FREE-THINKING, I have known some scrupulous Persons, of both Sexes, who, by a prejudiced Education, are afraid of Sprights. I must, however, except the MAIDS of HONOUR, who have been fully convinced, by an infamous Court-Chaplain, that there is no such Place as Hell. I cannot, indeed, controvert the Lawfulness of FREE-THINKING, because it hath been universally allowed, that Thought is free. But, however, although it may afford a large Field of Matter; yet in my poor Opinion, it seems to contain very little of Wit or Humour; because it hath not been antient enough among us to furnish established authentick Expressions, I mean, such as must receive a Sanction from the polite World, before their Authority can be allowed; neither was the Art of BLASPHEMY or FREE-THINKING invented by the Court, or by Persons of great Quality, who, properly speaking, were Patrons, rather than Inventors of it; but first brought in by the Fanatick Faction, towards the end of their Power, and, after the Restoration, carried to _Whitehall_ by the converted _Rumpers_, with very good Reasons; because they knew, that K. _Charles_ the Second, who, from a wrong Education, occasioned by the Troubles of his Father, had Time enough to observe, that Fanatick Enthusiasm directly led to Atheism, which agreed with the dissolute Inclinations of his Youth; and, perhaps, these Principles were farther cultivated in him by the _French_ Huguenots, who have been often charged with spreading them among us: However, I cannot see where the Necessity lies, of introducing new and foreign Topicks for Conversation, while we have so plentiful a Stock of our own Growth. I have likewise, for some Reasons of equal Weight, been very sparing in DOUBLE ENTENDRES; because they often put Ladies upon affected Constraints, and affected Ignorance. In short, they break, or very much entangle, the Thread of Discourse; neither am I Master of any Rules, to settle the disconcerted Countenances of the Females in such a Juncture; I can, therefore, only allow _Inuendoes_ of this Kind to be delivered in Whispers, and only to young Ladies under Twenty, who, being in Honour obliged to blush, it may produce a new Subject for Discourse. Perhaps the Criticks may accuse me of a Defect in my following System of POLITE CONVERSATION; that there is one great Ornament of Discourse, whereof I have not produced a single Example; which, indeed, I purposely omitted for some Reasons that I shall immediately offer; and, if those Reasons will not satisfy the Male Part of my gentle Readers, the Defect may be supplied in some manner by an _Appendix_ to the _Second Edition_; which _Appendix_ shall be printed by it self, and sold for _Sixpence_, stitched, and with a Marble Cover, that my Readers may have no Occasion to complain of being defrauded.