WE would not therefore be understood to affect giving the Reader a perfect or confummate Pattern of human Virtue; but rather by faithfully recording the little Imperfections which fomewhat darkened the Luftre of his great Qualities, to teach the Leffon we have above mentioned, and induce our Reader with us to lament the Frailty of human Nature, and to convince him that no Mortal, after a thorough Scrutiny, can be a proper Object of our Adoration.

BUT before we enter on this great Work, we must endeavour to remove fome Errors of Opinion which Mankind have by the Difingenuity of Writers contracted: For thofe from their Fear of attacking or contradicting the obfolete Doctrines of a Set of fimple Fellows called, in Derifion, Sages or Philofophers, have endeavoured as much as poffible, to confound the Ideas of Greatnefs and Goodness, whereas no two Things can poffibly be more diftinct from each other. For Greatness confifts in bringing áll Manner of Mischief on Mankind, and Good

Goodness in removing it from them. Now, tho' the Writer, if he will confine himself to Truth, is obliged to draw a perfect Picture of the former in all the Actions which he records of his Hero, yet to reconcile his Work with thofe abfurd Doctrines abovementioned, he is ever guilty of interfperfing Reflections in Reality to the Disadvantage of that great Perfection, Uniformity of Character; for Inftance, in the Hiftories of Alexander and Cæfar, we are frequently reminded of their Benevolence and Generofity. When the former had with Fire and Sword overrun a whole Empire, and deftroyed the Lives of Millions of innocent People, we are told as an Example of his Benevolence, that he did not cut the Throat of an old Woman, and ravish her Daughters whom he had before undone: And when the mighty Cæfar had with wonderful Greatness of Mind deftroyed the Liberties of his Country, and gotten all the Power into his own Hands, we receive, as an Evidence of his Generofity, his Largeffes to his Followers and Tools, by whofe Means he had accomplished

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plished his Purpose, and by whose Affiftance he was to establish it.

Now who doth not fee that fuch fneaking Qualities as these are rather to be bewailed as Imperfections than admired as Ornaments in thofe Great Men, rather obfcuring their Glory and holding them back in their Race to Greatnefs, and unworthy the End for which they feem to have come into the World, viz. of perpetrating vast and mighty Mischief?

We hope our Reader will have Reason justly to acquit us of any fuch confounding Ideas in the following Pages, in which, as we are to record the Actions of a Great Man, fo we have no where mentioned any fpark of Goodness which hath discovered itself either faintly in him, or more glaringly in any other Person, but as a Meannefs and Imperfection, difqualifying them for Undertakings which lead to Honour and Efteem among Men.

As our Hero had as little as perhaps is to be found of that Meannefs, indeed only enough

enough to make him Partaker of the Imperfection of Humanity, and not the Perfection of Dæmonifm, we have ventured to call him THE GREAT; nor do we doubt but our Reader will, when he hath perufed his Story, concur with us in allowing him that Title.

Giving an Account of as many of our Hero's Ancestors as can be gathered out of the Rubbish of Antiquity, which hath been carefully fifted for that Purpose.

MR.

R. Jonathan Wild, or Wyld (for he himself did not always agree in one Method of spelling his Name) was descended from the Great Wolfftan Wild, who came over with Hengift, and distinguished himself very eminently at that famous Feftival where the Britons were fo treacherously murdered by the Saxons; for when the Word was given, i. e. Nemet eour B 4 Saxes,

Saxes, Take out your Swords, this Gentleman being a little hard of hearing, miftook the Sound for Nemet her Sacs, Take out their Purfes; inftead therefore of applying to the Throat, he immediately applied to the Pocket of his Guest, and contented himself with taking all that he had, without attempting his Life.

THE next Ancestor of our Hero, who was remarkably eminent, was Wild, furnamed Langfanger or Longfinger. He flourished in the Reign of Henry III. and was ftrictly attached to Hubert de Burgh, whofe Friendship he was recommended to by his great Excellence in an Art, of which Hubert was himself the Inventor: He could, without the Knowledge of the Proprietor, with great Ease and Dexterity draw forth a Man's Purse from any Part of his Garment where it was depofited, and hence he derived his Surname. This Gentleman was the firft of his Family who had the Honour to fuffer for the Good of his Country: On whom a Wit of that Time made the following Epitaph.