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All the Endeavours of envious People to reproach it with being a Romance, to fearch it for Errors in Geography, Inconfiftency in the Relation, and Contradictions in the Fact, have proved abortive, and as impotent as malicious

The juft Application of every Incident, the religious and useful Inferences a from every Part, are fo many Teftimonies to the good Defign of making it publick and must legitimate all the Part that may be call'd Invention, or Parable in the Story.

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The Second Part, if the Editor's Opinion may pufs, is (contrary to the Ufage of Second Parts,) every Way as entertainsing as the First, contains as frange and furprising Incidents, and as great a Variety of them; nor is the Application lefs ferious, or fuitable; and doubtless will, to the faber, as well as ingenious Reader, be every way as profitable and diverting; and this

makes the abs this Work,

as fcandalous, as it is knavish and ridiculous, feeing, while to Shorten the Book, that they may Jeem to reduce the Value, they Strip it of all thofe Reflections, as well religious as moral, which

are

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are not only the greatest Beautys of the Work, but are calculated for the infinite Advantage of the Reader.

By this they leave the Work naked of its brightest Ornaments and if they would, at the fame Time pretend, that the Author has Jupply'd the Story out of his Invention, they take from it the Improvement, which alone recommends that Invention to wife and good Men.

The Injury thefe Men do the Proprietor of this Work, is a Practice all honest Men abbor; and ke believes he may challenge them to fhew the Difference be

tween

tween that and Robbing on the Highway, or Breaking open a Houfe.

If they can't fhew any Difference in the Crime, they will find it hard to fhew why there fhould be any Difference in the Punishment: And he will answer for it, that nothing shall be wanting on his Part, to do them Justice.

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