[ so ] 



teftation — 'Eyu St o<pe]Xca Xtyuv to. Xeyoficvct, irtSi<rfyou yt fA-ry ev 

 TruvlocTrcKTt o<piiXu>, k«i fiot Tovjo TO e-jrcg £%e]£i) b; 7ra.vjx rov Xoyov 

 " But it is my duty to relate the things which are told me, 

 " though I am not bound to believe them all ; and let what 

 " I now fay be eftabiiflied through the whole courfe of my 

 « hiftory." 



Thus far have I rentured to eflay my weak endeavours 

 towards the vindication of an author by whofe guidance and 

 inftrudlion my travels have been rendered delightful and pro* 

 fitable, and by whom, I muft again repeat it, I, have never 

 been deceived ; neither let me be accufed of prefumption or 

 of arrogance in having thus attempted to controvert the opi- 

 nions of thofe, who, from their acknowledged fuperiority both 

 in erudition and capacity, are fo much more competent judges 

 than I can pretend to be, when I afTure my brethren of the 

 Academy, to whofe partiality, rather than to their judgment, 

 this flight eflay is fubmitted, that my juft and too well 

 founded timidity would have yielded to no motive lefs pow- 

 erful than the ardent, and, I truft, not unwarrantable defire, 

 of contributing towards that important and univerfal benefit, 

 hifloric certainty, by endeavouring to redeem from fufpicion 

 a writer upon whofe credit our knowledge of antiquity, and 

 of remote hiftory, almoft wholly depends, and without whofe 

 aid and information the darker ages would be plunged into 

 tenfold obfcurity. The certainty of hiftoric relation is of the 

 higheft importance to mankind — hiftory is the fchool of man- 

 ners. 



