Page:Terræ-filius- or, the Secret History of the University of Oxford.djvu/9

 officious in his profeions of gratitude; for whereas, like all other authors, I would willingly believe, that the great encouragement, which the town has given my book, proceeds from its own intrinick merit; it is, you may think, no mall mortification to hear him contantly drinking your health, and trongly intimating, that he looks upon the quick ale, which it has met with, to be les owing to my abilities as a writer, than to that publick notice, by which you have ditinguihed it as a cenor.

I preume however, (even under the uppoition of your being in earnet) that you will o far agree with the ret of the world as to allow that, in whatoever manner your prohibition may dicourage the ale of any book, yet it ought not to be eteem'd a full confutation of the matter which it contains, or a convincing argument that its author has neither integrity nor undertanding.

I mut beg leave to oberve farther (according to the ame uppoition) that you eem to be guilty of ome Partiality in thus publickly branding and forbidding my book, as a libel upon the Univerity, and uffering another to be till openly vended within your juridiction, which, I think, I have demontrated (and, as I am inform'd, to the