Some are so very willing to alienate from me that small Reputation which might accrue to me from any of these my Speculations, that they attribute some of the best of them to those imaginary Manuscripts with which I have introduced them.  There are others, I must confess, whose Objections have given me a greater Concern, as they seem to reflect, under this Head, rather on my Morality than on my Invention.  These are they who say an Author is guilty of Falshood, when he talks to the Publick of Manuscripts which he never saw, or describes Scenes of Action or Discourse in which he was never engaged.  But these Gentlemen would do well to consider, there is not a Fable or Parable which ever was made use of, that is not liable to this Exception; since nothing; according to this Notion, can be related innocently, which was not once Matter of Fact.  Besides, I think the most ordinary Reader may be able to discover, by my way of writing, what I deliver in these Occurrences as Truth, and what as Fiction.

Since I am unawares engaged in answering the several Objections which have been made against these my Works, I must take Notice that there are some who affirm a Paper of this Nature should always turn upon diverting Subjects, and others who find Fault with every one of them that hath not an immediate Tendency to the Advancement of Religion or Learning.  I shall leave these Gentlemen to dispute it out among themselves; since I see one half of my Conduct patronized by each side.  Were I serious on an improper Subject, or trifling in a serious one, I should deservedly draw upon me the Censure of my Readers; or were I conscious of any thing in my Writings that is not innocent at least, or that the greatest part of them were not sincerely designed to discountenance Vice and Ignorance, and support the Interest of true Wisdom and Virtue, I should be more severe upon my self than the Publick is disposed to be.  In the mean while I desire my Reader to consider every particular Paper or Discourse as a distinct Tract by itself, and independent of every thing that goes before or after it.

I shall end this Paper with the following Letter, which was really sent me, as some others have been which I have published, and for which I must own my self indebted to their respective Writers.

  SIR,

I was this Morning in a Company of your Well-wishers, when we read over, with great Satisfaction, Tully’s Observations on Action adapted to the British Theatre:  Though, by the way, we were very sorry to find that you have disposed of another Member of your Club.  Poor Sir Roger is dead, and the worthy Clergyman dying.  Captain Sentry has taken Possession of a fair Estate; Will.  Honeycomb has married a Farmer’s Daughter; and the Templar withdraws himself into the Business of his own Profession.  What will all this end in?  We are afraid it portends no Good to the Publick.  Unless you very speedily