The P R E F A C E.

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fairs of this Society , whofe Privileges have been betrayed by the Unwarinefs,Negligence 3 or ill Deßgns of fome former Officers, it may be more eligible, ina particular Member, to ft down contentedly under the Lofs of them, ratherthan to befonu his Time and Indufiry in claiming and afferting them againf Diffi-culties, he muff expert to meet with abroad, when at the fame Time, he can-not be afcertained of Security againf Difcouragements from the College it felf

Tloough thefe Volumes are drawn out to too great a Length, yet the Collectorflatters himfelf they 'will be lefs tedious to any Reader, whofe Genius leads himto the Love of Antiquities, fince they carry their own Credentials, by Quota-tions tranfcribed at large from Manufcripts, that are not acceßble to all Per -fons, whereof thofe which have been cited as Vouchers remaining in his ownPoffejßon, ßall be communicated to any Perfons, who ßall defre to infpeSthem, and ’tis hoped that thefe ExtraBs will not be difelißed, becaufe they areinfert ed in their primitive Spellings and ohf olete Terms, which he dares own,are in his private Opinion, like the precious Ruff of Medalls, being the Marksboth of their Antiquity, and Geminenefs -, fo that he fuppofed the clothingthem in a faßionable modem Drefs, would as much detract from their real Va-lue, as NeroV guilding the brazen Statue of Alexander made by the famousLy lippus, tended to depretiate the original Beauty of it.