[THE]
PREFACE
THE Bold Manner of publishing the Letter for correcting, improving, and ascertaining the English Tongue, made me conclude there was something very extraordinary in it, and more than any one could expect from Persons that were never thought to trouble themselves much about Fine Language. But upon dipping into it, I found there was nothing worthy the Character the Author acquir’d by other Ingenious Pieces in our Tongue, tho’ I confess, it was not so much for the Beauty of his Style as for other Qualities, some of which a Divine need not brag of.
’Tis probable, our late Correspondence with France put such a Whim into some Folks Heads, and because they have an Academy for the same Use at Paris, we forsooth must have one at London. The Foreign News, which sometimes tells us more Truth of our doings here than our own, has the very Names of the Members of the Academy which the Doctor speaks of. I do not find that it is come to any thing more yet than meeting over a Bottle once a Week, and being Merry. At which Times People mind talking much, more than talking well. I shou’d have taken what is printed in the Amsterdam Gazette to have been only a dull Dutch Jest upon those Men, if this Letter had not been written, and some broad Hints given, that we are to be happier than we thought of, and to be surpriz’d with a Society that shall make us as Polite as that of Reformation has made us Godly; and I wish it may answer the Ends of it with all my Heart. But the more I reflected upon this Project and the Projectors, the more I was diffident of it, for the Reasons mention’d in the following Pages.
I know very well the Epistle has but a sorry Reputation, even with the Writer’s own Party, that it is looked upon as a silly superficial Performance, and to be design’d only for an Opportunity to shew what a Nack he has at Panegyrick. Be that as it will, after I had consider’d the Subject he writes more leisurely than I was won’t to do, I was loth to lose those Considerations; and having put ’em into this Form, I flatter’d my self the Publick would not receive them ill; at least all those whom Faction and Prejudice have not render’d Insensible of Truth and Reason, and to such, a Man must be well set to work that writes a Task suitable to the Integrity and Ability of Abel and his Brethren, among whom I am very unwilling to reckon our Author.