"You will find," he said, "no matter of controversy in these sheets,
nor any sentiments stated, with which, I trust, the good in all
persuasions will not be willing to join. I remembered I was writing
for a land unhappily divided from the Catholic faith; and I have taken
care to say nothing which, justly interpreted, could give ground for
accusing me of partiality. But if, upon collating my narrative with
the proofs to which I refer you--for you will find copies of many of
the original papers in that parcel--you are of opinion that I have
been partial to my own faith, I freely give you leave to correct my
errors in that respect. I own, however, I am not conscious of this
defect, and have rather to fear that the Catholics may be of opinion,
that I have mentioned circumstances respecting the decay of discipline
which preceded, and partly occasioned, the great schism, called by you
the Reformation, over which I ought to have drawn a veil. And indeed,
this is one reason why I choose the papers should appear in a foreign
land, and pass to the press through the hands of a stranger."
To this I had nothing to reply, unless to object my own incompetency
to the task the good father was desirous to impose upon me. On this
subject he was pleased to say more, I fear, than his knowledge of me
fully warranted--more, at any rate, than my modesty will permit me to
record. At length he ended, with advising me, if I continued to feel
the diffidence which I stated, to apply to some veteran of literature,
whose experience might supply my deficiencies.
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