common hangman.  He married again, on the death of his Dutch wife, a rich widow, Mrs. Berkeley, who was his third spouse—­hence Swift’s caustic reference.  He died March 17th, 1714-15.  In addition to his histories of the Reformation and his own times, he wrote an “Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles” (1699), the “Life of Bishop Bedell” and the other lives already named, and several sermons and controversial pieces.

The text of this pamphlet is that of the first edition, collated with, those given by Faulkner, Hawkesworth, the “Miscellanies” of 1745, and Scott.  It was originally published in 1713.

[T.S.]

A PREFACE[1] T O T H E B—­p of S—­r—­m’s INTRODUCTION To the Third Volume of the History of the Reformation of the Church of England.

By GREGORY MISOSARVM.

_——­Spargere voces
  In vulgum ambiguas; & quaerere confcius arma._

The Second Edition

LONDON: 

Printed for John Morphew, near Stationers Hall. 1713.  Price 6d.

THE PREFACE.[2]

MR. MORPHEW,

Your care in putting an advertisement in the EXAMINER has been of great use to me.  I do now send you my Preface to the B——­p of S——­r——­m’s INTRODUCTION to his third volume, which I desire you to print in such a form, as in the bookseller’s phrase will make a sixpenny touch; hoping it will give such a public notice of my design, that it may come into the hands of those who perhaps look not into the B——­p’s Introduction.  I desire you will prefix to this a passage out of Virgil, which does so perfectly agree with my present thoughts of his L——­dsh——­p, that I cannot express them better, nor more truly, than those words do.

I am, Sir,

Your most humble servant,

G. MISOSARUM.

[Footnote 1:  Mr. Nichols quotes from the “Speculum Sarisburianum,” “That the frequent and hasty repetitions of such prefaces and introductions, no less than three new ones in about one year’s time, beside an old serviceable one republished concerning persecution—­are preludes to other practical things, beside pastoral cares, sermons, and histories.” [T.  S.]]

[Footnote 2:  This preface “to the bookseller” is in imitation of the bishop’s own preface to the bookseller in the “Introduction,” which was signed “G.  Sarum.” [T.  S.]]

This way of publishing introductions to books that are, God knows when, to come out, is either wholly new, or so long unpractised, that my small reading cannot trace it.  However we are to suppose, that a person of his Lordship’s great age and experience, would hardly act such a piece of singularity without some extraordinary motives.  I cannot but observe, that his fellow-labourer, the author of the paper called The Englishman,[3] seems, in some of his late performances, to have almost transcribed the notions