Unfortunately, this Edition was printed from a Copy of that in Folio, which had not the Errata, and consequently abounds with all the Errors contained in the original Edition. To those who do not understand the Matter, this printing an Edition of the _Magnalia_ without correcting its Errata, may seem to incur for the Publisher severe Reprehension. But the Truth appears to be, that the Copy used in printing the new Edition had not the complete Errata attached to it; and that in Fact, but very few Copies of the original Edition can be found to which it is attached. Now we account for its Rarity in this Way. Dr. Mather, living in Boston while his Work was printing in London, could make no Corrections while it was passing through the Press; but when he received his Copies afterwards, he found so many Errors that he was induced to print an extra Sheet of Corrections. This extra Sheet may not have been struck off until most of the Copies of the _Magnalia_ which had been sent to New England were distributed. Thus we account for the rare Occurrence of Copies of the _Magnalia_ containing the Errata; and hence we think the Publisher of the Edition of 1820 should not be too severely censured. That our Solution is correct, we would mention that out of a great many Copies of the folio Edition imported by ourself and others from England, not one of them contained the Errata in Question. On the last Page of the _Magnalia_, the following are the last three Lines: "ERRATA. Reader, Carthagenia was of the Mind, that unto those _three Things_ which the Ancients held impossible, there should be added this _fourth_, to find a Book printed without _Erratas_. It seems the Hands of _Briareus_, and the Eyes of _Argus_ will not prevent them." And the additional Errata of which we have been speaking, the Author thus prefaces: "The _Holy Bible_ it self, in some of its Editions, hath been affronted with scandalous Errors of the _Press-work_; and in one of them, they so printed those Words, Psalms cxix, 161, '_Printers have persecuted me_,'" &c. When the _Magnalia_ was published, Dr. Mather's old Schoolmaster, among others, wrote commendatory Poetry upon it, which was, according to the Fashion of the Day, inserted in its introductory Pages. The following brief Specimen by TOMPSON may not be thought inappropriate to be extracted here: "Is the bless'd MATHER Necromancer turn'd, To raise his Country's Father's Ashes urn'd? Elisha's Dust, Life to the Dead imparts; This Prophet by his more familiar Arts, Unseals our Hero's Tombs, and gives them Air; They rise, they walk, they talk, look wondrous fair; Each of them in an Orb of Light doth shine, In Liveries of Glory most divine. When ancient Names I in thy Pages meet, Like Gems on Aaron's costly Breast-plate set; Methinks Heaven's open, while great Saints descend, To wreathe the Brows, by which their Acts were penned."