bath had several Changes within the compass of a few Tears. That they are too many; and again too few; that this was left out, and that put in; that some are only Repetitions of the fame things in other Words or Languages; that others are not ranked in that Language to which they do originally belong, (which must be very hard to be now determined in thofe which are found in fo many of them;) that Some are too plain and too common, tho' perhaps the most significant and inftruEtive; that others want that (prightly air of Wit which is the only thing fome Men can relish: All these are either Faults, or Exceptions, and Imaginations, which the most critical Reader must have come under had he Published any thing of this kind himself. 'Tis very poffible that there is not any one Line in this Collection which Some nicer Judge may not, for fome Reafon, or for no Reafon, think would have been better left out; though very probably, Forty more, who take themfelves to be every one of them as Wife as he, are of another Opinion. They who were defired to ftrike out what they pleafed, agreed fo little in their Verdict, that usually what one blotted out; another would have restored again. Thofe Proverbs or Sentences which may chance to be twice or oftner found in the feveral Languages, or perhaps the fenfe of them in the fame, are ge nerally fuch as deferve a fecond Thought, perhaps a third, or fourth, from moft Men: They are mostly fuch as are proper to awaken the Inconfiderate; and may chance at fome time to dart fuch a Light into the Soul even of a wife and good 2 good Man, as may help or excite him to forbear more carefully, or to act more wifely and vigorously in particular cafes than he might have done without fuch a Monitor. This is certain at least, that a few of the most important of these Aphorifms well digefted, frequently thought upon, and lived up to, would contribute very much to make many Perfons more reaJonable, more confiderate, more wife and fober, more just and pious, and more: true to their great Intereft, that of their immortal Souls; in a word, more Men, i. c. more themselves, more what they ought to be, than they now are: and by confequence would affift them to pass. more easily through this World, and be more happy in the next. If any of the younger, and more unexperienced Perfons, for whofe Inftructi on on and Improvement things of this nature are chiefly defign'd, would at their beft leifure read one Leaf, or one Page only at one time, and then spend a few of thofe Minutes which are commonly loft every day in doing nothing, or in doing worfe, in feriously pondering with them felves, and reflecting upon what they think may be most ferviceable to them hereafter, the Advantage would doubtlefs more than requite the little pains it would cost them. And the Publisher would then be fure to have his utmoft Aim and Wish, which was only to do the Reader the charitable Office of giving him fome Rife or Lift towards his being Wifer, or Better in fome kind or other; or Acting more prudently, and more wa- ́ rily in fome inftance or other, than he might poffibly otherwise have been, or have done. ERRATA. ITALIAN PROVERBS. C Hi ferve a Dio hà Buon Padrone. He who ferves God hath the best Mafter in the World. Dove Dio fi trouva nulla manca. Where God is there nothing is wanting. Quanto è l'huomo negl' occhi di Dio, tanto è, e non più. No Man is greater in truth than he is in God's esteem: He who converfes with no body, is either a Brute or an Angel. Chi no vede il fondo non paffi l'acqua. Go not over the Water where you cannot fee the bottom. Chi non fi governa' bene un anno, vive fenza allegrezza poi cinque anni. He who lives diforderly one Tear, doth not enjoy himfelf for five Tears after. Le amicitie fon a buon conto, quando fi comprano à sberrettate. Friendships are good cheap, when they are to be bought with pulling off your Hat. B Del |