4 
INTRODUCTION. 
As the lead pardonable fault in an author is prolixity, mo- 
dern letter-writers feem to have edablifhed it as a rule to avoid 
being tedious, tho’ they leave you to imagine a great deal more 
than they exprefs. Happy it is for readers who by the force of 
their own fancy, or judgment, can draw amufement and in- 
druction, by fupplying what the author does not exprefs. You 
are one of this number ; but in general this is not the cafe : 
fome people think much and read little ; others read much and 
think little. In the lad cafe, where the mind meets a gratifi- 
cation, it is painful to be left to its own fuggedions ; we rather 
wiOi for fatiety than hunger. Yet I believe the mod effe&ual 
way to anfwer the true purpofe of reading, in general, is to 
leave the mind under a kind of necefilty of exerting its faculties. 
For the fame reafon it is more eafy to catch indru&ion by hints, 
than by elaborate difcourfes. 
You may obferve further, that as dramatic writers heighten 
their characters beyond real life, moralids are apt to be too ab- 
dradted. I hope you are fafe with regard to any thing I fhall 
advance. But having laid down thefe principles, I mud di- 
vide even my proem into parts. I am yours, 
LETTER II. 
Ttf the fame. 
Madam, 
W HATEVER fate attends the talk I undertake, common 
prudence bids me to remind you, that five of our eight 
days journey were elapfed before a thought of my writing a 
journal 
