то THE RIGHT HONOURABLE GEORGE AUGUSTUS LORD VISCOUNT LUMLEY. MY DEAR LORD, HE papers which I have the honour to present to your Lordship, were drawn up by one whose fingular praise it is, that he excelled as a man, a gentleman, a lawyer, and a ftatefman. I received them, (foon after the publication of his Difquifitions on the Government of England,) from his Grandfon CarLETON WHITELOCKE of Prior's Wood near Dublin, Efq; by the favour of Lord Chancellor Bowes late of the Kingdom of Ireland, Archbishop SECKER late primate of all England, and ARTHUR ONSLOW, Efq; late fpeaker of the Commons of Great Britain: thefe very refpectable personages being of opinion, that the Journal of the Swedish a Swedish Ambaffy was due to the Publick; as a very confiderable part of the author's Memorials of English affairs, the candor, accuracy, and usefulness of which work are so univerfally allowed.. It appears, by the first paper of the Appendix, upon what occafion, and with what intention, the Lord Com-miffioner WHITELOCKE put together that great work,. which he chose to intitle Remembrances of the Labours: of Whitelocke, in the Annales of his Life, for the InAtruction of his Children. But fuch a work, and by fuch a father, is become the inheritance of every child whose abilities, and station in life, may at any time hereafter call upon him to deliberate for his Country; and for his family and perfon, as parts of the great whole. And I confefs myself to be one of those who lament the fuppreffion of that branch of the Annales which relates: to the author himself, in his private capacity. For I am perfuaded, with fome better judges, that they would have afforded great pleasure,, as well as inftruction to the world, in their entire form. The firft volume, containing the first twenty (and more) years of his life, may one day fee the light; but the greatest part has hitherto escaped my inquiries, Inftruction Inftruction by precept is flow, tranfient, and too often ineffectual for want of being duly understood : but inftruction by example is quick, ftrong, permanent, and flattering to the mind in the light of a felf-inftructor. And this is founded in the nature of man, who acquires his general knowledge in this way. For precepts, or principles, are no other than general inferences from particular experiences; which are best understood, as well as best applied, by those who make them. And thus chiefly it is, that they become profitable helps to the mind; and the true grounds of judgment, as well as action. In the following pages the political man, that master builder! will find no contemptible model of doing bufinefs; the family man may alfo extract that which fuits his laudable purposes; and the individual the moral and (let me fay) the religious man, who alone adorns the rest, will fee his form delineated, and be inftructed where to seek his end. I affure myself, my dear Lord LUMLEY, that not a single act, amongst the many which occur in these papers, whether of prudence, fortitude, temperance, or juftice, will efcape your observation: but on the contrary, be molded into your very frame, and constitution. With refpect to historical facts, the curious fearcher for anecdotes will here find an abundant treasure; and be enabled to fill up divers links in the chain of caufes of certain events; and to mark more particularly the characters of the refpectable perfonages, who figured during a remarkable period. Perhaps alfo, it may not be unprofitable to note the more rational, and temperate grounds, of fome extraordinary occurrences. Our author, being called to this important embassy by the voice of his country at a very critical time, seems to have entered upon his work with all the neceffary qualifications. He was a man of sense, learning, integrity, fpirit, temper, experience in business, and knowledge of the world: able to distinguish, choose, and execute whether by perfuafion, or otherwife. He was thoroughly versed in the history, constitution, laws, revenues, force, trade and interests of his own country, and it's connections with others; and he made it his immediate study to be well informed of these very material particulars, refpecting Sweden. Some sketches of this kind, howfoever imperfect, are preserved in the Appendix, as proofs of his method of proceeding; and more might have been added. Finally, he had a perfect intelligence concerning perfons, and occur |