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PREFACE.

A

S it would give us the greatest con

cern, that any part of that Public, to whom we owe fuch long-continued and infinite obligations, fhould attribute the lateness of our publication, either to an unthankful remiffness on our fide, or to a presumptuous confidence on their favour, we think it neceffary at this time to say a few words upon the subject.

Our first confiderable failure in point of time, proceeded from unavoidable miffortune; from long and dangerous ill

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nefs; a fort of interruption, which a -course of years must be expected naturally to produce. Whoever will at all confider the nature of an annual work, of great diverfity, attention, and labour, in which the business of the coming year is conftantly preffing upon the prefent, will eastido 1 19

fily conceive the difficulty of speedily re

Dorfantcon trel dont ows covering any confiderable portion of loft

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time, even fuppofing things ftill to conti

nue in their usual and ordinary course. But in the inftance we mention, the occafional delay was immediately succeeded by an unexpected and extraordinary acceffion of business; which has fince continually increased, until it has arrived at a magnitude before unknown. Thus the original difficulty was not only ren

dered

dered infurmountable, but the evil itself became of neceffity greater.

If the Annual Regifter were entirely a compilation, we fhould have much to. answer for any failure in point of time. But the nature of the historical part, does not admit of fuch precifion. It must, in that respect, as in all others, be governed by the importance and magnitude of its objects. While the state of public affairs continues to render it the principal and most interesting part of our work, we shall run no race against time in its execution. We owe too much to the Public, to make them fo bad a return for their favour; we owe too much to ourselves, to forfeit the high reputation in which the work now ftands abroad as well

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well as at home. We trust that the readers of our prefent Hiftory, will equally acquit us of remiffness in the execution, and of an undue prefumption on their favour in the delay.

THE

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