of merit or reputation: fome have been written in dialogue, or merely in the stiffness of an index. and fome to answer the purposes of a party. A very fmall share of tafte, therefore, was fufficient to keep the compiler from the defects of the one, and a very fmall share of philofophy from the mifreprefentations of the other. It It is not eafy, however, to fatisfy the dif ferent 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 say that it is too long to pafs under the denomination of an abridgment; 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 those objec tions are partly true; for it is impoffible, in the fame work, at once to attain contrary advantages. The compiler, who is stinted in room, muft often facrifice intereft to brevity; and, on the other hand, while he en deavours to amuse, muft frequently tranfgrefs the limits to which his plan fhould confine him. Thus all fuch as defire only amusement may be disgusted with his brevity, and such as feek for information may object to his difplacing facts for empty description. To attain the greatest number of advantages with the feweft inconveniences, is all that can be attained in an abridgement, the very name of which implies imperfection. It will be fufficient, therefore, to fatisfy the writer's wishes, if the present work be found a plain unaffected narrative of facts, with just ornament enough to keep attention awake, and with reflection barely fufficient to set the reader upon thinking. Very moderate abilities were equal to fuch an undertaking; and it is hoped the performance will fatisfy such as take up books to be informed or amused, without much confidering who the writer is, or envying any fuccefs he may have had in a former compilation. As the prefent publication is defigned for the benefit of those who intend to lay a foundation for future ftudy, or defire to refresh their memories upon the old, or who think a moderate fhare of history sufficient for the purposes of life, recourfe has been had only to thofe authors which are best known, and those facts only have been fe lected |