digeft the Precedents he had collected, with an intention of making them public; but before that was done, he received an order to go abroad, and resume the exercife of his office, in confequence of the reduction, by his Majefty's Forces, of the Province from whence he came. The King's fhip in which he embarked having received fome damage in an action with the enemy on the coaft of France, fhe returned to Great Britain to be refitted, which afforded the Editor an opportunity of revifing his Work: and, on his fecond embarkation, he left directions to have it printed; but a Bookfeller having declined to do fo, the Editor is now enabled to notice fuch alterations as have taken place between the year 1779, and May 1783.

The Province in which the Editor refided being evacuated by the King's forces, he hurried home to his native Country, in hopes of fpending the remainder of his days in the enjoyment of his family and friends, after escaping many dangers, and undergoing much ficknefs, by a long refidence in unwholesome climates; but when he arrived at his own door, he was informed of the death of his only fon, a young man of the most promifing hopes, whofe moral qualities fo thoroughly kept pace with his literary acquirements, that it was doubtful in which he excelled. At the age of twenty-two, he died efteemed and lamented by all that knew him; and he never occafioned his parents any grief but what they experienced

at his death: The Reader will pardon this digreffion, as a tribute due from a father to the memory of the beft of fons; in comparifon of whofe death, all the Editor's other misfortunes are become trifles light as air.

The tears being wiped away, I resume the fubject.-During the fiege of Savannah, the Editor's quarters were burned by a fhell from the enemy's lines, and moft of his papers were destroyed: but he has fince met with other Precedents, fome of which are inserted herein.

The Editor is but too fenfible of the nu merous imperfections of this Effay; however he flatters himself, that as it is the first attempt of the kind, the Public will fhew him fome indulgence; fince this feeble endeavour may induce an able hand to undertake the fubject.

In this Work there are a few ftrictures on the conduct of fome Colony Officers; but the Editor could not prevail on himself to mention the names of thofe Colony Officers, nor of the Countries where they refided: Christianity enjoins charity and benevolence towards all men; his refentment, therefore, is levelled at the misconduct, and not at the individual.

There are other Colony Officers whom the Editor wishes to notice with great respect; and particularly Sir James Wright (Governor of Georgia, from the fecond year of his prefent Majefty's reign, down to the Evacuation of that Province in the fummer of 1782), A 2 whose

whofe fidelity to the Crown, and unwearied attention to the welfare of the Colony in which he prefided, are too well known to need the Editor's mention of them. He also begs leave to express his esteem for Sir Ralph Payne, formerly Governor of the Leeward Islands; General Tonyn, Governor of East Florida; and Colonel Martyn, Governor of North Carolina. The great humanity which Governor Tonyn fhewed to the loyal Refugees, who went from Georgia to St. Auguftine in 1776 and 1782, muft endear him to all those who feel for the virtuous under misfortunes: and it is defired that the Reader will not apply to either of the Governors above named, any inftance of misconduct or mistake which this Work mentions to have been committed by Colony Officers. The character and conduct of most of the Colony Governors, and other Officers, the Editor is unacquainted with, and he would be forry to give offence to any of them.

In order to confine the Publication to one Volume, it was found necessary to omit feveral Conveyances, and other Colony Precedents. Some inaccuracies are difcovered to have escaped the Editor, which it is hoped the Reader will excufe, when he reflects, that a polished ftyle, which is only to be derived from an intimate acquaintance with the Belles Lettres, cannot be expected from a man whofe profeffion leads him to the ftudy of LawFrench Reports, and Law-Latin Entries, in the Black Letter.

Should

Should the Gentlemen of the Law from the Colonies difcover any miftakes in this Production, the Editor will confider as a great favour their pointing out fuch mistakes, by a line directed to him at the Bookfeller's: and the affifting him with any useful Colony Precedents, that might contribute to render this Performance more useful, in cafe a fecond Edition fhould be called for, would add to the obligation.

P. S. The Editor has juft recollected his having mentioned, in page 138 of this Work, "That the King's caufe in the Colonies was "greatly weakened by bestowing the lucrative "offices there on perfons refiding in Great "Britain:" he therefore thinks it neceffary to observe, that he apprehends the nomination of Colony Officers was left to the American Minifter for the time, with whom alfo the leave of absence originated. The Editor's attachment to the perfon and government of his Royal Master (the best of Kings), in whofe fervice he has undergone many trying scenes, has induced him to fay fo much, to prevent mifconftruction: and he flatters himself that no Gentleman who held the Department of American Minifter, can take offence at the paffage above quoted, as nothing more was done by thofe Minifters, than had been practised by their predeceffors from the first Establishment of British Colonies.

A man who has observed the misery which the Americans brought on themselves by fubverting his Majefty's Government, will put a true value on the ineftimable bleffings of a patriot King, and the best Conftitution on earth; and will be particularly cautious of faying any thing that can be conftrued into a difrefpect of either.

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