plifhed perfon, who has got into the taste of wit, calculated for this present month of August 1697, should descend to the very bottom of all the sublime throughout this treatife, I hold it fit to lay down this general maxim. Whatever reader defires to have a thorough comprehenfion of an author's thoughts, cannot take a better method, than by putting himself into the circumftances and poftures of life that the writer was in upon every important paffage, as it flowed from his pen: for this will introduce a parity and ftrict correspondence of ideas between the reader and the author. Now, to affift the diligent reader in fo delicate an affair, as far as brevity will permit, I have recollected, that the firewdeft pieces of this treatise were conceived in bed, in a garret. At other times, for a reafon best known to myfelf, I thought fit to fharpen my invention with hunger; and, in general, the whole work was begun, continued, and ended, under a long course of phyfic, and a great want of money. Now I do affirm, it will be abfolutely impoffible for the candid peruser to go along with me in a great many bright paffages, unlefs, upon the feveral difficulties emergent, he will pleafe to capacitate and prepare himself by these directions. And this I lay down as my principal poftulatum.

Because I have professed to be a most devoted servant of all moderns, I apprehend fome curious wit may object against me, for proceeding thus far in a Preface, without declaiming, according to the cuftorn, against the multitude of writers whereof the whole multitude of writers most reasonably complain. I am just come from perufing fome hundreds of prefaces, wherein the authors do at the very beginning address the gentle reader concerning

cerning this enormous grievance. Of thefe I have preferved a few examples, and shall set them down, as near as my memory has been able to retain them.

One begins thus,

"For a man to set up for a writer, when the press fwarms with, &c"

Another :

"The tax upon paper does not leffen the number of fcribblers, who daily pefter, &c.

Another :

"When every little would-be-wit takes pen in hand, it is in vain to enter the lifts, &c.

Another :

"To observe what trash the press swarms with, &c.❤ Another :

"Sir, It is merely in obedience to your commands, "that I venture into the public: for who, upon a less "confideration, would be of a party with fuch a rabble "of fcribblers? &c."

Now, I have two words in my own defence against this objection. First, I am far from granting the number of writers a nuisance to our nation; having ftrenuoully maintained the contrary in feveral parts of the following difcourfe. Secondly, I do not well underftand the justice of this proceeding; because I obfèrve many of these polite prefaces to be not only from the fame hand, but from those who are most voluminous in their several productions. Upon which I fhall tell the reader a fhort tale.

"A mountebank in Leicester-fields had drawn a huge "affembly about him. Among the reft, a fat unwieldy "fellow, half stifled in the prefs, would be every fit "crying

« crying out,—Lord, what a filthy croud is here! Pray, "good people give way a little. Blefs me! what a de"vil has raked this rabble together! Z-ds, what "fqueezing is this! Honest friend, remove your elbow."

-At last, a weaver, that ftood next him, could hold no longer." A plague confound you (said he)

for an overgrown floven; and who, (in the devil's (name), I wonder, helps to make up the croud half fo much as yourself? Don't you confider, (with a pox), that you take up more room with that carcass than any five here? Is not the place as free for us as for you? Bring your own guts to a reasonable com'pafs, (and be d-n'd); and then I'll engage we shall ❝have room enough for us all.”

There are certain common privileges of a writer; the benefit whereof, I hope, there will be no reason to doubt ; articularly, that, where I am not understood, it shall be concluded, that fomething very useful and profound is couched underneath; and again, that whatever word or fentence is printed in a different character, fhall be judged to contain fomething extraordinary, either of wit Or fublime.

As for the liberty I have thought fit to take of praifjing myfelf upon fome occafions or none, I am fure it will need no excufe, if a multitude of great examples be allowed fufficient authority: For it is here to be noted, that praife was originally a penfion paid by the world : Jout the moderns, finding the trouble and charge too great in collecting it, have lately bought out the fee-fimple; ince which time the right of presentation is wholly in Durfelves. For this reafon it is, that when an author nakes his own eulogy, he ufes a certain form to declare

and

:

and infift upon his title; which is commonly in theft or the like words, I fpeak without vanity which, I think, plainly fhews it to be a matter of right and juftice. Now, I do here once for all declare, that in every encounter of this nature, through the following treatife, the form aforefaid is implied; which I mention, to save the trouble of repeating it on fo many occafions.

It is a great cafe to my confcience, that I have written fo elaborate and ufeful a difcourfe without one grain of fatire intermixed; which is the fole point wherein I have taken leave to diffent from the famous originals off our age and country. I have obferved fome fatirifts to use the public much at the rate that pedants do a naughty boy, ready horsed for discipline: First, expoftulate the cafe, then plead the neceffity of the rod, from great pro.. vocations, and conclude every period with a lafh. Now, if I know any thing of mankind, thefe gentlemen might very well fpare their reproof and correction: for there: is not, through all nature, another fo callous and infen.. fible a member as the world's pofteriors, whether you apply to it the toe or the birch. Befides, moft of our late fatirifts feem to lie under a fort of mistake, that because nettles have the prerogative to fting, therefons all other weeds muft do fo too. I make not this com parifon out of the leaft defign to detra& from thefe wor. thy writers for it is well known among mythologists, that weeds have the pre-eminence over all other vegeta.. bles; and therefore the firft monarch of this island, whofe tafte and judgment were fo acute and refined, did very wifely root out the roles from the collar of the order, and plant the thiftles in their ftead, as the nobler Bower of the two. For which reafon it is conjectural

by

by profounder antiquaries, that the fatirical itch, fo prevalent in this part of our ifland, was first brought among us from beyond the Tweed. Here may it long flourish and abound. May it furvive and neglect the fcorn of the world, with as much ease and contempt as the world is infenfible to the lafhes of it. May their own dulnefs or that of their party be no difcouragement for the authors to proceed: but let them remember, it is with wits as with razors, which are never fo apt to cut those they are employed on, as when they have loft their edge. Befides, thofe, whofe teeth are too rotten to bite, are best of all others qualified to revenge that defect with their breath.

I am not, like other men, to envy or undervalue the talents I cannot reach; for which reafon I must needs bear a true honour to this large eminent fect of our British writers. And I hope, this little panegyric will not be offensive to their ears, fince it has the advantage of being only defigned for themfelves. Indeed, Nature herself has taken order, that fame and honour should be purchased at a better pennyworth by fatire, than by any other productions of the brain; the world being fooneft provoked to praise by lashes, as men are to love. There is a problem in an ancient author, why dedications, and other bundles of flattery, run all upon ftale mufty topics, without the falleft tincture of any thing new; not only to the torment and naufeating of the Christian reader, but, if not suddenly prevented, to the universal spreading of that peftilent difeafe, the lethargy, in this ifland: whereas there is very little fatire which has not something in it untouched before. The defects of the former are usually imputed to the want of invention among those E 2 who