I, fuge, fed poteras tutior effe domi.

HOR.

MARTIAL ad lib. fuum.

By Edward Tayler.

LONDON:

Printed for W. OWEN, in Fleet-Street.

M.DCC.LXXIV.

PREFACE.

TH

to

HE following remarks have afforded fome amusement the author in his leisure hours, and he now ventures to give them to the public, fully fenfible of the many imperfections of his work, but confcious at the fame time of the good intention with which it was compofed. For it has been his aim throughout either to remove false, or mistaken, or unjustly fevere cenfures, that have been paffed on foreign writers; or to fhew the partiality or prejudice of those, by whom our own are frequently as unjustly venerated. The critics, perhaps, from

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from whofe opinions the author has sometimes deviated in the following trifling obfervations, will condemn his prefumption in fo doing: the generality of them are not only to be ranked among the genus irritabile, but have befides fo good an opinion of their own judgment and abilities, as to think that their word is law, to which the reft of mankind, as of an inferior nature, are to fubmit with deference and refignation. In truth, they seem to have adopted a fentiment of Antonio de Solis, * (though indeed he ufes it on a different occafion) who says, that it is dangerous to allow freedom of fpeech to thofe, who are born to obey. Yet furely there can be no impropriety in afferting a right to think for oneself in literary matters,

*Vide Conquista de Mexico, cap. 2.

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