The first Piece that the Reader will meet with is, A Critical ESSAY on Characteristic-Writings:  It treats of the Origin of those Writings:  It points out the general Laws to be observ’d in such Compositions, and it contains some Reflexions on Theophrastus’s and Mr. de la Bruyere’s Performances in this Way.  The Design of this at least is, I think, new.  Mr. Fabricius mentions a [A]Book, which, by its Title, shou’d bear some Relation to this Essay, but tho’ I have enquir’d after it pretty strictly, yet I never cou’d get a Sight of it, nor have I conversed with any Person that had perus’d it.

  [A:  Georgii Paschii Professoris Kiloniensis Diatriba de
  philosophia Characteristica & Paraenetica. 4to. Kilonie. 1705. 
  Vid.  Fabric.  Bib.  Graec.  L. 3. p. 241.]

The next Piece is a Translation of the Moral Characters of Theophrastus from the Greek.  This is not the first Time that Theophrastus has appeared in a modern Dress.  Mr. de la Bruyere translated him into French:  And this was the Foundation of those Characters, which he himself compos’d, and which gave Rise to those many Performances, that were afterwards attempted in the same Way. [B]Mr. Menage has highly extoll’d this Translation. Elle est, says he, bien belle, & bien francoise, & montre que son Auteur entend parfaitement le Grec.  Je puis dire que j’y ay vu des Choses, que, peut etre, Faute d’Attention, je n’avois pas vues dans le Grec. This is great; and it must be own’d that Mr. Menage was a Man of very extensive Learning, and a great Master of the Greek Tongue; but that his Judgment was always equal to his Knowledg of Words, will not be so readily allow’d.  Besides, the Credit of the Books ending in ana runs very low, and in particular the Menagiana have been disown’d by Mr. Menage’s own [C]Relations, as being injurious to the Merit and Memory of that great Man.  And therefore it must still be left to the inquisitive and judicious Reader to determine, whether those Faults, which I have observ’d in Mr. de la Bruyere’s Translation are justly censur’d or not.

  [B:  Menagiana.  Ed. Paris. 1715.  T. 4. p. 219.]

  [C:  Mr. du Tremblay.  Traite des Langues. ad fin.]

The Characters of Theophrastus have been twice translated into English.  The former Translation is anonymous, and the latter was done by the ingenious Mr. Eustace Budgell.  It will be expected that I shou’d say something of these two Translations.  And I shall be the more ready to do this, because I shall hereby insensibly lead the Reader to the Reasons which induc’d me to undertake a third.