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 'Tis unhappy to me that I came here to offer you this Preent at a Time, when 'tis o hard to ay any thing that one Side or other hall not be dipleaed with: And tho I teer as teady as I can; yet I cannot but expect Micontructions, and they will be no Surprize to me.

I am only orry, that ome Gentlemen taking it for granted, I am byas'd by Party, have turn'd their Backs on this Work, before they uffered themelves to be inform'd what it was; but this troubles me not for my own Sake: For I eek nothing but the Honour of being the firt Stranger that has attempted to oblige you this way.

If thoe Gentlemen have by this hindred me of thoe Helps I might have had from them, by which I might have been able to have done them and their Families more Jutice, 'tis my Misfortune; but I hope the Gentlemen will not blame me for omitting what I could not be furniht with, either of their Family's Hitory, or their Peronal Merit.

As far as without thee Aitances the uperficial Knowledge of Report, and General Character would upply, I have not been wanting to hew an impartial Honour for all Men of Merit, without the leat Repect to Party Factions, or any of the unhappy Ditinctions of the Times.

But as ome very Noble Families are left out, by this means I have nothing to ask their Pardon for, but the Misfortune of being mitaken by them, which is a Los, I am not out of Hopes, Time will repair, and that hereafter they will permit me to do them that Jutice I was ready to have done now.

I hope none will quarrel with the Poem for the Author's not being able to give every Family, or every Gentleman in Scotland a Character uited to their Merit, and conequently for ingling ome out from the ret.

As to entring upon the Characters of every Noble Family in your illutrious Roll of Peerage, you will pardon me, not attempting what you will eaily conclude a Stranger, that has not had the Honour of a long acquaintance here could not be capable of, at leat to uch a Degree as uch Characters ought to be made.

The Few Attempts made here, I acknowledge to be very imperfect and hort as to the Merit both of Peron and Family, and the Gentlemen concern'd cannot expect I could go thorow either all the Families, or all in their Families that deerv'd Notice—. The Nature and Deign of the Work could not permit it.

I intreat therefore, thoe Gentlemen who know their Families are of equal Antiquity, and their peronal Merit equal to ome that are mentioned here, to remember, Character is not the End of the Book, but a Circumtance like the finihing Strokes of a Fine Picture added to grace the Work: The principal Deign was the Climate, Nation, Seas, Trade, Lands, Improvements and Temper of Scotland and its People: In puruing this, ome Actions, ome Families, ome Characters becoming neceary, it would be too great a nicety to quarrel the Author, that this or that is omitted, tho, equal in its Authority and Character to ome that may be mentioned here.