, assuring me that he was of opinion
that it might not be altogether useless, not only to young men engaged
in the same pursuit with myself, but to the general reader. He obviated
all my objections arising from my want of leisure, during my present
interesting engagements, by offering to undertake the whole business
himself, and to release me from any further trouble, as he was just
setting out for London, where he proposed passing more time than the
printing would require.

Thus I am driven to the stale apology for publishing what perhaps it
would have been more prudent to have withheld--_the importunity of
friends_; an apology so commonly unfounded, and so repeatedly alleged,
from the days of John Faustus to the publication of C[oe]lebs.

But whether my friend, or my vanity, had the largest share of influence,
I am willing to indulge the hope that a better motive than either
friendship or vanity was an operating ingredient in my consent. Be that
as it may--I sent him my copy "_with all its imperfections on its
head_." It was accompanied by a letter of which the following extract
shall conclude these short prefatory remarks:

"I here send you my manuscript, with permission to make what use of it
you please. By publishing it I fear you will draw on me the particular
censure of two classes of critics. The novel reader will reject it as
dull. The religious may throw it aside as frivolous. The one will accuse
it of excessive strictness; the other of censurable levity. Readers of
the former description must be satisfied with the following brief and
general answer:

"Had it been my leading object to have indulged in details that have
amusement only for their end, it might not have been difficult to have
produced a work more acceptable to the tastes accustomed to be gratified
with such compositions. But to entertain that description of readers
makes no part of my design.

"The persons with whom I have associated in my excursion were
principally, though not exclusively, the family of a country gentleman,
and a few of his friends--a narrow field, and unproductive of much
variety! The generality of these characters move in the quiet and
regular course of domestic life. I found them placed in no difficult
situations. It was a scene rather favorable to reflection than
description. Social intercourse, and not striking events, marked the
daily progress of my visit. I had little of pathetic scenes or trying
circumstances to wor