WOLSEY, I have prefumed to Dedicate it to You; because (Pardon me, if I am mistaken) you feem to have pay'd a most remarkable Regard to his Memory, by preferving, with the greatest Exactness, the Structure and Form of an Antient, Beautiful, and Magnificent Building,* that once had fo Eminent a Founder.

THIS is (to me) an evident Demonftration of Your Efteem for that Great Man, and was the Reafon of my being ambi

142

tious

D

* At Eber in Surry.

tious to prefix your Honourable Name to this Collection; hoping it may meet with your favourable Reception, which will certainly give it a confiderable Weight with the Publick, and add a fingular Pleasure to,

SIR,

Your most Humble, and

Moft Obedient Servant.

April 26, 1742.

T

THE

PREFACE.

HERE is nothing, either more Useful or Entertaining, than to be placed in the great Theatre of human Life, (of which History gives us the most extenfive and compleat Representation) and,by beholding herein the great Actions and Engagements, the frequent Calamities and Diftreffes of others, we may become so cautious and wife, as to fhun the Shoals and Rocks on which many have split, It is here, that we see whole Ages exhibited to us in one View; with the various Operations of mortal Paffions; the different Principles by which our Fellow-Creatures are acted; the different Objects they are in Pursuit of; and the different If

fues

fues and Events which their Actions at
laft meet with. It
It is here, we see the
Beginning, the Progress, and the Con-
clufion of the greatest Empires; and
the probable Causes both of their Rise
and Declenfion; both of their Gran-
deur, and their Ruin; how the haughtieft
States and Kingdoms have rofe and
flourish'd, from the humbleft and most
uncultivated Simplicity of Life and
Manners; and how from these, being
grofly corrupted and depraved by Prof-
perity and Luxury, they have gradually
declined, and totally perished. It is
History that furnishes us with Exam-
ples of all Kinds, and all Qualities,
whether indifferent, vicious, or virtu-
ous; that strikes the deepest Impref-
fions on those, who are conscious of
its tranfmitting the Memoirs of their
own Management to Pofterity; that
encourages good Men in Power to be
ftill more useful, and often makes evil
ones lefs hurtful to Mankind; while
both confider, that their Deeds will
be foon viewed by the Eyes of the whole
World, and Ages to come the Judges,

who