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Show iv from the Public, that fix or eight Impreffions of it here, and in Scotland and lrclmul, fold to the Nulll.llf of ten or twelve thourand Copies. Such wJs the Occalion of my ~-ommencing Author; a CharaEt-er 1 had no Am:1itton for, nor indeed for · any Other, which !houiJ occafion my being taken No:ice of; f.Jr the Plcafure, or rather Pl.1gue of wh1ch 1 had Jofi all Rdifh, if I ever had any. Beinrr ho\vt\ cr always ddirous of ferving .Lvlankind~ and having no other i\le;:ms for it in .my Power, be!idcs vfhring them a little good Advtcc, of which, God knows_, we have always need cn1ugh, I was hy my Ft iends betrayed int~ the Publication of r~veral other little occafional Ptcces from time to tim~:; all "i•~ch I fent out anonymous. So that many of mv Acquamtam:c know llOt to this Hour, th.at 1 "er I uLbfhed" Page. But to come to my Apology forrhe Publication of the fullowino- TraCt; fomt: Years after I engaged in the Employment of cJucating Youth, I bethought mytelf, thot a rort of Compend of the mor~l anJ 1elig:ous lnihudion~, which my Pupils h HI rcc~.:ived from me, while unJer my ~are,: with lOme fcrious Exl;ortations to the PraCitce at Virtue and Pii.:ty, migl.t pro·.·c of Service to them, after th~o:v were g'm<.: from me; ~mU might, with the Dlvi~Jc Blcffing, contnbutc to pn:fcrvc them from the Ia tal Contagion of a wicked \N orld. I therefore vvn.Jtt: out the full ow ng; and h.H.l three or four Copies of it tranfcr,bed, which 1 gav<.: aw ay tu fame .\ oung Gentle?"'en, who went from me ; particularly ont.: to a 1: outh of Amflerdam ; and am fmce informed, thJt ((1mcth111g ot mme, I know nttt 1f the l .. m~:, has been publi{hed in Dut..::h. But, finding, that the tranfcribing a nry few Copies would come to as much Charge, as \' as the printing a great Number, I refolved to have a thourand worked off at the Prefs, at my own E xpcncc, by which J\,1eans I lhould have fome hundreds to give away, bcfidcs enough to dillribu te to al l the P upi ls l lhould ever have under my C are. l had no T hought of any Body's pi1 ating, o r meddling with the PJecc, and therefore did not think of defiring Mr. Strahan, the Printer, to enter it at Stationers H . .!]; not inkndmt!; that one Copy Owuld be roJJ. I accordingly rem fome f1undreds into the Hands of fume of the Right Reverend Bi!hops, and other eminent Pcrfons, that they might by them be given awjl)' to young People of Rank. Severo! Pcrfons of diltinguilhcJ Abilities, and eminent Stations, exprcfi~J, to thore who informed me again, their Approhation. of the Piece, and their Defire to have it publifhed; which being contrary to my ScJ;emt!, 1 Uctcrntincd to extend the Plan, and work up a Piece more proper for general Ult: ; which W<JS the Occafion of my fctting about my lirll (which will li kew1fe Ge my lafi) latge Work, ne Dignity of Human J.Vature. The excellent Dr. Hales defired to have fome of my DireCliou-books for the younger Part of the Children of her Royal H1p:hncrs the Pnncefs Dowager of Wales, which 1 rent accordingly to the Bi{hop of Norwich, then Prect~ptor, and was what gave Occaflon firH to my b~..ing taktn l':otice of by that mofl: amiable anJ illulhious l'nuccfs, in a Manner far enough above Wh<tt l could have thought of, or expeB:eJ. Thc:fe Circumfbr.ces I memion, or rather only touch upon, me. ely to fhew what Reafon I had to be ddgutted at finding, pe rhaps two Years after this, that a funcptttwus (;;op_y of my little Pie•e hod beetl, many Months before, |
