and Designs of thofe who Addrefs, and the feveral Dispositions of the Persons Addressed to, are of very different Natures and Importance.

ONE Author whofe Talent is Wit and Eloquence, endeavours to difplay it by Muftring up the Honours of an Antient Family, or by a pompous Description of all the Virtues neceffary to conftitute a truly great Man; which he is fure pofitively to afcribe to his Patron, by his fhewing rather what he should be, then what he really is.

ANOTHER in mean Circumftances, whofe view is Preferment or a good Reward, largely Expatiates on his Patron's Liberality and moft generous Soul; the true meaning of which is, to give him to underftand, he is not without hopes of rafting the good effects of these noble Qualities.

THESE are Motives, by which, I blefs God, I cannot be Influenced, and I should certainly incur the Cenfure of the World should I take upon me to acquaint the Reader with the great worth of your Family, or of those Perfonal Qualifications which Shine in your Grace; and are known fufficiently by their own Brightness to the World. No, the Motives I have are of a different and far higher Nature, and indeed are fuch as rather oblige, than invite me to make so fingular an attempt.

TA

I have had the Honour and Happiness of being well known to both your Right Honourable Father and Mother, before they went to Turkey, and fince their return have been frequently treated with both Freedom and Respect by them at their own House,

and

and in their Company at Mr. Alex. Jacob his Table and elsewhere. My feveral Obfervations and Notices in the following Treatife, were by degrees Collected and laid by as Opportunity offer'd. There was Brick and Stone and Timber, and all Materials ready for a Building, but the Architect wanted much time and leisure to put every thing in good Order and set the Finishing hand to it...

HAD I had Time and Conveniency to have Finished and Published this present Book in the Life time of your Right Honourable Father, I had Dedicated it to no other Person in the World but himself. But now fince your Grace is Elected Governor of the Turky Company, a Company which from the many Excellent Qualities of the Gentlemen of which it is Composed, is far the most Honourable, and from the Nature of its Inftitution and Trade the most Beneficial of any in the Nation; and because I can never forget, that during the space of seven Years (under those two Embassadors Sir Dan. Harvey and Sir John Finch) I have owed to them a very handsome Subfiftence; I should certainly appear guilty of great Ingratitude and Difrefpect towards them, if I did not with my humbleft Duty lay this Treatife, which (whatever it is,) has been the Product of my Studies, during my Residence at Conftantinople, at your Grace's Feet, whom they have fo worthily fet at the Head of them.

IT has lain by me a long while, being only a fucceffive and therefore imperfect Collection; had I been so Happy after my Return to have had fome mean Preferment, which would have supported

me, and not Sequeftred me from my Books, but settled me down to them and my Papers, I fhould long ago have ventured to have Published my Travails and this Performance; but I have been forced to live a kind of Itinerant Life, at Tork, in Holland and elsewhere; and find my Self at last Chained to a perpetual College Burfar's place, which takes up at least three quarters of my time.

THO' these Papers have paffed a laft review and have been new Modelled, I fear some few things may yet appear Defective, and others Confus'd and Indigefted. These I hope will be ascribed to the Interruptions I have had not only from my own private Affairs, but from those of a more publick Ñature. But after all if there be any thing in this Work which may deserve or endure the Light, I most humbly beg your Grace's candid Interpretation and Acceptance of it, being ever

My LORD,

Your Grace's most

Faithfull and most

bumble Servant

JOHN COVEL.

4

S'

LECTORI

quis in Lemmate noftro, More majorum hæreto non citò, tibi injectus fit Scrupulus, ut eum ex animo evellam fic ejus fenfum capias explicátiorem.

Verbum Hærere, paffim in omnibus Lexicographis, duo præcipuè fignificare notatur; Primò, Alicui Rei arctè infidere ac conjunctum effe. Sic etiam, femper in mente effe. Item non nunquam, Idem ac cohærere, ejufdem effe fententia. Secundo, Dubitare, Ancipitem effe. Hæret

hæc Res, ea eft dubia.

Non citò, hoc eft, non citò ac cursim agere; vel non temerè & inconfultè.

Cum itaque per totum hunc librum omnis in hoc fim, ut Ecclefiæ Latina ac Grace Doctrinam ac Disciplinam (feu Ritus) apertè ac candidè exponerem; ingenuè fateor Plurimos effe in utraque Articulos quos toto pe&tore amplector; Quofdam quos prorfus explodo, Multos denique de quibus dubitem meritiffimè.

Singula autem hæc aggredi non aufus fum citò, abfque præeunte explorato confilio ac difcreto judicio.

Nullum itaque Axioma mihi occurrit, quod meliùs, pleniùs, planiufque mentem meam exprimere poffit, quam hoc, fenfu meo fuprà dito fumptum. Vetera ifta in XII. Tabb. verba, Herctum Citum, non eft quod hic quicquam morarer, cum Lemma noftrum ad ea nihil refpexerit.

Tu vero, O Bone, in quocunque authore vel loco id inveneris, fruere (per me licet,) vel tuis, vel meis, vel aliorum ratiocinationibus; Nam Velle fuum cuique eft, nec voto vivitur uno.

At ne vel tuas, vel meas, vel alias tibi nimis cito deligas. Vale.

L'

N. B.

IBRI, Epiftolæ, Charta, Membranæ, & reliquæ res omnes, Manu fcriptæ, quæ in hoc libro ad Marginem Laudantur, olim fuerunt meæ; jam vero funt in ampliffima & Auguftiffima Bibliotheca, quam Honorabillimus Dominus, Edwardus Dominus Harley, nuper in ufum literati Orbis adornavit in villa de Wimpole prope celeberrimam Cantabrigia Acade

miam.