I mean, the general Part of it; fo that he may have in his Mind a View of the whole Current of Time, and the feveral confiderable Epocha's that are made use of in Hiftory. Without these two, Hiftory, which is the great Mistress of Prudence and Civil Knowledge, and ought to be the proper Study of a young Gentleman, or Man of Business in the World; without Geography and Chronology, I fay, Hiftory will be very ill retained, and very little useful; but be only a Jumble of Matters of Fact confufedly heaped together without Order or Inftruction. 'Tis by these that the Actions of Mankind are ranked into their proper Places of Times and Countries; under which Circumstances they are not only much eafier kept in the Memory; but in that natural Order are only capable to afford those Obfervations which make a Man the better and the abler for reading them. After this; he extends his due Praifes to our Author, as the beft Chronologer he has met with yet extant : Chis words are thefe) The most useful Book I have feen in that part of Learning, is a Treatife of Strauchius under the Title of Breviarium Chronologicum, out of which may be selected all that is neceffary to be taught a young Gentleman concerning Chronology. But herein he only follows the Opinion of the Learned World, which has always difcovered a particular Value for this Piece,as may appear by the feveral large Impreffions 4 that that have been bought up fince its first Publica tion; and 'tis for this Reason I prefume to set it in a clearer Light and more publick View ; that a Book of fuch General Ufe and Concernment may not any longer be continued to a particular Set of Men: Upon which score I hope this Tranflation may meet with an Acceptance and Entertainment fuitable to the Worth and Character of the Author. As to the Tranflation it felf, the Author's Method has been followed in every thing, except in that tedious Way he has made ufe of, by Queftion and Answer ; which breaking off fo often the Thread of the Difcourfe, renders it lefs pleafing to the Reader, and not more useful. This I think I may modeftly fay, I have amended, by turning the Authors Questions into a Marginal Summary of the adjoining Section; and the An fwer of it, which in the Original is long and full of Quotations, into the Section it felf; and thefe agree generally to the feveral Re be more fponfes there; which 'tis to be hoped may agreeable and eafier retained by the. The Quotations, which are many in the Original, and much used by most German Writers, I have only taken the Sence of, except fuch as are most material: And where the Author is fo prolix in things of little Moment, and only fhews his Skill in confuting the Author of the Myftic Chronology, and others not of his Opinion, I have thought fit rather to give thee the Sum of it than cumber thee (as Mr. Lock calls it Pag. 328.) with his Arguments at large. A 4 Such Such was the condition in which the former Impreffion appeared; fo that now it remains only to acquaint the Reader with what recommendatory Improvements he may expect in the Impreffion I now offer. It must be own'd that the Tranflators Abfence from the Prefs, joyn'd to the carelefness and hurry of the Printer, rendered the Tranflation very lame and faulty in the first Edition. But to attone for fo great a Crime,particular care has been taken in this to collate every Line of the Tranflation with the Original, and to make fuch Alterations, as ('tis prefumed) will be reckoned Improvements: not to mention that the Prefs has been narrowly obferved, and 'tis hop'd the Reader will here meet with as correct an Edition, as can be expected in a work of this Nature. In regard this Book is recommended to the World for a compleat Summary of all the necefJary and useful parts of Chronology, I have now endeavoured to render it yet more compleat, by interlacing the respective Chapters with Additions out of the Learned Dr. Beveridge's Inftitutiones Chronologica, and Dr. Holder's Difcourfe of Time: Among which I have taken particular notice of Dr. Holder's Ac count of the Original and Imperfection of the Golden Number, as applied in the firft Column of the Calendar of the Common Prayer Book. In the last place 'twas thought not improper to carry down and apply the Chronological Epocha's to the prefent States and Kingdoms of Europe; and to fubjoyn Tables of all the respective Kings, with the date of their Deaths, applied to to the correfponding Characters of the Julian Period, and the Cycles of the Sun, Moon and Indiction; under this head I have taken occafion to allot room for the Epocha of the Papal Hierarchy,and that of the Reformation; fuck remarkable Revolutions being very confiderable in the Hiftory of our times, and worthy of a particular regard. Upon the whole,'tis prefum'd, the Correctness of this Edition, the Juftness of the Tranflation, and the feafonable Acceffion of proper Additions, will plead for the merit of the Book, and Save me the trouble of any farther Recommendation, THE THE Ch. 1. Of Chronological Characters in general, Additions to the fame out of Dr. Beveridge, Ch. 11. Of Hebdomatick or Weekly Characters, |