then his Duty to declare it, and to thank, in a publick Manner, thofe who have undeceived him. THIS is exactly my Cafe. Mr. Richey has prov'd to me the Innocence of his Fellow-citizens, and the Bibliotheque Raifonée has alfo very folidly refuted the Accufation levelled against the City of Hamburgh. The Author of the Letter against me, is only to blame for faying that I pofitively afferted that the City of Hamburgh was guilty; but he ought to have made a Distinction between the Opinion of one part of the North, which I gave as a vague, random Report, and the Affirmation with which he charges me, Had I indeed declared, That the City of Hamburgh purchas'd the Ruin of the City of Altena, I then wou'd have afk'd Pardon in the most humble manner for making fuch an Affertion, being perfuaded that there is no Shame on these Occafions, but to persist in a Fault when 'tis prov'd to be fuch. But I declare the Truth, in relating that fuch a Report was fpread; and I alfo declare the Truth, in affuring affuring the World, that upon enquiring ftrictly into this Report, I find it entirely groundless. I am alfo to declare, that Altena was infected with contagious Diftempers at the Time of the Fire. The Hamburghers I am affured had no Hofpitals, no Place were they might shelter from the reft of the People, the old Men and the Women who died in their Sight. They therefore cannot in any manner be accus'd for refufing them Admittance. We are always to prefer the Preservation of our own City to the Safety of Strangers. I fhall take the utmost care to have this Incident corrected in the New Edition of the Hiftory of Charles the Twelfth, now printing at Amsterdam, and the whole fhall be fet down agreeable to the most fcrupulous Truth, which I always profefs'd, and will prefer to all Things. I also heard, that in fome Weekly Papers, certain Letters of the Poet Rousseau, (as injurious as ill written) have been inferted relating to the Tragedy of Zayre. This Author of feveral Plays, all of which were hifs'd off the Stage, cenfures a Dramatick Piece to which the World gave a pretty indulgent Reception: and this Man who has writ fo many impious Things, reproaches me publickly with having fhown but little reverence for Religion in a Tragedy exhibited with the Approbation of the most virtuous Magiftrates, read by Cardinal Fleury, and play'd in fome Religious Houses. The Publick will do me the Honour to believe, that I fhall not lofe my Time in answering the Invectives of the Poet Rousseau. INDE X. A CADEMY. A. Defign for establishing an ADDISON (Mr.) a confiderable Fault in his AGES (barbarous) the moit useful Inventions ANAXAGORAS, his Opinion concerning the ANTONIO, |