A Cordial for Low Spirits Author:Thomas Gordon Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: THE PREFACE. A PaJJage or twt in this little EJjay having been liable to Exception, without my fore - Seeing it, I am very ready to explain them. By the ... more »Jewifh Pretender, is meant Abfalom ; and what is/aid about the Bible, is fo far from any Satyr on that Sacred Book, that it is manifejtly, and only One upon them who make little tr no Life of it. As to the Characters and Infcriptions at the End, I fill thint tbemfo Jujl, that lam not like ie repent of them; which may ferve tojhew me as much a Friend to well-grounded Panegyric, as I everjhall be a Foe to all Falfe Colouring. There is nofuch Thing as Praife and Blame, where they are not applied ; and, as I take upon me to expofe the One, 1 think I need ask no Pardon for attempting topraftife the Other. chapter{Section 4DEDICATION T O A Great Man, CONCERNING Dedications, My Lord, |OUR Lordfhip and I are not at all acquainted, I therefore take Leave to be very familiar with you, and to defire you to be my Patron, becaufe you do not know me nor I you : Nor can this Manner of Addrefs feem ftrange to your Lordfhip, whilft it is warranted by fuch numerous Precedents. I have known an Author praife an Earl for twenty Pages together, though he knew nothing of him, A 4 butbut that he had Money to fpare. He made him Wife, Juft, and Religious for no Reafon in the World, but in Hopes to find him Charitable; and gave him a moft bountiful Heart, becaufe he him- felf had a moft empty Stomach. This Practice being general, it is a very eafy Matter to gucf, by the Size of the Panegyrick, how wealthy the Patron may be, or how hungry the Author; if it exceeds three Pages, you may pawn all the Blood in your Body upon-it, the Writer has faft- ed three Days; and that his Lordfhip, among all his other good Parts, has at lealt...« less