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Show To the Right Honourable the Earl of Albemarle, &c. Knight of the moft Noble Order of the Garter. My L O R D, MY Pen is both a Novice in Poetry, and a Stranger at Court, and can no more raife it felf to the Stile of Pa~ negyrick, than it can ftoop to the Art of Flattery; but if in the pfain and fimple Habit of Truth, it may prefiimetd mix with that Crowd of Followers that daily attend upon your Lordfhip's Favour, pleale to behold a Stranger, with this difference, that he pays more Homage to your Worth, than Adoration to your Greatnefs. This diftinction, m y Lord, will appear too nice, and Me-taphyftcal to the World, w h o know your Lordfhip's Merit and Place to be fo infeparable, that they can only differ as the Caufe from the Effect; and this, m y Lord, is as much beyond dif-pute, as that your Royal Mafter, w h o has made rhe noble Choice, is the moft wile, and moft difcerning Prince in the Univerfe. T o prefentthe World with a lively Draught of your Lordfhip's Perfections, I lhou'd enumerate the Judgment, Conduct, Piety and Courage of our great and gracious King, w h o can only place his Favours on thofe fhining Qualifications for which his Majefty is fo eminently remarkable himfelf; but this, m y Lord, will prove the bufinefs of voluminous Hiftory, and your Lordfhip's Character muft attend the Fame of your great Mafter in the Memoires of Futurity, as your faithful Service has hitherto accompanied the noble Actions of his Life. The greateft Princes in all Ages, have had their Friends and Favourites', with them to communicate and debate their Thoughts, fo to exercife and ripen their judgments; or fome-times to Cafe their Cares by imparting them. The great Afu-guftus, w e read, in his Project of fettling the unweildy Roman Conquefts on a fix'd Balis of Government, had the Defign laid, not in his GouhfeJ, but his Clofet; there w e find him with his two Friends Mec&na,s and Agrippa, his Favourite Friends, ]Per(bns of fouund J•u dgment, %nj unuueftionablc Fideltihteyr e |