The Rev. the Vice-Chancellor, the Noblemen, Proctors, Heads of Houses, and other Subfcribers to this Publication.
GRATITUDE imposes upon me a task I
own myself utterly unable to perform; yet
cannot avoid endeavouring, in fome measure,
to exprefs the fenfations I experience. To
barely fay I am grateful, falls far fhort of my
fentiments; I feel myfelf, as it were, over-
whelmed with kindness.
your
When I first
came to Oxford, I had no recommendation to
you but that of being unfortunate; no claim
to your patronage, but that of being a fufferer
in the cause of religion and established go-
vernment: then, how amiable muft you appear
in the eyes of the world, who have fo nobly and
readily stepped forward to my relief! But,
though my gratitude must extend to all my
Benefactors; yet in a moft particular manner
am I called upon to exprefs my unfeigned
thanks to thofe exalted characters, whofe
virtues are fuch as must cause Religion to
appear amiable even in the eyes of the most
profligate :