THE

PREFACE.

create in the British youth a laudable ambition to excel in fuch purfuits as moft conduce to their own honour and happinefs, and the profperity of their native country, was one principal motive to this undertaking.

Curiofity is natural to the foul of man. We are inquifitive, and wonderfully folicitous to be informed of every thing, and every man's concerns, even to a fault; and thall we be lefs inquifitive, lefs folicitous, in the purfuit of useful knowledge, and the most important truths?

Can there be a rational creature unconcerned to know the state of the world about him, and the manners, customs, and hiftory, of the feveral nations his cotemporaries? And does it not add infinitely to the fatisfaction of every man that reads, to know the time when, and the place where, great and memorable actions were performed?

But the labour and difficulty that is ufually apprehended in making thefe inquiries, frightens young gentlemen from attempting to inform themfelves in thefe particulars; though without a general knowledge of them, they are neither capable of ferving their country, nor qualified for converfation.

This tract, therefore, prefents the youth of Great Britain with the world in miniature; which, it is prefumed, will be found to contain the most exact chronology, and the moft perfect fyftem of geography now extant, with fuch an epitome of Mo

dern

dern Hiftory, or the prefent ftate of all nations, as will render the work agreeable to every taste.

It is a very juft obfervation, That a writer muft not expect many readers, who does not accommodate himself to the taste of thofe gentlemen to whom he addreffes his work.

And we need not be at a lofs to know what is agreeable to most people, when we find every gentleman, and almost every lady, inquiring into the history of the day, and reading the moft trifling occurrences, which nothing but the novelty can recommend.

Thefe they are not afraid to venture upon, when contained in a handfome volume; while a folio of any dimenfions, replenished with the most interesting truths, would lye neglected, under an apprehenfion that it was impoflible to go through it, or to retain in their memories what it contained, if they fhould attempt it.

This work, therefore, has the charms of brevity, as well as novelty, to engage a general attention. An hour's reading will give a gentleman a tolerable idea of the state of any country he is pleafed to make the subject of his inquiries. Here the fenator and politician may view the conflitution, forces, and revenues, of the refpective kingdoms and ftates; the divine may obferve the religion and fuperftition of the refpective people; the merchant, and marine officer, the produce, traffic, periodical winds and feafons, in the various climates of the globe.

In thofe that have not read larger accounts, it may create an appetite to fearch further into thefe interefting fubjects, and in thofe who have been converfant in larger works, it may revive the memory of what they have read, and prevent that confufion in chronology and geography which is too apt to attend the reading many hiftories of different countries.

And

And as the state of our own country concerns us more than that of any other, I have been more particular in the defcription of the British ifles than of any other part of the world. Foreigners juftly expect from us a better account of our own counby than of diftant nations.

But notwithstanding I have been more particular in confidering the ftate of the British isles than that of fome other countries, I would not be thought to want a due regard for all mankind. As I am a citizen of the world, I look upon all men as my brethren; and have long endeavoured to fet them right in their notions of one another.

I am extremely concerned to fee almost every people representing the inhabitants of diftant nations as barbarians, and treating them as fuch.

For my part, I have met with people as polite, ingenious, and humane, whom we have been taught to look upon as cannibals, as ever I converfed with in Europe; and, from my own experience, am convinced, that human nature is every where the fame; allowances being made for unavoidable prejudices, occafioned by cuftom, education, and favage principles, inftilled into many in their infancy by ignorant, fuperftitious, or defigning men. And, as I have obferved on other occafions, nothing has contributed more to render the world barbarous, than their having been taught from their cradles, that every nation almoft, but their own, are barbarians. They firft imagine the people of diftant nations to be monfters of cruelty and barbarity; and then prepare to invade and extirpate them, exercifing greater cruelties than ever fuch nations were charged with; which was exactly the cafe of the Spaniards, and the natives of America.

But to proceed in giving fome further account of the prefent undertaking: I have not only en

deavoured

dern Hiftory, or the prefent fate of all nations, as will render the work agreeable to every taste.

It is a very juft obfervation, That a writer muft not expect many readers, who does not accommodate himself to the taste of thofe gentlemen to whom he addreffes his work.

And we need not be at a lofs to know what is agreeable to most people, when we find every gentleman, and almost every lady, inquiring into the history of the day, and reading the most trifling occurrences, which nothing but the novelty can recommend.

These they are not afraid to venture upon, when contained in a handfome volume; while a folio of any dimenfions, replenished with the most interesting truths, would lye neglected, under an apprehenfion that it was impoffible to go through it, or to retain in their memories what it contained, if they should attempt it.

This work, therefore, has the charms of brevity, as well as novelty, to engage a general attention. An hour's reading will give a gentleman a tolerable idea of the ftate of any country he is pleafed to make the subject of his inquiries. Here the senator and politician may view the conflitution, forces, and revenues, of the refpective kingdoms and ftates; the divine may obferve the religion and fuperftition of the refpective people; the merchant, and marine officer, the produce, traffic, periodical winds and feafons, in the various climates of the globe.

In thofe that have not read larger accounts, it may create an appetite to fearch further into thefe interefting fubjects, and in thofe who have been converfant in larger works, it may revive the memory of what they have read, and prevent that confufion in chronology and geography which is too apt to attend the reading many hiftories of different countries.

And

And as the state of our own country concerns us more than that of any other, I have been more particular in the description of the British ifles than of any other part of the world. Foreigners justly expect from us a better account of our own country than of diftant nations.

But notwithstanding I have been more particular in confidering the ftate of the British ifles than that of fome other countries, I would not be thought to want a due regard for all mankind. As I am a citizen of the world, I look upon all men as my brethren; and have long endeavoured to fet them right in their notions of one another.

I am extremely concerned to fee almost every people representing the inhabitants of diftant nations as barbarians, and treating them as fuch.

For my part, I have met with people as polite, ingenious, and humane, whom we have been taught to look upon as cannibals, as ever I converfed with in Europe; and, from my own experience, am convinced, that human nature is every where the fame; allowances being made for unavoidable prejudices, occafioned by cuftom, education, and favage principles, inftilled into many in their infancy by ignorant, fuperftitious, or defigning men. And, as I have obferved on other occafions, nothing has contributed more to render the world barbarous, than their having been taught from their cradles, that every nation almoft, but their own, are barbarians. They firft imagine the people of diftant nations to be monfters of cruelty and barbarity; and then prepare to invade and extirpate them, exercifing greater cruelties than ever fuch nations were charged with; which was exactly the cafe of the Spaniards, and the natives of America.

But to proceed in giving fome further account of the prefent undertaking: I have not only endeavoured