THE 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



Memoirs of the Lives of great and good men 

 have generally met with a favourable reception 

 in the w^orld, partly from the acknowledged 

 usefulness of such kind of writings, and partly 

 from a curiosity natural to many people, which 

 invites them to examine the actions and cha- 

 racters of those, who, when alive, drew the 

 notice of the public upon them. 



And as our country is intitled to its share of 

 honour, in having produced many persons emi- 

 nent in all faculties, whose memorable virtues, 

 learning, and public labours have deserved to 

 be transmitted to posterity ; so it is some fur- 

 ther credit to it, that justice has usually been 

 done to their merits by the pens of their sur- 

 vivors, which, after the public have been 

 deprived of their personal services, have kept 

 their characters alive for the instruction and 



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