My Deare Sister,
I Expect you should somewhat wonder, that after having for above Eleven years been carefull, to keep this following Letter from the Publick View, and that too notwithstanding the Sollicitation (not to say, Importunity) of divers Illustrious Persons, and even Your Commands, to Release it from its Confinement; I should now at length give way to its Passing Abroad into the World, and its making You a Publick and Solemn Addresse. Wherefore judging my self obliged to give You an Account of a Paper, for which You have long been pleased, so Highly, and so Obligingly, to Concern Your self; I must, to remove Your Wonder, inform You, that I am Reduc’d to this Publication in mine own Defence. For, whilst I was far from Dreaming of permitting this Epistle to passe out of my Closet; it happen’d, that a broken Copy of it did, by I know not what Misfortune for me, fall into the hands of a Necessitous Person, who would needs perswade himself, that, by Printing it, he might relieve some of his present Wants; and thereupon proffer’d to sell the Copy for a sum of Mony. But my good Fortune leading him to a Stationer, to whom my name was not unknown, he, very civilly, sent me forthwith notice of the Proposition that was made him; and after came himself to acquaint me, that the Copy, about which he had been treated with, being but One of two or Three that were then abroad, some or other of them would, questionlesse, soon find the way to the Presse. This unwelcome Accident did little less Trouble than Surprize me; for, Besides that it impos’d on me the necessity of a Publication I had so long declin’d; and Besides that I knew, that Composures of a very differing Nature being Expected from me, the appearing of This, instead of Them, would make this Unwelcome to many, though it had fewer Imperfections than it has: Besides these things I say, my Sight was then, and is still, so impair’d, by a distemper in my Eyes; and the Hours I could dispose of were so prae-ingag’d to Philosophicall Themes; that I could not promise my self so much, as to Read it over before its going to the Printer. But considering after all this, that the Copy I had by me, was like to prove more Full, and lesse Faulty, than any of those that some endeavourd to obtrude upon the World, I thought it lesse Inconvenient to venture mine own abroad, than to run the hazard of a Surreptitious Edition of a Discourse, that could so ill bear the appearing with any other Blemishes, than those it brought with it into the World from my Pen. And therefore, having put it into the hands of Persons, whose eminent Abilities, the more Knowing part of the Nation has long and justly admir’d, and begg’d their Impartiall Opinion and Castigations of it, (giving them entire Liberty, to Alter and Expunge whatever they dislik’d;) and finding, by hastily turning over the Leaves, that their Castigations were onely enough to let me see, that they had heedfully read it over; and were accompanyed with Encouragements, which care was taken, to keep me from looking upon as meer Complements I let it go to the Presse, without so much as having once Perus’d it, or heard it read over, since the Stationer first gave me the Advertisement I told You of: Which I made the less scruple to do, because a Critick, whose Judgment and Piety I much reverence, seriously endeavour’d to perswade me, that I ought not in Conscience to decline publishing, what be was pleased to think proper to Kindle or Cherish the Flames of Divine Love, in the Breasts of the Readers. And my Haste it self did afterwards Promise me these advantages, That notwithstanding my Book’s not comming forth sooner, I should not Lose the Excuse of Youth I had, when it was Written: nay, and That the Faulty passages which may be met with in it, will perhaps be charged upon those, that suffered them to passe uncorrected, when they had so absolute a Power to Expunge or Reform them. These, and the like Motives, having induc’d me to consent to the Publication of the following Letter, I needed not Deliberate long, To whom I should Addresse it. For, since that Accomplish’d Lindamor, whom it so much Concern’d, has left the World, there is no Person in it, to whom this Addresse is any thing near so due, as unto You, Dear Sister. It was at that delicious Leeze, where You are now the Mistress, that this Letter was writen, and it was of You that I borrow’d those hours I spent in writing it. ‘Twas to You that I show’d it almost Sheet by Sheet, before I resolv’d to send it away. ‘Tis You that can best Excuse the Imperfections of it, as knowing not onely the more Obvious, but the more Private Avocations, and other Disadvantages, among which it was penn’d. ‘Tis You that have ever since Sollicited me to divulge it, and have given me the greatest Encouragements to do so, not onely by those Sollicitations, which imply’d Your own favourable Opinion of it, but by procuring me (by Concealing or Disguising my name) the unsuspected Approbation of divers competent Judges. In a word, this Addresse belongs upon so many Scores to You, that I could not make it any where else, without manifestly Wronging You. I know, Dear Sister, that it is Not Vsuall, to Dedicate Books to so near a Relation; and that it Is usuall in Dedicatory Epistles, both to Depreciate what one has Written, and to Extoll the Person that one Writes to, especially, if it be one of Your Sex and Quality. But You know too, that I never Swore Allegiance to Custom, and therefore will not, I Suppose, Wonder to see me as little Sollicitous to Conform to it on This occasion, as on Others. In an Age, when so few Persons have Merit enough, to keep that from being Flattery, which should be but Praise, I am not at all Ambitious, of casting my self upon the unhappy Necessity, of either Flattering, or appearing Rude; when by better choosing the Objects of my Addresses, I can, as Occasion requires, give Praises without Untruth, or forbear them without Incivility. Nor dare I presume, that a Lye Ceases to be a Fault, by being Put into a Dedicatory Epistle; as Antiently the Hurtfull Beasts forgot their Pernicious Nature, when brought into the Ark Not to mention, that Books of Devotion have generally the strange and unhappy Fate, of being Lesse-Welcome to them that Most, than to them that Lesse need them. As for the Discourse I present You, though my Opinion of it may be guess’d at, by the Privacy to which I have so long Confin’d it: Yet because, as in Physick, to have a good Opinion of the Medicine, and the Doctor; so in Books of Devotion, (which are a kind of Physick for the Mind) to have one, of the Composure, or of the Writer, both inclines us to look after the Prescriptions and Advantages their Operations. I shall say nothing to Disparage a Discourse, which is of a Nature, to aim more at the being Practised by the Readers, than the being Pardoned. And shall not at all repine to see it finde from the Publick as Favourable a Reception, as it has hitherto met with in Closets. And now, Dear Sister, though I know You will not; yet, I doubt, my other Readers will expect, that this Letter should, according to the Fashion of other Epistles Dedicatory, be Concluded with Commendations of You, and Complements to You. But, though I can Praise You, without either Disbelieving my self, or fearing to be Disbelieved by any that knows You; Yet, besides that Our Relation, and Our Friendship, would make such a Way of Writing misbecomming me on all Occasions; I know, Your Piety and Your Modesty would, peculiarly disallow it upon This, where the Subject I am to Entertain You with, is of such a Nature, as would make a Flaunting Addresse, but a very Unsuitable Introduction to it. The Nature of my Theme, as well as the Strictness of Your Vertue, and Our Friendship, forbidding me here to Celebrate You, otherwise than by letting the World see, that I dare even in a Dedicatory Addresse, without fear of displeasing You, forbear to Celebrate You. And if it be demanded, Why then I refrain not likewise, from Writing You a Dedication? I shall answer, That I am unwilling to lose this Opportunity, of making a Publick Acknowledgment, that as I have the Honour to be Your Brother, and Your Friend; so I have the Justice, to think it very much my Happinesse, to be so: Especially, since You are pleased to assure me, That my Relation to You, has rather been the Occasion, than the Ground, of a Friendship, that does (whilst it enjoynes me to Professe my self, without Complement) Oblige me to be, with all the Sincerity that’s Possible,
My Dear Sister, Your most affectionate Brother, and most faithfull humble Servant, ROBERT BOYLE.