ABSTRACT
LYSANDER b having by chance met with a small Piece in French, Intituled Moral Reflections; and finding many things concerning Virtue, something contrary to your Notions of it, (fond of convincing all your little Errors of Judgment) I gave my self the Liberty (I cannot say Trouble) of putting it into English, as there is not one Sentence but is applicable to some body or other, so you will find many that will touch your self: and many more that I doubt not but you will lay at my door, especially any Satyr on our Sex: but since there is wherewithal to quit Scores, do your worst. I know too well you have abundance of Gravity, to the loss and destruction of many an honest hour, which might have been past more gayly if you had pleased to have laid by that (sometimes necessary) humour; and that face of dull business, enough to mortifie all thoughts of Mirth about one. I know you have a great deal of that which my Reflections tell you passes for Vertue, nay even your self it deludes with that Opinion, as well as the World: you should be a Lover too, if one will believe you or your Complexion; and to my knowledge you have goodness enough to pardon all the faults you will find here, at least you dissemble it well, and that will do as well. These Motives, joyned to the desire I have to let you see you are more in my head than 2 you imagine, oblige me to chuse you from out the number of my few Friends, to address this part of my handy-work to; called Seneca Unmasq’d: a whether good or bad you have them almost as I found them; but if it be necessary that I should render them acceptable by some better recommendation than barely telling you I translated them: b I give you to understand they are charged on a Great Man, and a great Wit of the French Court, the Duke of Rushfaucave c but since I always distrust the general voice, ‘tis enough that the World has fixt ‘em on him, to make me think that he knows nothing of ’em. So much for the original as to the Copy, (which I have drawn purely out of complacence to you, I can only say if it do not extremely resemble the Original, at least for ought I know it may be as good a Piece: and that may pass as well. I would give you my sentiments of the whole, but that I am affraid of shewing my self a Critick; but no matter, I am so us’d to be impertinent in Lysanders Company that ‘twill appear no more strange than what he is entertained with every time I have the happiness of seeing him: where his grave silence, and scarcity of speaking (afflicting enough to me) gives me an occasion to run into the other Extreme of talking all, purely to prevent a dumb Entertainment, for which I have many times met with wise Reproofs, as tis very likely I may now, and which will as little work upon the temper of a Woman of my humour, as Mercy to a hardened Whig: d but I was going to tell you my opinion, and you are like to hear it; which is
