ADVERTISEMENT TO THE FORMER EDITIONS. To offer to the publick a book of entertainwent and of ufe, for the understanding, the fancy, and the affections; various in matter, and in manner.. unhackneyed to check the heady current of national prejudice in fome inftances; to animate genius and liberal thinking in others; to encourage the glow of rational liberty, and to curb lawless irregularity in all: to combine fubjects for profound reflection with amufing remarks, and to contraft the comforts of peace with the calamities of war; diverfifying and relieving the whole by appropriate narratives, and adventures, and imagery, has been the endeavour of the Author in thefe Volumes. He could not but confider the pleasure he had in writing them, in some fort, an earnest of their furnishing proportionate fatisfaction in reading. The rapid difperfion of the firft, fecond, third, fourth and fifth editions, in times like thefe, and in an age of trips and tours-and the favour with which the work has been diftinguished by perfons of all parties, encouraged the belief that after long abfence from the prefs, the Author has not VOL. I. agam again come forward unadvifedly. This has invigo rated his best efforts to render the sixth impreffion more worthy its honours. In deference to the council of fome respectable criticks, the Author has entirely revised the latter part of the Third Volume, which painted the atrocities of the beginnings of the French Revolution; and for the fake of fhuddering humanity, as well as in juflice to the more manly fyftem of government now prevailing, he has abridged, or wholly left out many of the inftances of horror: And the particulars he has fuffered to remain, are for the fake of example to furrounding nations. DEDICATION. DEDICATION. BUT that the Author knows TRUE GENEROSITY is ever governed by TRUE DELICACY, he fhould with Pleasure and with Pride, enrich his Work with an Ac count of Actions, that would justify him in changing the humble Title of his Book into something expreffive of the copious Harvest, which Talents, Virtues, and Misfortunes have been continually reaping from the Bounty of ). an Individual, whofe Powers, though large, are far lefs ample than his Inclinations, to do good. a 2 Without |