of the Commissioners on the Public Records of the Realm, in pp. 486--494. The full account given of these works, (the Editor trusts) no one will regret, who duly estimates their value and importance for the elucidation of the national and constitutional history of England. In the course of preparing the manuscript of the Catalogue for press, great numbers of Controversial Tracts were discovered. These have been disposed in the following manner, viz: FIRST, the original or parent article in Roman Type, like the rest of the Catalogue; SECONDLY, the answer or answers to it in Italic Type ; THIRDLY, the replication or replications to such answers, -whether by the original author or by any other writer in his behalf,-in Roman Type; and LASTLY, the Rejoinders to such Replications, if any, in Italic. The advantage, resulting from this mode of arrangement, will be perceived at once by referring to the publications relative to the Arian, Socinian, and Bangorian Controversies, and also to the Treatises in Defence of Divine Revelation, in reply to the particular attacks of some modern sceptics; where it will be seen, that the rise, progress, and termination of a controversy has been exhibited at one view. The Editor has paid every attention in his power, to ensure correctness of dates and orthographical accuracy: and he indulges the hope, that there will be found a much smaller number of mistakes than could be expected in a work of such extent, composed in so many different languages, and containing such a multitude of Proper Names, Dates, and Figures. London, March 1, 1827. T. H. H. |