OR

LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER,

CONSISTING OF

ORIGINAL PIECES,

and

SELECTIONS FROM PERFORMANCES OF MERIT,

FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC,

A Work calculated to diffeminate useful Knowledge among all ranks

anderson

2-16-25

11516

1800L.

ADVERTISEMENT.

WHILE the Editor contemplated this undertaking at a distance, he perceived difficulties; but they were difficulties of fuch a fort, as only tended to rouse the mind, and make it act with greater energy and vigour: As the time of publication drew nearer, however, difficulties of another fort occurred, which have only excited anxiety and perplexing doubts, that tend to enervate and to freeze the mental faculties. The many obliging letters he has received from persons of distinguished eminence in all quarters, while they claim his most grateful acknowledgments to their refpective writers, have made a deep and melancholy impression on his mind, which it will be difficult to efface: for though he is willing to afcribe no small share of the obliging things that there occur, to that complimentary politeness every one thinks it neceffary to affume on occasions of this fort; yet their general tenor is so strong and so uniform, as to leave him no room to doubt that the public hath, in general, formed an estimate of his abilities infinitely more favourable than they deferve. Confcious as he himself is, that the only claim he can justly lay [iv]

hold of for obtaining the public favour, is the fincerity of his intentions, he cannot but feel an anxious difquietude of mind, at the thoughts of making his appearance before that public which he is convinced hath formed expectations altogether disproportioned to his deferts. He would fain wish to remove, if possible, the dif. agreeable effects of that unjust prepossession; but how to do it, he knows not. Impressed with thefe ideas, he offers this his first number to the public, with doubt and hefitation. These very thoughts have depressed his spirits to such a degree, as to render his mind, feeble at the best, incapable on this occasion of even its ordinary exertions. Embarrassed too, with a number of cares respecting the executive department of a new undertaking, these perplexities have been still farther augmented on this occafion, in an extraordinary degree, so as to divert him in a great measure, at the present time, from being able to attend, as he ought to do, to the more congenial task, to him, of supervising the literary department. In these circumstances, he feels himfelf under the necessity of fupplicating the indulgence of his readers for the defects and imperfections of this number. Should the public be disposed to receive this feeble effort with indulgence, as fome of these embarrassments must