J. and JA. RIVINGTON, in _St. Paul's Church-yard_; And by
J. LEAKE, at _Bath_

M.DCC.XLVIII.

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THE EDITOR _to the_ READER.

If it may be thought reasonable to criticise the Public Taste, in
what are generally supposed to be Works of mere Amusement; or modest
to direct its Judgment, in what is offered for its Entertainment; I
would beg leave to introduce the following Sheets with a few cursory
Remarks, that may lead the common Reader into some tolerable
conception of the nature of this Work, and the design of its Author.

The close connexion which every Individual has with all that relates
to MAN in general, strongly inclines us to turn our observation upon
human affairs, preferably to other attentions, and impatiently to
wait the progress and issue of them. But, as the course of human
actions is too slow to gratify our inquisitive curiosity, observant
men very easily contrived to satisfy its rapidity, by the invention
of _History_. Which, by recording the principal circumstances of
past facts, and laying them close together, in a continued
narration, kept the mind from languishing, and gave constant
exercise to its reflections.

But as it commonly happens, that in all indulgent refinements on our
satisfactions, the Procurers to our pleasures run into excess; so it
happened here. Strict matters of fact, how delicately soever dressed
up, soon grew too simple and insipid to a taste stimulated by the
Luxury of Art: They wanted something of more poignancy to quicken
and enforce a jaded appetite. Hence the Original of the first
barbarous _Romances_, abounding with this false provocative of
uncommon, extraordinary, and miraculous Adventures.

But satiety, in things unnatural, soon, brings on disgust. And the
Reader, at length, began to see, that too eager a pursuit after
_Adventures_ had drawn him from what first engaged his attention,
MAN _and his Ways_, into the Fairy Walks of Monsters and Chimeras.
And now those who had run farthest after these delusions, were the
first that recovered themselves. For the next Species of Fiction,
which took its name from its _novelty_, was of _Spanish_ invention.
These presented us with something of Humanity; but of Humanity in a
stiff unnatural state. For, as every thing before was conducted by
_Inchantment_; so now all was managed by _Intrigue_. And tho' it had
indeed a kind of _Life_, it had yet, as in its infancy, nothing of
_Manners_. On which account, t