The EPISTLE

Hours together, entertain Tour self with the de-lightful Hiew thereof when after the Defeat ofTour Loyal Army at Worcester, Almighty God,in infinite Mercy to Tour Three Kingdoms , mira-culously delivered Tou out of the bloody Jaws ofthose Monsters of Sin and Cruelty, who takingCounsel only from the Heinoufness of their Crimes,sought Impunity in the highest Aggravation ofthem ; desperately hoping to secure K ebellion byRegicide, and by destroying their Sovereign, tocontinue their Tyranny over their Fellow-Sub-jects.

This , as at first it animated Me to make strictEnquiry into the Origine and Occasion of theWonder, (Jo the Hulgar call it) so far as thegloomy Darkness of Oblivion would admit ; so hathit now emboldned me to lay at Tour Majesty sFeet the following Account of my Success in thatEnquiry , in all possible Humility and Reverence ;beseeching Tou to honour , with Tour Gracious Ac-ceptance, the Restoration of that Gigan-tick Tile , whose dead Remains Tou so highly en-nobled by Tour Presence. Once Tou made it TourDivertifement, to look upon it sleeping in deepHor-getfulness, and well nigh difanimated by the Le-thargy of Time (which often brings the RiverLethe to flow as well above Ground as below:)Disdain not, therefore , now to cast an Eye uponit, when it appears to lift up its massive Headagain , and offers , in plain Language , to tell Touthe Story of its Life , from Whence it was de-rived, by Whom it was formed\ for what No-ble