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PRINTED FOR J. DODSLEY, IN PALL-MALL.

M.DCC.XC.

RITISH

IT may not be unnecessary to inform the Reader, that the following Reflections had their origin in a correfpondence between the Author and a very young gentleman at Paris, who did him the bonour of defiring his opinion upon the important tranfactions, which then, and ever fince, have fo much occupied the attention of all men. An answer was written fome time in the month of October 1789; but it was kept back upon prudential confiderations. That letter is alluded to in the beginning of the following fheets. It has been fince forwarded to the perfon to whom it was addressed. The reafons for the delay in fending it were affigned in a short letter to the fame gentleman. This produced on his part a new and preffing application for the Author's fen

timents.

The Author began a fecond and more full difcuffion on the fubject. This he had fome thoughts of publishing early in the last Spring; but the matter gaining upon him, he found that what he had under taken not only far exceeded the measure of a letter, but that its importance required rather a more detailed confideration than at that time he had any leifure to bestow upon it. However, having thrown down his first thoughts in the form of a letter, and indeed when he fat down to write, having intended

it

it for a private letter, he found it difficult to change the form of addrefs, when his fentiments had grown into a greater extent, and had received another direction. A different plan, he is fenfible, might be more favourable to a commodious divifion and diftribution of his matter.

DEAR

DEAR SIR,

YOU

OU are pleased to call again, and with some earnestness, for my thoughts on the late proceedings in France. I will not give you reafon to imagine, that I think my fentiments of fuch value as to wish myself to be folicited about them. They are of too little confequence to be very anxiously either communicated or withheld. It was from attention to you, and to you only, that I hesitated at the time, when you firft defired to receive them. In the first letter I had the honour to write to you, and which at length I fend, I wrote neither for nor from any defcription of men; nor fhall I in this. My errors, if any, are my own. My reputation alone is to answer for them.

You fee, Sir, by the long letter I have tranfmitted to you, that, though I do most heartily wish that France may be animated by a spirit of

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