have very plentifully ſupplied the World, tho' I ſhall not be very profuſe in my Encomiums on either: Theſe are Love-Letters, and Letters of Converſation, in which laſt are contained the private Affairs of Perſons of no Conſequence to the Public, either in a political or learned Conſideration, or indeed in any Conſideration whatever.
With theſe two Kinds of Letters the French Language in particular ſo vaſtly abounds, that it would employ moſt of the leiſure Hours of Life to read them all; nay, I believe indeed, they are the principal Study of many of our fine Gentlemen and Ladies, who learn that Language.
And hence ſuch Readers have learnt the critical Phraſes of a familiar eaſy Style, a conciſe epiſtolary Style, &c. and theſe they apply to all Letters whatever.
Now, from ſome polite modern Performances, written I ſuppoſe by this Rule, I much doubt, whether theſe French Readers have any juſt and adequate Notion of this epiſtolary Style, with which they are ſo enamoured. To ſay the Truth, I queſtion whether they do not place it entirely in
