The Bookfeller to the Reader.

Learning and Wit; and the Doctor, voluminoufly, rejoyned. In this Difpute, the Town highly resented to fee a Person 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 themfelves as Parties principally concerned, took up the Controverfie, and came to a decifive Battel; But, the Manufcript, by the Injury of Fortune, or Weather, being in feveral Places imperfect, we cannot learn to which fide the Victory fell.

I must warn the Reader, to beware of applying to Perfons what is here meant, only of Books in the most literal Sense. So, when Virgil is mentioned, we are not to understand the Perfon of a famous Poet, call'd by that Name, but only certain Sheets of Paper, bound up in Leather, containing in Print, the Works of the faid Poet, and fo of the reft.

THE

THE

PREFACE

OF THE

AUTHOR.

S

ATTR is a fort of Glafs, where in Beholders do generally discover every body's Face but their own; which is the chief Reason for that kind Reception it meets in the World, and that fo very few are offended with it. But if it should happen otherwife, the Dan ger is not great; and, I have learned from long Experience, never to apprehend Mischief from thofe Understandings, I have been able to provoke; For, Anger and Fury, though they add Strength to the Sinews of the Body, yet are found to relax those of the Mind, and to render all its Efforts feeble and impotent.

There is a Brain that will endure but one Scumming: Let the Owner gather it with Difcretion, and manage his little Stock with Husbandry; but of all things, let him beware of bringing it under the Lafh of his Betters; becaufe, That will make it all bubble up into Impertinence, and he will find no new Supply: Wit, without knowledge: being a Sort of Cream, which gathers in a Night to the Top, and by a skil ful Hand, may be foon whipt into Froth; but once fcumm'd away, what appears underneath will be fit for nothing, but to be thrown to the Hogs.

A

239

A Full and True

ACCOUNT

OF THE

BATTEL

Fought laft FRIDAY, &c.

W

HOEVER examines with due Circumfpection into the * Annu

de Mary Clarke; opt. Edit.

al Records of ceth Pride; Pride * Riches produ Time, will find it remarked, is war's Ground, that War is the Child of Pride, &c. Vid. Ephem. and Pride the Daughter of Riches; The former of which Affertions may be foon granted; but one cannot fo eafily fubfcribe to the latter: For Pride is nearly related to Beggary and Want, either by Father or Mother, and fometimes by both; And, to speak naturally, it very seldom happens among Q 3 Men

Men to fall out, when all have enough: Invafions usually travelling from North to South, that is to fay, from Poverty upon Plenty. The most antient and natural Grounds of Quarrels, are Luft and Avarice; which, tho' we may allow to be Brethren or collateral Branches of Pride, are certainly the Iffues of Want. For, to speak in the Phrafe of Writers upon the Politicks, we may obferve in the Republick of Dogs, (which in its Original seems to be an Inftitution of the Many) that the whole State is ever in the profoundeft Peace, after a full Meal; and, that Civil Broils arife among them, when it happens for one great Bone to be feized on by fome leading Dog, who either divides it among the Few, and then it falls to an Oligarchy, or keeps it to Himfelf, and then it runs up to a Tyranny. The fame Reafoning alfo, holds Place among them, in those Diffenfions we behold upon a Turgefcency in any of their Females. For, the Right of Poffeffion lying in common (it being impoffible to establish a Property in fo delicate a Cafe) Jealoufies and Sufpicions do fo abound, that the whole Commonwealth of that Street, is reduced to a manifelt State of War, of every Citizen a