The Virginia Gazette

To the Publisher of the London Evening-Post.

SIR,

I beg the Favour you will publish in your next Paper the following Acknowledgment of my past Errors, and Promise of Amendment, Viz.

WHEREAS I Sylvanus Urban, of St. John's Gate, Author, having no Regard for Truth, and believing my Readers to be much more ignorant than I find some of them are, have several Times most scandalously prophan'd the Works of learned Men, by intermixing them with my own Trash in my Magazine and calling them Original Letters from my learned and ingenious Correspondents; particularly the Letter in my Magazine for May last, upon a particular Providence, sign'd W. J. which I wickedly impos'd upon my Customers (I believe I should rather say, Patients,) for an Original Letter, tho' every Sentence of it was stol'n from Archbishop Tillotson, and other Authors upon that Subject; and the Letter from Shamby Wealtby, which I also gave out, in my Title Page, for last January, to be an Original, tho' the same was stolen from the Spectator, Vol. 7. N. 584.

Cum multum aliis quam nonne perscribere longus.

For all which Offences I humbly ask Pardon of such of my Readers as have discovered the Cheat, who, I believe are but few; and as I have purchas'd the fine Library, recommended in the London Evening-Post, of the 2d Instant, (See Virginia Gazette, N°. 44.) I am in all Probability, furnish'd with a sufficient Number of what I may venture to call Originals, for supplying my Magazine as long as it is likely to subsist; therefore I hereby promise, for the future, not to publish any pretended Original Letters, or Poems, but such as I purloin from ancient Authors who were never heard of, nor will ever be read by any but those, who, to their own immortal Honour, do me the Favour of being my Customers.

Sir. I would have waited on you in Person, to have desir'd the Favour of publishing this in your next, but my Coach is now employ'd, and will be for several Weeks to come, in removing the abovemention'd Library, therefore I hope you will excuse my sending this by one of my ingenious Correspondents, who is generally employ'd by me and most others in this Neighbourhood as a Porter, when his Time is not taken up in writing Original Letters, for the Instruction of my curious Readers.

I am SIR,
St. John's Gate,
March 13, 1736-7.
Your most oblig'd,
Humble Servant,
Sylvanus Urban.