The ARTS of LOGICK AND RHETORICK, ILLUSTRATED By EXAMPLES taken out of the best INTERPRETED and EXPLAIN'D To which are added, PARALLEL QUOTATIONS Out of the Most Eminent English AUTHORS in VERSE and PROSE: Wherein the like Observations are made on their BE A UTIES and BLEMISHES, in all the various Kinds of THOUGHT and EXPRESSION. As all is Darkness when the FANCY's bad; LONDON: Printed for JOHN CLARK and RICHARD HETT, JOHN PEMBERTON, RICHARD FORD, and JOHN GRAY. M. DCC. XXVIIL то The Right Honourable George Dodington, Efq; One of the Lords of the Treasury, AND Lord Lieutenant of the County of SOMERS e t. SIR, HE Lofs of my intended Patron, Sir Samuel Garth, who put me upon this Work, was fuch a Difcouragement to my Studies, which he was always pleas'd to favour, that I thought no more of Pere Bouhours, or Right-thinking, till I had the Honour of your Converfation, which reviv'd in my Memory all those Ideas A 2 of of it that are the Ornament and Ufe of the French Critick's admirable Treatife. THE Inducements I fhou'd have had to have made the like Addrefs to my deceas'd Friend, were his fine Learning, Genius, Tafte, Wit, Judgment, Vivacity, and Humanity, which are but a Part of your Character, heighten'd by a perfect Knowledge of Men, and the Business of the World, by fuperior Dignity and Fortune; where we find verify'd what Mr. Pope said in Flattery of one of the late Queen's latest Minifters, A Genius not more diftinguish'd in the great Scenes of Business, than in all the useful and entertaining Parts of Learning: But it was those other valuable and amiable Qualities which wou'd have induc'd me to have had Recourse to the Protection of Sir Samuel Garth, as they neceffitate me to defire Yours: For without Learning, Genius, Tafte, Wit, and Judgment, no Patron cou'd have protected a Book which treats of nothing else, and that in the moft Delicate and Inftructive Manner. IT was impoffible for me not to think of You, in a Cafe of this Nature; and that Beneficence which is fo confpicuous in all Your Actions, confirm'd me in an Opinion that You wou'd not deny me Your Patronage; it being as neceffary to me, as it is glorious to others: For in every Article of Right-thinking, You will, with a Glance of Your Eye, fee if Father Bouhours and my felf are not miftaken; and if You approve of what what we have done, we fhall have nothing to fear from Criticifm. I DARE not flatter my self with fuch Hopes, and that this will be our good Fortune; Your Penetration being too quick to let the leaft Slip, or Negligence efcape You, and much lefs any Error, or Misjudgment; but then we are fure to fuffer nothing by Jealoufy and Prejudice, which Your Judgment is as much above, as any Performance of ours can be beneath them; and Your Candour, fo peculiar to Great Minds, will put the good Intention into the Scale, when the Merit of the Work wants more Weight there, I AM far from a vain Imagination that I have perform'd my Part as a Tranflator, or as an Author, with the Perfection the Subject deferves; but there being little or nothing concerning it in our Language, and both Authors and Readers confounding the various Manners of Thinking in the general Term Thought, by which great Confufion happens, and much is loft both of Inftruction and Pleasure, I could not help fancying that an Attempt of this Kind would be equally ufeful and agreeable, and having made greater Collections for it, than perhaps any other Man had done, I was willing to offer them to the Publick for thofe Improvements and Embellishments which may be expected from better Talents, and more Opportunities, |