To the moft Noble PRINCE

HENRY,

Duke of BEAUFORT, Marquefs and Earl of Worcester, Earl of Glamorgan,Baron Herbert,

AND

Lord of Chepstow, Ragland, and Gower.

My LORD,

T

HE First Volume of the New Atalantis flourish'd under Your Grace's aufpicious Sun-fhine, unknown, unfriended, of an obfcure Origi nal, a nameless Tranflator, no Party,

interested in its Favour, or ready to prepoffefs others: Its whole Hopes and Merits fum'd up in the Great Name of` BEAUFORT in the Front: An Attempt in me (I confefs) fo daring, that, like a Heroe who has gained an almost impoffible Victory, I fcarce believe the Conqueft, but still trembling look back with Wonder at my own Ambition, how it durft put it felf to that eminent Trial, which was mightiest, Your Grace's unequal'd Goodness, or my unequal'd Prefumption.

As then, my Lord, I implor'd Your Moft Noble Protection, So now let me embrace the Opportunity of expreffing my Gratitude! The customary Manner of barely infcribing this Second Volume to Your Grace, was too faint, too cold a Method, to speak my Duty, and my Thanks: Let me loudly tell the World how truly confcious I am that all its Succefs was owing to Your Grace's Favour. It had the good Fortune to please You; which as foon as I was affured, I became no longer folicitous, nor doubted of the reft: You led me on to a certain Victory, to that Renown which I prophefied to my felf from fo great a Leader's Approba

tion. O Fortunate Event! Oh laudable Ambition! Is not Ambition the Spring of the greatest Actions? What raises a Private Soldier to a General, a Common Seaman to an Admiral, but the Defire of Glory? This Motive made Rome the Miftrefs of the World; 'till her Sons, Bartering the Love of Praife for Luxury and Love of Money, she became an eafy Prey to every barbarous Invader. This gave me to be known, nay to be applauded, by the ILLUSTRIOUS BEAU

FORT.

The New Atalantis feems, my Lord, to be written like Varonian Satyres, on different Subjects, Tales, Stories, and Characters of Invention, after the Manner of Lucian, who copy'd from Varro. In my Opinion, nothing can be added to Mr. Dryden's learned Difcourfe of Satyre, in his Dedication of Juvenal. He obferves thus, What is most effential, and the very Soul of Satyre, is Scourging of Vice, and Exhortation to Vertue. Satyre is of the Nature of Moral Philofophy: He therefore who inftructs most ufefully will carry the Palm. And again, 'Tis an Action of Vertue to make Examples of vicious A 3 Men.

Men. They may, and ought to be apbraided with their Crimes and Follies: Both for their own Amendment, if they are not yet incorrigible; and for the Terror of others, to hinder them from falling into thofe Enormities, which they fee are fo feverely punished in the Perfons of others. The firft Reafon was only an excufe of Revenge. But this fecond is abfolutely of the Poet's Office to perform.

Were not the Scene of thefe Memoirs in an Island with which thofe of ours are but little acquainted. I fhould, my Lord, fay fomething in the Defence of them, as they feem guilty of particular Refle. Etions, defending the Author, by the Precedent of our Great Fore-fathers in Satyre, who not only flew against the gem neral reigning Vices, but pointed at individual Perfons, as may be seen in Ennius, Varro, Lucian, Horace, Juvenal, Perfius, &c. What would have become of the Immortality they have deviv'd from their Works, if their Contemporaries had been of the TATLER'S Opinion? Who, though he allows Ingratitude, Avarice, and thofe other Vices,