IV PREFACE. 



late years infinitely enhanced, the causes of 

 which will be apparent in these pages ; and if 

 the author cannot guarantee his readers on the 

 main point, long habits have enabled him to 

 render the service next in importance, that of 

 tendering the needful practical cautions. It will 

 be acknowledged on all hands, that such cau- 

 tions had never before any thing equal to the 

 present necessity : and in contemplation of the 

 old idea, of "perils by land, and perils by water," 

 the former appear greatly, at any rate in fre- 

 quency, to overtop the latter. The author 

 trusts he has omitted nothing of utility or im- 

 portance, in those branches of his subject on 

 which he has undertaken to treat. 



It being demanded of an eminent politician 

 and grammarian of the last century, by the 

 Commissioners of the Income Tax, " how he 

 lived ?" he replied, " by begging, borrowing, 

 and stealing !" Should it be demanded of me, 

 " how I have composed my book ?'' my reply 

 would be, " from my own knowledge, by beg- 

 ging and borrowing :" the latter occasionally 

 from my former writings ; ?nd whenever from 

 those of others, it will be found always accom- 

 panied with due acknowledgment. I have 

 freely collected from any source that presented, 

 whatever I deemed useful. 



