My Dearest Sister,
YOu receive in this Effect of my Obedience, one of the highest Proofs I can give You of its Greatness. For when You Command but things that tend to Your Service, the Performance is wont to be accompanied with a Satisfaction, that suffers me not to find it Vneasy. But I confess it was not without Reluctancy, that I was prevailed with to venture abroad Composures, wherein, even when I publish Them, I decline Owning them, and which, (if our Names be discover’d) may I fear, not only hazzard the Reputation (if it have any) of my Pen; but, (where You are less known) bring into Question that of Your Judgment. ‘Twas easie for me to represent to You how unfinished and unpolished the Trifles you called for, were, especially considering that the Immatureness of some of them would not probably be the Chief thing that would make many think they come forth Vnseasonably, since they avowedly Aim at the Persuading and Teaching men to Improve their Thoughts, as well as Husband their Time, at a season, when both those Pretious Things are so Neglected, or so Mis-imploy’d, that the chief use, which too many make of the Former, is to devise wayes to get ridd of the Later. But though to my Vnreadiness to Publish these very long neglected Papers, at the same time when a Prae-engagement oblig’d me to Dispatch another Treatise of a quite different Nature, I added all those other dissuading Considerations that I have mentioned in the Preface to the Reader; yet what I represented proved as Vnavailable, as what I had written was In-compleat. For, whilst You fancied that the following Reflections (such as they are) had Fewer Faults, and were like to do More Good, than I can presume; Your Charity for others, and Partiality for me, made you so resolute and pressing to have me run a Venture, which you are pleas’d to think but a very Small One; that I judged it more excusable to present you Green Fruit, than, by obstinately Refusing what you seemed almost to Long for, lose an opportunity of Evincing, That Your Commands can Prevail, both where those of Others would have been wholly Ineffectual, and when they required me to present You (some, if not many,) things that are so little worthy of You, that perhaps they are scarcely so, ev’n of me.
Wonder not, Dear Sophronia, that I appear so Sollicitous to manifest the Greatness of my Obedience; since That implyes an Vrgency in your Commands, that it highly concerns me to have taken notice of. For those that, having the Happiness to converse with You, shall chance to cast their Eyes upon the following Papers, will probably think that I shew as little Discretion in the Address, as I have shewn Skill in the writing, of these Reflections; when I expose such Censurable Things to the Judgment of a Person that has so piercing a One, and present Trifles to one, that deserves the Noblest Productions of (what she is so great a Mistress of) Wit, and Eloquence. Vpon whose Account she is wont to persuade Piety as Handsomly in her Discourses, as she expresses it Exemplarily in her Actions; and might, if her Modesty did less confine her Pen to Excellent Letters, both make the Wits of our Sex envy a Writer of Hers; and keep Our Age from envying Antiquity, for those Celebrated Ladies, who, by their Triumphant Eloquence, Ennobled the People of Rome, and taught their Children to Sway those Rulers of the World.
But when I can plead, that not only Your Commands, but even Your Importunity ingaged me (though not to the Address, yet) to the Publication of these Papers; I may reasonably hope, that among those many considerable Persons to whom Your Attainments are not unknown, not only my Dedication will be Excused, but even my Book will not be so hastily Condemned.
But I dare not prosecute so Fruitfull a Subject, for fear of offending Your Modesty; since that predominant Virtue gives You so great an Vndervaluation for all Your other Qualities, that it is as much Your Custome to look ev’n upon Smal Praises as Flatteries, as it is Your Prerogative to keep Great ones from being so. And I should therefore have omitted that little it self which I have said, if, on This occasion, my Interest did not as well Oblige me, as the known Truth Warrant me, so to Consider Your Modesty, as not to be altogether Injurious to Your other Excellencies; since the Reader’s knowledge of These (if he be not a strnager to You) will promise me this Advantage, that divers of the Criticks themselves will chuse rather to Absolve my Writings, than Condemn Your Judgment: and that at least, the Devout, to whom Your Practice has afforded so many other Examples, will be scrupulous to be more Severe to these Papers, than a Person in whom, upon the score of her own Style, Severity were more justifiable than in most Readers (without excepting the Eloquent Ones) and will imitate Her, in Considering, that this Book pretends to present them Thoughts, rather than Words, and in Supporting, for the sake of the Design, the Manner in which it is prosecuted.
And certainly, my Lady R’s. Approbation, is a Happiness which divers sorts of Considerations may render as Advantageous as Welcome to me. For if any of these Thoughts, do (which yet I can scarce hope) derive it from Your Justice, that great measure of Esteem You do not only Merit, but Possess, may both Assure them of a General One, and much contribute to Procure it them. But if all of them owe your Approbation (as I fear they do) to your Partiality; since that must not be· Small to be able to pervert such a Judgment, This it self will prove an Evidence of the Blessing of Your Affection; which is a Felicity, that I know You enough to value above all the Praises I can miss of: since Applause can make me happy but in other Mens Opinion, but Your Friendship can make me so in my own. Yet, apprehend not, Sister, That I should here endeavor, by a solemn Character of You, to justifie what I have been saying: For, though to write a Dedicatory Epistle, without a Panegyrick, be grown of late very Vnfashionable; yet since ‘tis as much so, to take the Praises wont to be profusely given in such Letters for Measures of any thing but the Writers Wit, I must rather reserve the Acknowledgments I ow Your Merit and Your Favors to some Occasion, where they may not be lyable to pass for a Tribute paid to Custome, not a Debt due to You; than draw a needless Suspition upon the Sincerity of our Friendship, by endeavouring to express my Affection and Esteem in a Dedicatory Letter; and by chusing to Profess, upon an Occasion where Custom allows men to Say what they do not Think, so Great and Real a Truth, as that of my being, far more upon the Account of Esteem and Gratitude, than of Nature it self,
My Dearest Sister, Your most Affectionate, and most Faithfull Servant. R. Boyle·