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Excerpt from The Ancient History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medes and Persians, Macedonians and Grecians Macedonians and Grecians, Vol. 1 of 4 Reverend and most Learned Sir, When I was informed by a friend who lives near you, that you were return ed to Paris, I resolved to wait on you, as soon as the state of my health would permit. After having been prevented by the gout for some time, I was in hopes at length of paying my respects to you at your house, and went thither, but you were not at home. It is incumbent on me, therefore, to do that in writing, which I could not in person, and to return you my acknowledgments for all the favours you have been pleased to confer upon me, of which, I beg you will be assured, that I shall always retain the most grateful sense. And indeed I esteem the books you have lately published, as presents of exceeding value, and such as do me very great honour. For I have the highest regard, most excellent sir, both for you and for every thing that comes from so masterly a hand as yours, in the kind of leamiug you treat; in which I must believe that you not only excel all other writers, but arc at the same time the best master of speaking and thinking well; and I freely confess, that though I had applied some time and pains in cultivating these studies, when I read your volumes over and over again, I was instructed in things by you, of which I was not only entirely ignorant, but seemed to myself to have learned before. You have therefore too modest an opinion of your work, when you declare it composed solely for the instruction of youth. What you write may undoubtedly be read with pleasure and improvement, by persons not unacquainted with learning of the same kind. For, while you call to mind ancient facts, and things sufficiently known, you do it in such a manner, that you illustrate, you embellish them; still adding something new to the old, something entirely your own to the labours o