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the Duke of Rochefoucaut, Mr. St. Evremont, and Mr. La Bruyere among the French, have furnish'd the prefent Age with Maxims and Reflections, which are read with Admiration by all the Judicious. Thefe three Authors I have taken to Pieces, and Selected fuch Thoughts out of them, for the Ground Work of this Book, as are of general Application to Mankind; and as Entertaining and Instructive to an English, as to a French Reader; For,

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the by, I cannot but take Notice, that in every one of these Authors, especially La Bruyere, there are abundance of Characters, which tho' Masterly and excellent, yet which are fo calculated for the Meridian of Pa¬ ris,that they look very dull and faint when view'd here in London, Not to mention how miferably that noble Author has been abus'd by his Tranflators. To thefe Reflections and Characters, I have added Abundance of fine Thoughts out of the Emperor Antoninus, Mr. Pafcal, and Gra tian; and as many, if not more, out of our English Authors, who are no way inferi

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our to thofe illustrious Foreigners in Point of Solidity, Acuteness, Penetration and Delicacy: Such as the Lord Bacon, Mr. Cowley, Sir Roger L'Eftrange, Sir VValter Raleigh, Sir VVilliam Temple, Mr. Dryden, Mr. VVycherley, Mr. Brown, and fome others, whofe Names not occurring to my memory, I cannot acknowledge my Obligation to them, for enriching this Collection. The Thoughts of English Growth are diftinguifh'd by an Afterifi; (thus *) and because there are not a few Original Reflections, I have mark'd them with inverted Comma's (thus ") in the Margin. To thefe, I believe, no Man has a better Title than my felf; but bowever, if any Perfon will claim a Right to any of them, he is heartily welcome,

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