thefe*. Neither do I think fuch an Employment fo very alien from the Office of a Wit, as fome would fuppofe. For among a very polite Nation in Greece +, there were the fame Temples built and confecrated to Sleep and the Muses, between which two Deities they believed the strictest Friendship was established.

I have one concluding Favour to request of my Reader, That he will not expect to be equally di verted and informed by every Line or every Page of this Difcourfe; but give fome Allowance to the Author's Spleen, and fhort Fits or Intervals of Dulness, as well as his own; and lay it feriously to his Confcience, whether, if he were walking the Streets in dirty Weather or a rainy Day, he would allow it fair Dealing in Folks at their Eafe from a Window, to critick his Gate, and ridicule his Drefs at fuch a Jun&ture.

.

mo

In my Difpofure of Employments of the Brain, I have thought fit to make Invention the Mafter, and to give Method and Reason the Office of its Lacqueys. The Caufe of this Diftribution was, from obferving it my peculiar Cafe, to be often under a Temptation of being Witty, upon Occafion where I could be. neither Wife nor Sound, nor any thing to the Matter in Hand. And I am too much a Servant of the dern Way, to neglect any fuch Opportunities, whatever Pains or Improprieties I may be at to introduce them. For I have observed, that from a laborious Collection of Seven hundred thirty eight Flowers and Shining Hints of the best modern Authors, digefted with great Reading into my Book of common Places, I have not been able, after five Years, to draw, hook, or force. into common Converfation, any more than a Dozen. Of which Dozen, the one Moiety failed of Success, by being dropped among unfuitable Company; and the other coft me fo many Strains, and Traps, and ambages to introduce, that I at length refolved to

• This was writ before the Peace of Ryfwick.

[Trezenii, Paufan. 1. 2.]

M 2

give

give it over. Now, this Difappointment, (to difco ver a Secret), I must own gave me the first Hint of fetting up for an Author; and I have fince found among fome particular Friends, that it is become a very general Complaint, and has produced the fame Effects upon many others. For I have remarked many a towardly Word to be wholly neglected or defpifed in Difcourfe, which hath paffed very smoothly, with fome Confideration and Esteem, after its Preferment and Sanction in print. But now, fince, by the Liberty and Encouragement of the Prefs, I am grown abfolute Mafter of the Occafions and Opportunities to expose the Talents I have acquired, I already dif cover, that the Iffues of my Obfervanda begin to grow too large for the Receipts. Therefore I fhall here paufe a while, till I find, by feeling the World's Pulfe, and my own, that it will be of abfolute Ne ceffity for us both to resume my Pen.

2

FÍN 18

A

FULL and TRUE

A C COUNT

OF THE

BATTLE

Fought, laft FRIDAY,

BETWEEN

The ANTIENT and the MODERN

BOOK S

Ι Ν

St. JAMES's LIBRARY.

TH

HE following Difcourfe, as it is unquestionably of the fame Author, fo it seems to have been written about the fame time with the former; I mean the Year 1697, when the famous Difpute was on Foot, about antient and modern Learning. The Controverfy took its Rife from an Effay of Sir William Temple's upon that Subject; which was anfwered by W. Wotton, B. D. with an Appendix by Dr. Bentley, endeavouring to deftroy the Credit of

fop and Phalaris, for Authors, whom Sir William Temple had, in the Effay before mentioned, highly commended. In that Appendix, the Doctor falls hard upon a new Edition of Phalaris, put out by the Honourable Charles Boyle, now Earl of Orrery; to which Mr. Boyle replied at large with great Learning and Wit; and the Doctor voluminouffy rejoined. In this Difpute, the Town highly refented to fee a Perfon of Sir William Temple's Character and Merits roughly used by the two Reverend Gentlemen aforefaid, and without any Manner of Provocation. At length, there appearing no End of the Quarrel, our Author tells us, that the BOOKS in St. James's Library, looking upon themselves as Parties principally concerned, took up the Controverfy, and came

to