to time, the small tracts and fugitive pieces, which are occafionally published; for, befides the general fubjects of enquiry, which are cultivated by us, in common with every other learned nation, our conftitution in church and state naturally gives birth to a multitude of performances, which would either not have been written, or could not have been made publick in any other place.

The form of our government, which gives every man, that has leisure, or curiofity, or vanity, the right of enquiring into the propriety of publick measures, and, by confequence, obliges thofe who are intrufted with the adminiftration of national affairs, to give an account of their conduct to almoft every man who demands it, may be reasonably imagined to have occafioned innumerable pamphlets, which would never have appeared under arbitrary governments, where every man lulls himself in indolence under calamities, of which he cannot promote the redress, or thinks it prudent to conceal the uneafinefs, of which he cannot complain without danger.

The multiplicity of religious fects tolerated among us, of which every one has found opponents and vindicators, is another fource of unexhauftible publication, almost peculiar to ourselves; for controversies cannot be long continued, nor frequently revived, where an inquifitor has a right to fhut up the difputants in dungeons; or where filence can be impofed on either party, by the refufal of a licence.

Not that it should be inferred from hence, that political or religious controverfies are the only products of the liberty of the British prefs; the mind once let

loofe

loofe to enquiry, and fuffered to operate without reftraint, neceffarily deviates into peculiar opinions, and wanders in new tracts, where fhe is indeed fometimes loft in a labyrinth, from which though the cannot return, and scarce knows how to proceed; yet, fometimes, makes useful discoveries, or finds out nearer paths to knowledge.

The boundless liberty with which every man may write his own thoughts, and the opportunity of conveying new fentiments to the publick, without danger of fuffering either ridicule or cenfure, which every man may enjoy, whofe vanity does not incite him too hastily to own his performances, naturally invites those who employ themselves in fpeculation, to try how their notions will be received by a nation, which exempts caution from fear, and modefty from fhame; and it is no wonder, that where reputation may be gained, but needs not be loft, multitudes are willing to try their fortune, and thrust their opinions into the light; fometimes with unfuccessful hafte, and fometimes with happy temerity.

It is obferved, that, among the natives of England, is to be found a greater variety of humour, than in any other country; and, doubtless, where every man has a full liberty to propagate his conceptions, variety of humour muft produce variety of writers; and, where the number of authors is fo great, there cannot but be fome worthy of dif tinction.

All thefe, and many other caufes, too tedious to be enumerated, have contributed to make pamphlets

and

and fmall tracts a very important part of an English library; nor are there any pieces, upon which those, who afpire to the reputation of judicious collectors of books, bestow more attention, or greater expenfe; because many advantages may be expected from the perufal of these fmall productions, which are scarcely to be found in that of larger works.

If we regard hiftory, it is well known, that most political treatises have for a long time appeared in this form, and that the first relations of tranfactions, while they are yet the fubject of converfation, divide the opinions, and employ the conjectures of mankind, are delivered by these petty writers, who have opportunities of collecting the different fentiments of difputants, of enquiring the truth from living witneffes, and of copying their reprefentations from the life; and, therefore they preferve a multitude of particular incidents, which are forgotten in a fhort time, or omitted in formal relations, and which are yet to be confidered as fparks of truth, which, when united, may afford light in fome of the darkest scenes of state, as we doubt not, will be fufficiently proved in the courfe of this mifcellany; and which it is, therefore, the interest of the publick to preferve unextinguished.

The fame observation may be extended to fubjects of yet more importance. In controverfies that relate to the truths of religion, the firft effays of reformation are generally timerous; and thofe, who have opinions to offer, which they expect to be oppofed, produce their fentiments, by degrees, and, for the moft part, in fmall tracts: by degrees; that they may not fhock their readers with too many novelties at once; and in

fmall

fmall tracts, that they may be easily dispersed, or privately printed: almost every controverfy, therefore, has been, for a time, carried on in pamphlets, nor has fwelled into larger volumes, till the firft ardor of the difputants has fubfided, and they have recollected their notions with coolness enough to digeft them into order, confolidate them into systems, and fortify them with authorities.

From pamphlets, confequently, are to be learned the progrefs of every debate; the various ftate to which the questions have been changed; the artifices and fallacies which have been used, and the fubterfuges by which reafon has been eluded: in fuch writings may be feen how the mind has been opened by degrees, how one truth has led to another, how error has been difentangled, and hints improved to demonftration, which pleasure, and many others, are loft by him that only reads the larger writers, by whom thefe fcattered fentiments are collected, who will fee none of the changes of fortune which every opinion has paffed through, will have no opportunity of remarking the tranfient advantages which error may fometimes obtain, by the artifices of its patron, or the fuccefsful rallies by which truth regains the day, after a repulfe; but will be to him, who traces the difpute through into particular gradations, as he that hears of a victory, to him that fees the battle.

Since the advantages of preferving these small tracts are fo numerous, our attempt to unite them in volumes cannot be thought either ufelefs or unfeafonable; for there is no other method of fecuring them

from

from accidents; and they have already been fo long neglected, that this design cannot be delayed, without hazarding the lofs of many pieces, which deferve to be tranfmitted to another age.

The practice of publishing pamphlets on the moft important fubjects, has now prevailed more than two centuries among us; and therefore it cannot be doubted, but that, as no large collections have been yet made, many curious tracts must have perished; but it is too late to lament that lofs; nor ought we to reflect upon it, with any other view, than that of quickening our endeavours for the prefervation of those that yet remain; of which we have now a greater number, than was, perhaps, ever amaffed by any one perfon.

The first appearance of pamphlets among us, is generally thought to be at the new oppofition raised against the errors and corruptions of the church of Rome. Those who were first convinced of the reafonableness of the new learning, as it was then called, propagated their opinions in fmall pieces, which were cheaply printed; and, what was then of great importance, eafily concealed. Thefe treatifes were generally printed in foreign countries, and are not, therefore, always very correct. There was not then that opportunity of printing in private; for the number of printers were fmall, and the preffes were eafily overlooked by the clergy, who fpared no labour or vigilance for the fuppreffion of herefy. There is, however, reafon to fufpect, that fome attempts were made to carry on the propagation of truth by a fecret prefs; for one of the firft treatifes in favour of the Reforma

tion,