TO THE MOST NOBLE THE MARQUIS OF LANSDOWNE. MY LORD, YOUR great ancestor, sir William Petty, was one of the early advisers of a consolidation of the English and Irish parliaments : sensible of its expediency, he recommended it by strong arguments. As, with his fortune and talents, you inherit his predilection for such a measure, a work which traces the progress and relates the completion of the late scheme of union may with obvious propriety be inscribed to your lordship. Your judgement, on a perusal of this history, may induce you to disallow the pretensions of the author to the praise of literary merit; but your politeness will exçuse the freedom of the dedicator. If the performance should be entitled to approbation, your lord ship |