The life of the apostle St Paul, written in French by the famous Bishop of Grasse, and now Englished by a person of honour.

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To the Right Honorable EDWARD Lord VAƲX, Baron of Harroden, &c.

My Lord,

HAving obteined, by meanes of Your most noble Lady, a view of this choise piece, which, through Your hands, pre∣sents in our idiome Saint Pauls Life, in whom wee Gentiles are so highly concerned. My Reverence to the blessed Apostle, and

my Duty to my Countrey, emboldened me to publish this elaborate transposition of Your Lordships out of French into English, to a common perusal of all our Countrey-men, who, with S. Chrysostom, ought to de∣light more in him, and in his simple, yet grave stile, then all the swelling Criti∣cismes, or vaine Philoso∣phy of posteriour Wri∣ters. That I acquainted not Your Lordship with the publishing, I finde ex∣amples of great Saints to

have paralleld my adven∣ture, as, of Saint Amand to S. Paulin, who, having published his Epistles, sent him a fardle of them, which he would have for∣gotten to have been his own, if the veracity and authority of the Publisher had not forced his ac∣knowledgment. That Your Illustrious Consort gave me your Book to read, and, if upon dicussion, I should esteem it able to bear the rubbs of rigid Censurers, to print it, was her com∣mendable

tenderness in or∣der to Your Lordship, and Christian providence in order to the Publique; warranted by Great Saint Augustine in his 7^th E∣pistle to Marcelline, who desires severe Judges as Over-visours of his learn∣ed Workes; and S. Am∣brose to S. Sabinus, Epist. 63. gives the reason, Be∣cause a mans own writings deceive him, errours easily escape him, &, as Children, though deformed, delight their Parents, so, ill digest∣ed

conceits flatter the Con∣triver. This Work, for the subject, commandeth Devotion and Reverence in the Reader, for the ac∣curate delineation of his Life, and learned inter∣mixtion of other contempo∣rary Occurrences, deserve so ingenuous and pious a Translator, as Your Lord∣ship. In lieu of Transla∣tor, I might beg leave to say Interpreter; for, You have not onely given us in English the things signifi∣ed in the French, which is

the duty of a Translator, but you have rendered the very mentall Conception of the Author, which, in Ari∣stotles stile, is the office of an Interpreter; and, in this, much obliged all, espe∣cially him, who had the priviledge to suck the first morning sap; which, by all duteous expressions I must confess, who am

Your Honours Most obliged and faithfull Servant F. D.