Homerus om

des res humanas Poematis complexus eft. Xenoph.

I must needs own, it was by the Affiftance of this Arcanum, that I, tho' otherwife impar, have adventured upon fo daring an Attempt; never atchieved or undertaken before, but by a certain Author called Homer, in whom, tho' otherwise a Perfon not without fome Abilities, and for an Ancient, of a tolerable Genius; I have discovered many grofs Errors, which are not to be forgiven his very Ashes, if by chance any of them are left. For whereas, we are affured, he defign'd his Work for a compleat * Body of all Knowledge Human, Divine, Political, and Mechanick; it is ma nifeft, he hath wholly neglected fome, and been very imperfect in the reft. For, first of all, as eminent a Cabbalift as his Difciples would reprefent Him, his Account of the Opus magnum is extreamly poor and deficient; he feems to have read but very fuperficially, either Sendivogius, Behmen, or Anthropofophia Theomagica. He is also quite mistaken about the Sphara Pyroplaftica, a neglect not to be atoned for; and (if the Reader will admit so severe a Cenfure) Vix crederem Autorem

in conviv.

hunc,

His

bunc, unquam audiviffe ignis vocem. Failings are not lefs prominent in feveral Parts of the Mechanicks. For, having read his Writings with the utmost Application ufual among Modern Wits, I could never yet discover the least Direction about the Structure of that useful Inftrument a Save-all. For want of which, if the Moderns had not lent their Affiftance, we might yet have wandred in the Dark. But I have ftill behind, a Fault far more notorious to tax this Author with; I mean, his grofs Ignorance in the Common Laws of this Realm, and in the Doctrine as well as Discipline of the Church of England. A Defect indeed, for which both he and all the Ancients stand most justly cenfured by my worthy and ingenious Friend Mr. W--tt--on, Batchelor of Divinity, in his incomparable Treatife of Ancient and Modern Learning; A Book never to be fufficiently valued, whether we confider the happy Turns and Flowings of the Author's Wit, the great Usefulness of his fublime Discoveries upon the Subject of Flies and Spittle, or the laborious Eloquence of his Stile. And I cannot forbear doing that Author the Justice of my publick Acknowledgments, for the great Helps and Liftings I I 3

had

had out of his incomparable Piece, while I was penning this Treatife.

BUT, befides thefe Omiffions in Homer already mentioned, the curious Reader will alfo obferve feveral Defects in that Author's Writings, for which he is not altogether fo accountable. For whereas every Branch of Knowledge has received fuch wonderful Acquirements fince his Age, efpecially within these last three Years, or thereabouts; it is almost impoffible, he could be so very perfect in Modern Difcoveries, as his Advocates pretend. We freely acknowledge Him to be the Inventor of the Compass, of Gun-powder, and the Circulation of the Blood: But, I challenge any of his Admirers to fhew me in all his Writings, a compleat Account of the Spleen; Does he not alfo leave us wholly to feek in the Art of Political Wagering? What can be more defective and unfatiffactory than his long Differtation upon Tea? and as to his Method of Salivation without Mercury, fo much celebrated of late, it is to my own Knowledge and Experi ence, a Thing very little to be relied on.

IT was to fupply fuch momentous Defects, that I have been prevailed on after long Sollicitation, to take Pen in Hand; and I dare venture to Promife, the Judicious Reader fhall find nothing neglected here, that can be of Ufe upon any Emergency of Life. I am confident to have included and exhausted all that Human Imagination can Rife or Fall to. Particularly, I recommend to the Perufal of the Learned, certain Discoveries that are wholly untoucht by others; whereof I fhall only mention among a great many more; My New help of Smatterers, or the Art of being Deep-learned, and Shallow-read. A curious Invention about Moufe-Traps. An Universal Rule of Reafon, or Every Man his own Carver; Together with a most useful Engine for catching of Owls. All which the judicious Reader will find largely treated on, in the feveral Parts of this Dif course.

I hold my felf obliged to give as much Light as is poffible, into the Beauties and Excellencies of what I am writing, because it is become the Fashion and Humor most applauded among the first AuI 4 thors

thors of this Polite and Learned Age, when they would correct the ill Nature of Critical, or inform the Ignorance of Courteous Readers. Befides, there have been feveral famous Pieces lately published both in Verfe and Profe; wherein, if the Writers had not been pleas'd, out of their great Humanity and Affection to the Publick, to give us a nice Detail of the Sublime, and the Admirable they contain; it is a thousand to one, whether we should ever have discovered one Grain of either. For my own particular, I cannot deny, that whatever I have faid upon this Occafion, had been more proper in a Preface, and more agreeable to the Mode, which usually directs it there. But I here think fit to lay hold on that great and honourable Privilege of being the Laft Writer;' I claim an abfolute Authority in Right, as the fresheft Modern, which gives me a Defpotick Power over all Authors before me.

In

the Strength of which Title, I do utterly difapprove and declare against that pernicious Cuftom, of making the Preface a Bill of Fare to the Book. For I have always lookt upon it as a high Point of Indiscretion in Monster-mongers and other Retailers of strange Sights; to hang