LETTERS Of the RIGHT HONOURABLE Lady M-y W-y M-e: Written during her TRAVELS in EUROPE, ASIA AND AFRICA, ΤΟ Perfons of Diftinction, Men of Letters, etc. WHICH CONTAIN, Among other CURIOUS Relations, ACCOUNTS of the POLICY and MANNERS of the TURKS. Drawn from Sources that have been inacceffible A new Edition carefully corrected. BERLIN: Sold by AUGUST MYLIUS. M DCC XCIX. PREFACE, I BY A LADY, WAS going, like common editors, to advertise the reader, of the beauties and excellencies of the work laid before him: To tell him, that the illuftrious author had opportunities, that other trav ellers, whatever their quality, or curi ofity may have been, cannot obtain; and a genius capable of making the beft improvement of every opportunity. But if the reader, after perufing one letter only, has not difcernment to distinguish that na. tural elegance, that delicacy of fentiment and obfervation, that eafy gracefulness, and lovely fimplicity, (which is the perfection of writing) and in which thefe X 2 Let Letters exceed all that has appeared in this kind, or almoft any other, let him lay the book down, and leave it to those who have. THE noble author had the goodness to lend me her MS. to fatisfy my curiofity in fome inquiries I had made concerning her travels; and when I had it in my hands, how was it poffible to part with it? I once had the vanity to hope I might acquaint the public, that it owed this invaluable treafure to my importunities. But, alas! the most ingenious author has condemned it to obfcurity during her life; and conviction, as well as deference, obliges me to yield to her reafons.. However, if thefe Letters appear hereafter, when I am in my grave, let this attend them, in teftimony to pofterity, that her con among her remporaries, one woman, at leaft, was just to her merit. THERE THERE is not any thing fo excellent, but fome will carp at it; and the rather, becaufe of its excellency. But to fuch hypercritics I fhall not fay ** ***** **** I CONFESS, I am malicious enough to defire, that the world fhould fee, to, how much better purpofe the LADIES travel than their LORDS; and that, whilft it is furfeited with male travels, all in the fame tone, and ftuffed with the fame trifles; a lady has the fkill to ftrike out a new path, and to embellish a worn-out fubject with variety of frefh and elegant entertainment. For, befides the vivacity and fpirit which enliven every párt, and that inimitable beauty which fpreads through the whole; befides the purity of the ftyle, for which it may juftly be ac counted the standard of the English tongue; |