LETTERS TO CHARLES BUTLER

1·32.7 MB·English

by  N.A

Letitin 10 charley Btlen.

ber

gibrarte®
cerishan oie ut

To
THE RIGHT NONOUHABLE

CHARLES WATKIN WILLIAMS WYNN,

he. de. oe.

My Dear Furey,

Wnen F inscribed a poem to you

some tw

nty years ago, in merpprial of a
friewdship which had then subsiited more
than half’ our lives, there was a peculiar
propriety in so doing, ‘The subject was
one concerning which we had talked when
we were buys together; it related ta your
own country; some of your ancestors were.
among the personages of the tale; historical
incidents were introduced which I had
collected in year Library, and in your
company T had visited somg of the scenes
which are described, ‘For these reasons,

~

ag
v DEDICATION,

had there been no other™hotite) Madoc
could not have been inscribed so properly
to any person as yoursel!.

But in prefixing your ngme to the pre-
sent volume, this address may aypear not
Jess inappropriate, than it was becoming in

the foriner instance. You 1 earnest

asd powerful supporter of what are new
called the Catholic claims; and my object
in this work is to expose the principles anal
practices of the Romish Church,..lo show
that the present advocates of that Church
are not to be trusted in their stalauents,..
to prove that they pervert history, and that
they represent their tenets not as those
“tenets are, but ‘as they” wish them to be
thought in this country, at this ume. Why
then, it may be asked, have I dedicated a
book to you, the drift of which is in direct
opposition 10, your political wishes and
exertions? Certaibly nat for the purpose
DEDICATION. v

of qwelling upon that opposition: but be-
caust, so far as the work is defensive, no
person will take a INelier interest in its
vfficiency. ‘The (Book of the Church could
need no vindication with you, who know
the author well enough to rely upon his
fidelity, even if your own reading were not
sach as renders you a competent judge
whether or not he 3s borne out by bistorical
records, 0 the full extent of what he has
atirmed: but, as an old and tried friend,
you will not see without satisfaction how
completely and low easily he can vindicate
if to the world, .

This therefore might have been sufficient
motive for thus addrtssing fou. But there
is another efise, The book, whieh is vine
dicated in this volume, was inscribed to
one: of whom death’ bas now deprived us.
What Oxford and what Litesature has lost
in Peter Flmsley may, int part, and only in