The epistles of Phalaris translated into English from the original Greek by S. Whately ... ; to which is added Sir W. Temple's Character of the epistles of Phalaris ; together with an appendix of some other epistles lately discovered in a French ms.

TO THE READER.

THe brisk Debates with which the World hath been of the late so pleasantly Entertained concerning the Author of the following Epistles gave me the Curio∣sity of viewing in the original the Things Themselves which had proved the occasion of so vigorous a Contest. That was what within the narrow compass of my Conversa∣tion I met with few that had done, and yet scarce a man that made the least Hesitation for which of the Antagonists in this Critical War to declare. This made me imagin that I should perform no unacceptable ser∣vice to the English Reader, if I presented him with a Phalaris in his own Language, and let him see What it is about which he hath both Heard and Made so free Discourses, What my Opinion is as to the matter in Dispute, I shall not here Discover. Some little Intima∣tions of it the Observing Reader may col∣lect from the short Notes here and there subjoyned to some of the Epistles •• which will also shew him how Mistrustful I am of my own Performance, and how sensible of the Exceptions may be made against

it. But as for the meer English Reader, he may save himself the Labour of looking upon them. They were not designed for him, nor are they for his use. I know this piece is like to fall into severe hands, which ought to have Discouraged an unpractised Pen from meddling with it. But if any man be minded to be Quarrelsome, I shall venture to give him this Advice, That he be sure he understand the Original before he pass his Judgment upon the Translation: and after all perhaps he will find more Labour and less Glory in the Vndertaking than he Expects. For either I am very slow of Ap∣prehension, or else this Author requires a clo∣ser Application of Thought either to be Vn∣derstood in his own Language, or Translated into another, than upon a Transient view of some of the shorter Epistles an Hasty Reader would imagin. Some kind of Defence I were about to have made for the Licentionsness of the Translation. But some∣thing of that Nature is already offer'd in the Notes, and to Apologize farther in so Trivial a cause would run me upon a Vanity not ad∣mitting of Apology, and expose me to the Sus∣picion of valuing my self upon performances of this Nature; which I assvre the Reader I am so far from doing that I can scarce answer to my own Thoughts, the having thrown away

any part of my Time so Insignificantly. As for the Elegancies of Stile, I cannot bring my self to effect them. If the English Pha∣laris bears any tolerable Resemblance to the Greek one, I have my end: if I have failed in That, 'twas because I could do no better. For though I own my self not so mighty an ad∣mirer of my Author, as a Translator ought to be, and as some persons professedly are, yet I have no where willingly Abused him, but all along endeavoured to make the best of him that I could. And let Envious Cri∣ticks say what they will, there is in these Epistles (whether True or Counterfeit) a Spirit and Vigor, which will keep them above Contempt; though I confess I think Tully's much better. The Copy I followed, was that of the late Theatre Edition: and what Light I received from the Annota∣tions joyned with it, I have not unwilling∣ly acknowledged, as appears by the often Refe∣rence to them under the Title of Not. Ox. i. e. Notae Oxonienses. To whom we are beholden for them every one knows. Nor were I for Sullying so Honourable a Name by making it a meer Marginal Ornament to a Trifle which could not Grace it. As for those two little pieces of Lucian, from the Relation they bear to Phalar is and the use that hath been made of them

in the Controversy concerning him, I judged them not improper to be printed together with him. Being now at a Distance from the Press, and so not having the opportu∣nity of seeing or Collating them with the Ori∣ginal, I ordered them to be printed verbatim from the Edition of Lucian's Works already published in English, which as I have never perused, so I have no reason to Mistrust.