'Tis unhappy to me that I came here to offer you this Preſent at a Time, when 'tis ſo hard to ſay any thing that one Side or other ſhall not be diſpleaſed with: And tho I ſteer as ſteady as I can; yet I cannot but expect Miſconſtructions, and they will be no Surprize to me.
I am only ſorry, that ſome Gentlemen taking it for granted, I am byaſs'd by Party, have turn'd their Backs on this Work, before they ſuffered themſelves to be inform'd what it was; but this troubles me not for my own Sake: For I ſeek nothing but the Honour of being the firſt Stranger that has attempted to oblige you this way.
If thoſe Gentlemen have by this hindred me of thoſe Helps I might have had from them, by which I might have been able to have done them and their Families more Juſtice, 'tis my Misfortune; but I hope the Gentlemen will not blame me for omitting what I could not be furniſht with, either of their Family's Hiſtory, or their Perſonal Merit.
As far as without theſe Aſſiſtances the ſuperficial Knowledge of Report, and General Character would ſupply, I have not been wanting to ſhew an impartial Honour for all Men of Merit, without the leaſt Reſpect to Party Factions, or any of the unhappy Diſtinctions of the Times.
But as ſome very Noble Families are left out, by this means I have nothing to ask their Pardon for, but the Misfortune of being miſtaken by them, which is a Loſs, I am not out of Hopes, Time will repair, and that hereafter they will permit me to do them that Juſtice I was ready to have done now.
I hope none will quarrel with the Poem for the Author's not being able to give every Family, or every Gentleman in Scotland a Character ſuited to their Merit, and conſequently for ſingling ſome out from the reſt.
As to entring upon the Characters of every Noble Family in your illuſtrious Roll of Peerage, you will pardon me, not attempting what you will eaſily conclude a Stranger, that has not had the Honour of a long acquaintance here could not be capable of, at leaſt to ſuch a Degree as ſuch Characters ought to be made.
The Few Attempts made here, I acknowledge to be very imperfect and ſhort as to the Merit both of Perſon and Family, and the Gentlemen concern'd cannot expect I could go thorow either all the Families, or all in their Families that deſerv'd Notice—. The Nature and Deſign of the Work could not permit it.
I intreat therefore, thoſe Gentlemen who know their Families are of equal Antiquity, and their perſonal Merit equal to ſome that are mentioned here, to remember, Character is not the End of the Book, but a Circumſtance like the finiſhing Strokes of a Fine Picture added to grace the Work: The principal Deſign was the Climate, Nation, Seas, Trade, Lands, Improvements and Temper of Scotland and its People: In purſuing this, ſome Actions, ſome Families, ſome Characters becoming neceſſary, it would be too great a nicety to quarrel the Author, that this or that is omitted, tho, equal in its Authority and Character to ſome that may be mentioned here.
