our present writers exprefs themselves, fitted to the humour of the age; as they have already done, with great felicity, to Don Quixote, Boccalini, la Bruyere, and other authors. However, I thought it fairer dealing to offer the whole work in its naturals. If any gentleman will please to furnish me with a key, in order to explain the more difficult parts, I shall very gratefully acknowledge the favour, and print it by itself.

THE

EPISTLE DEDICATORY,

то

HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

PRINCE POSTERITY.

I

SIR,

HERE present your highness with the fruits of a very few leisure hours, ftolen from the fhort intervals of a world of business, and of an employment quite alien from such amusements as this: the poor production of that refuse of time, which has lain heavy upon my hands, during a long prorogation of parliament, a great dearth of foreign news, and a tedious fit of rainy weather: for which, and other reasons, it cannot choose extremely to deferve fuch a patronage as that of your highness, whofe numberless virtues, in fo few years, make the world look upon you as the future example to all

The citation out of Iraneus in the title-page, which feems to be all Gibberish, is a form of initiation ufed antiently by the Marcofian heretics. W. Wotton.

It is the ufual ftyle of decried writers to appeal to Pofterity, who is here reprefented as a prince in his nonage, and Time as his governor; and the author begins in a way very frequent with him, by perfonating other writers, who fometimes offer fuch reasons and excufes for publishing their works, as they ought chiefly to conceal and be afhamed of,

princes:

princes: for although your highness is hardly got clear of infancy, yet has the univerfal learned world, already refolved upon appealing to your future dictates, with the lowest and most refigned fubmiffion; fate having decreed you fole arbiter of the productions of human wit, in this polite and moft accomplished age. Methinks, the number of appellants, were enough to fhock and startle any judge, of a genius less * unlimited than yours: but, in order to prevent fuch glorious trials, the perfon, it seems, to whofe care the education of your highness is committed, has refolved (as I am told) to keep you in almost a universal ignorance of our studies, which it is your inherent birthright to inspect.

It is amazing to me, that this person should have the affurance, in the face of the fun, to go about perfuading your highness, that our age is almost wholly illiterate, and has hardly produced one writer upon any subject. I know very well, that when your highness shall + come to riper years, and have gone through the learning of antiquity, you will be too curious, to neglect enquiring into the authors of the very age before you: and to think that this infolent, in the account he is preparing for your view, defigns to reduce them to a number fo infignificant as I am afhamed to mention; it moves my zeal and my fpleen for the honour and intereft of our vaft flourishing body, as well as of myself, for whom,

* There is a folecism in this expreffion of-lefs unlimited—what is boundless can admit of no degrees. It should be-less extenfive.

This is ungrammatical: it ought to have been written, Shall have come to riper years, and gone through,' &c. Or, shall come to riper years, and fhall have gone through,' &c.

I know by long experience, he has profeffed, and still continues, a peculiar malice.

It is not unlikely, that when your highness will one day perufe what I am now writing, you may be ready to expoftulate with your governor, upon the credit of what I here affirm, and command him to fhew you some of our productions. To which he will answer, (for I am well informed of his defigns) by afking your highness, where they are? and what is become of them? and pretend it a demonstration that there never were any, because they are not then to be found. Not to be found! who has milaid them? are they funk in the abyfs of things? it is certain, that in their own nature, they were light enough to fwim upon the furface for all eternity. Therefore the fault is in him, who tied weights fo heavy to their heels, as to deprefs them to the center. Is their very effence destroyed? who has annihilated them? were they drowned by purges, or martyred by pipes? who administered them to the pofteriors of--? But that it may no longer be a doubt with your highnefs, who is to be the author of this univerfal ruin; I befeech you to obferve that large and terrible scythe, which your governor affects to bear continually about him. Be pleafed to remark the length and ftrength, the sharpness and hardness of his nails and teeth: confider his baneful, abominable breath, enemy to life and matter, infectious and corrupting: and then reflect, whether it be poffible, for any mortal ink and paper of this Oh! generation, to make a fuitable refiftance. that your highness would one day refolve to difarm VOL. II.

D

this