e Beauties of his Stile,
without any Force upon Nature, or the being obliged to forsake her
easy and unconstrain'd Method of applying proper Expressions to proper
Thoughts. The _Bishop_ of St. _Asaph_ hath shewn his Skill in
Antiquities, by more Instances than one; yet do I not find, that even
in the Opinion of this Gentleman, it hath spoil'd his Stile. I shall
add to these the late and present _Bishops_ of _Worcester_, the
former, Dr. _Stillingfleet_, is allow'd by all to have been one of
the most learned Men and greatest Antiquaries of his Age; and for the
present Bishop, who is also a learned Antiquary, take the Character
which is given of his Skill and Exactness in the _English_ Tongue from
[F]_Bishop Wilkins_;

I must acknowledge my self obliged, saith he, to the continual
Assistance I have had from my most learned and worthy Friend, Dr.
_William Lloyd_, than whom (so far as I am able to judge) this
Nation could not have afforded a fitter Person, either for that
great Industry, or accurate Judgment, both in _Philological_, and
_Philosophical_ Matters, required to such a Work. And particularly,
I must wholly ascribe to him that tedious and difficult Task, of
suiting the Tables to the _Dictionary_, and the drawing up of the
_Dictionary_ itself, which, upon trial, I doubt not, will be found
to be the most perfect, that was ever yet made for the _English
Tongue_.

I will only farther beg leave to mention, the _Bishop_ of_ Carlisle_,
_Your Self_, and Dr. _Gibson_, who for good Spirit, masterly Judgment,
and all the Ornaments of Stile, in the several ways of Writing, may be
equalled with the best and most polite. To conclude, if this Preface
is writ in a Stile, that may be thought somewhat rough and too severe,
it is not out of any natural Inclination to take up a Quarrel, but
to do some Justice to the Study of Antiquities, and even of our own
Language itself, against the severe Censurers of both; whose Behaviour
in this Controversy has been such, as cou'd not have the Treatment it
deserved in a more modest or civil manner. If I am mistaken herein, I
beg Pardon: I might alledge that which perhaps might be admitted for
an Excuse, but that I will not involve the whole Sex, by pleading
Woman's Frailty. I confess I thought it would be to little purpose
to write an _English Saxon Grammar_, if there was nothing of Worth
in that Language to invite any one to the study of it; so that I
have only been upo