[I The Heroick AB ions performed by some of our Mo- the Bad., are powerful Incitives to a Love of Virtues,:| narchs in Person-, The Wisdom of their Councils, in and an Abhorrence of Vice, they are, by no Means, to

dispensing their Orders and InstruBions, and the Con- be omitted, in Histories of Times so remote, that it

jll duB and Bravery of our Sea-Commanders,in executing maybe done with Safety, and without Offence.ij them, are happy andfertile Themes, and furnijh a large In the firs: of these two principal Parts of Hi/lor y,

: ! Fund of Matter, for such a History. There has not, I have constantly followed her Attendant or Guide, and,

ij indeed, as J have already hinted, been all the Care ta- as near as possible, traced out her very Footsteps-, And,

ken, which might have been wished, to hand down these for the latter, tho I have not been so copious, as someThings to Posterity. Ignorance and NegleB have Jo Historians, in that Part, yet a reasonable Use of itovershadowed Numbers of Noble ABions, that. they are has not been omitted, nor has the ornamental Part beenhardly discoverable thro'' the Mist, and Partiality has wholly forgotten, at proper Periods.

I concealed many more. Our Historians, as well Ancient As History perfeBly answers the two chief Ends of

\ as Modern, have all been very concise in their Narra- Reading, Diversion and Improvement, the Authors of

1 fives of Naval Transactions. The Monkish Writers those Works are generally allowed to deserve more of

were more follicitous about the Affairs of the Church, the Publick, than any other Species of those who (toand it's Immunities, and our more Modern Historians distinguish them from Sacred) are vulgarly calledI have employ'dso much of theirTime and Thoughts on o- Prophane Writers ; But then, there are certain Quailj ther SubjeBs, that they have been obliged to wave this. fications, which every Author, in this Way, must postHowever, amidst all these Difficulties, the principal fiefs, at least, in some Degree, before he can pretend ftCircumstances of such Transactions _ have been found- r Right to this so valuable a Regard. Ishall not go a'i But then they were scattered and dispersed in such a bout to enumerate them, they have already been su/sicft

i Number of Volumes of our own Writers,, in the dark ently display'd by many Modern as well as Ancient

Recesses of Antiquity, and in the Histories of For eign Writers ; Nor shall I presume to lay Claim to an entirej Nations, that they have not been collected, and brought Pojfejston of all, or even of any one of them, excepting

i into due Order, without an immense Labour. Impartiality ; Without which, a Pretender to Historf

\ This Work, therefore, may justly be said to be the is no more an Historian, than a Quack is a Regular! firs regular conneBed Piece of its Kind-, For tho'some Physician. For the Reft, I leave the Performance B: | if fays of this Nature may have already appeared, they speak for itself ; Especially as the favorable Receptionj have all been very deficient in some or other essential it has met with, and the Encouragement which hati Parts of the Design, as I could evidently prove, were been given it by Persons in very eminent Stations N

I it my Talent to comment upon the Labours of others-, quire my Silence, lest by any Apology, I might be’fast

Instead of which, I shall only venture to affirm, that to wrong their Judgments.

the following Sheets differ as much from any one As this History is continued to the Present Time, IHistory hitherto publisti’d, as any two Works, writ- have, for Reasons already hinted at, in some Meajuftten on the fame Subject, ever did. divested the latter Part of it, of the Embellishment*

Before I descend to farther Particulars, it may which make a Part of the former, and converted ftnot he improper to fay a Word or two of History inge- into Annals, by barely relating plain and real Matt eftneral, as far as may be necessary to give my Readers of Fails, grounded upon good andsufficient Authorityran Idea of what they are to expect from this. I shall and placed in their due Order of Time, without ansnot, however, consider History in all it's Requisites Remarks, or Political Refleilions, but such as natural'and Advantages ; But only, as it may properly be di- ly flow from the Subjeil itself, and are incontestablestinguissed, in two of it's Principal Parts-, I mean Truths, savouring neither of Flattery nor ReproofPlain Narration of Facts, and Political, or other Pro- And tho', I say, it is, by this Means, deprived V -' per Reflections; Each of which must have it's constant some Part of it's Ornament, it has the Advantage of> Attendant, or rather Guide, Truth and Reason. I he the Truth being so much the more enforced to Pofieritf>

I first is essential to Historical Relations, and the Cha- and must pass for Authentick, as being published at &

! raBeriflick which distinguishes it from Romance and Time, when the most minute Circumstances, if rJ

Fable ; And, on the other Hand, RefieBions, which faithfully related, ly open to ContradiBion and CcPhave not Reason for their Basts, may dazzle the Eyes, sure. I have only this to add in general, to justify fidand deceive the Mind, of the most cautious Reader, for Impartiality of the History, that since the first Thougha while-, But their Fallacy will, mTime, appear, and I had of engaging m this Undertaking, to the Time of

put a Blemish upon the whole Work. , it's Publishing, I can affirm, I have been (as eves

There arc, besides, certain Embellishments, m Historian ought to be) entirely unprejudiced and disc*'

History, which, tho' not essential, are great Helps to - gaged, and have not had the least Thing to hope or t*wards making up the Symmetry of the whole. Such fear, from any one Person whomsoever. Nor has ffftare the genuine CharaBers of Persons, and an unhafi Mind beenprepossess d with any Passion for, or Refessfed Representation of the Motives and Principles, up - ment against any Set or Party of Men whatsoever*on which their ABions have been founded. This , m- But keeping a due Medium, all my Hisses have betsdeed, mav not be so proper, nor alwavs f safe, m Hi- for the good and Welfare of my Country, and my E?stories of Times present-, But, as the Praises, which deavours todostriBJustice, as well to'the Nation ftHistory so justl" and liberallv bestows on the Good, and general, as to every Person in particular, zv hom I hadthe Ignominy, whiss she, without Reserve, throws on had Occasion to mention.

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