And now I have done with him, I can hardly answer it to my self why I ever began, or why I went about to foul my fingers with such a Subject: I am sure nothing could have forced me but an irresistible Impulse, and some natural love I bear to Vertue, to Learning, and to Truth; of all which I find so great a share in this Honourable person's Writings, which I have read so often, and with so much pleasure; and from which I cannot but confess to have learnt more than from all other Books I have read in my life; which I say after much greater and better Readers than my self, and yet I have been a great Porer too. All this would not suffer me to let _De Cros_'s Libel pass without these Reflections; for as to any regular Reply, it could no more be made to this, than to a Paper that comes with a very fair Superscription, and subscribed by some _Worshipful Name_, but had nothing clear through, besides long unsightly Scrawls and foul Blots with a Pen; and so intended for some such flam as your Twelve-Penny Writers use to gull those idle people with, that buy up all Pamphlets they meet: And since I have confess'd my self such a Customer, 'tis but justice I should be laughed at in my turn. After all I have writ upon this Subject, I cannot but think my Ink has been too white all this time; however, I have Gall enough about me to make it blacker at another, if ever the fit of Scribling should take me again; which may very well be, when I meet with another Author of so little _Wit_, so little _Memory_, and so little _Truth_ as _De Cros_. _----Melius non tangere, Clamo, Flebit, & insignis tota cantabitur Urbe._ As to the candid Translator, I cannot forbear doing him the Justice to give him that part which he deserves, and belongs to him in all I said of _De Cros_, for his share in the Letter, by so false, and so malicious a Translation; nor can refuse him my approbation for a worthy Translator to so worthy an Author; wherein he has taken the same pains a man would do in smutting over a Chimny-Sweeper, or blacking over a Crier of Smalcoal. Which is all I shall say of him. But, for the _Advertiser_, as his Stile is much fairer, and consists mostly of Criticisms, so he will deserve no other than very fair and critical Reflections. Yet I cannot but wonder, that in the first part of his Advertisement, he should go about to defend the _severe or indecent Language_ (as he calls it) in _De Cros_'s Letter: Which sure, nothing could do towards a person who has so often represented a great King, whatever his own Merits or Demerits might have been. I am also something at a loss what he should mean by slandering _De Cros_ with such a Title as that of, _The Ingenious Author of the foregoing Letter_. For doubtless if the Man has any Wit, I may say of it as one did of a Gentleman's Courage, which another had much commended; That _he might have courage for ought he knew, but he had as live be damn'd as shew it_.