often invited by the urging and attending orator, with his last moving and standing piece of rhetoric, Sir, upon my word, we are just going to begin. Such is exactly the fate, at this time, of Prefaces, Epiftles, Advertisements, Introductions, Prolegomena's, Apparatus's, To the readers. This expedient was admirable at firft. Our great Dryden has long carried it as far as it would go, and with incredible fuccefs. He hath often faid to me in confidence, that the world would have never fufpected him to be fo great a poet, if he had not affured them fo frequently in his prefaces, that it was impoffible they could either doubt or forget it. Perhaps it may be fo: However, I much fear, his inftructions have edified out of their place, and taught men to grow wifer in certain points, where he never intended they fhould ; For it is lamentable to behold, with what a lazy fcorn many of the yawning readers of our age do now-a-days twirl over forty or fifty pages of preface and dedication, (which is the ufual modern ftint), as if it were fo much Latin. Though it must be alfo allowed, on the other hand, that a very confiderable number is known to proceed critics and wits, by reading nothing elfe. Into which two factions, I think, all prefent readers may justly be divided. Now, for myself, I profess to be of the former fort: And therefore having the modern inclination to expatiate upon the beauty of my own productions, and display the bright parts of my discourse, I thought best to do it in the body

body of the work; where, as it now lies, it makes a very confiderable addition to the bulk of the .volume; a circumftance by no means to be neglected by a skilful writer.

Having thus paid my due deference and acknowledgement to an established custom of our neweft authors, by a long digreffion unfought for, and an univerfal cenfure unprovoked; by forcing into the light, with much pains and dexterity, my own excellencies, and other men's defaults, with great juftice to myfelf, and candour to them; I now happily refume my fubject, to the infinite fatisfaction both of the reader and the author.

SECT. VI.

A TALE OF A TU B.

W

E left Lord Peter in open rupture with his two brethren; both for ever difcarded from his houfe, and refigned to the wide world, with little or nothing to trust to. Which are circumftances that render them proper fubjects for the charity of a writer's pen to work on; fcenes of mifery ever affording the fairest harveft for great adventures. And in this the world may perceive the difference between the integrity of a generous author, and that of a com

mon

mon friend. The latter is obferved to adhere clofe in profperity, but, on the decline of fortune, to drop fuddenly off: Whereas the gene-, rous author, juft on the contrary, finds his hero on the dunghill, from thence by gradual fteps raises him to a throne, and then immediately withdraws, expecting not fo much as thanks for his pains. In imitation of which example, I have placed Lord Peter in a noble houfe, given him a title to wear, and money to spend. There I fhall leave him for fome time; returning where common charity directs me, to the affiftance of his two brothers at their lowest ebb. However, I fhall by no means forget my character of an hiftorian, to follow the truth ftep by step, whatever happens, or where-ever it may lead me.

The two exiles, fo nearly united in fortune and intereft, took a lodging together; where, at their firft leifure, they began to reflect on the numberless misfortunes and vexations of their life paft; and could not tell, on the fudden, to what failure in their conduct they ought to impute them; when, after fome recollection, they called to mind the copy of their father's will, which they had fo happily recovered. This was immediately produced, and a firm refolution taken between them, to alter whatever was already amifs, and reduce all their future meafures to the stricteft obedience prescribed therein. The main body of the will (as the reader cannot eafily have forgot) confifted in certain admirable

rules about the wearing of their coats: In the perufal whereof, the two brothers at every period duly comparing the doctrine with the practice, there was never feen a wider difference between two things; horrible, downright tranfgreffions of every point. Upon which they both refolved, without further delay, to fall immediately upon reducing the whole exactly after their father's model.

But here it is good to stop the hafty reader, ever impatient to fee the end of an adventure, before we writers can duly prepare him for it. I am to record, that these two brothers began to be distinguished at this time by certain names. One of them defired to be called MARTIN *, and the other took the appellation of JACK †. These two had lived in much friendship and agreement, under the tyranny of their brother Peter; as it is the talent of fellow-fufferers to do; men in misfortune being like men in the dark, to whom all colours are the fame. But when they came forward into the world, and began to difplay themselves to each other, and to the light, their complexions appeared extremely different; which the present pofture of their affairs gave them fudden opportunity to difcover.

But here the fevere reader may justly tax me as a writer of fhort memory; a deficiency to which a true modern cannot but, of neceffity, be a little fubject: Becaufe memory being an employDd

VOL. I.

ment

*Martin Luther.

↑ John Calvin.

ment of the mind upon things paft, is a faculty, for which the learned in our illuftrious age have no manner of occafion, who deal entirely with invention, and ftrike all things out of themselves, or at leaft by collifion from each other; upon which account we think it highly reasonable to produce our great forgetfulness, as an argument unanfwerable for our great wit. I ought, in method, to have informed the reader about fifty pages ago, of a fancy Lord Peter took, and infufed into his brothers, to wear on their coats whatever trimmings came up in fashion; never pulling off any as they went out of the mode, but keeping on all together; which amounted in time to a medley, the most antic you can poffibly conceive: And this to a degree, that, upon the time of their falling out, there was hardly a thread of the original coat to be seen ; but an infinite quantity of lace, and ribbands, and fringe, and embroidery, and points; (I mean only those tagged with filver *, for the reft fell off). Now, this material circumftance having been forgot in due place; as good fortune hath ordered, comes in very properly here, when the two brothers are juft going to reform their veftures into the primitive ftate, prescribed by their father's will.

They both unanimoufly entered upon this great work, looking fometimes on their coats, and fome

*Points tagged with filver, or thofe doctrines that promote the greatness and wealth of the church, which have been therefore woven deepest in the body of Popery.