this ufurping* maitre du palais, of his furious engines, and bring your empire + hors de page.

It were endless to recount the feveral methods of tyranny and deftruction, which your governor is pleased to practise upon this occafion. His inveterate malice is fuch to the writings of our age, that of feveral thousands produced yearly from this renowned city, before the next revolution of the fun, there is not one to be heard of: unhappy infants! many of them barbarously deftroyed, before they have fo much as learnt their mother tongue to beg for pity. Some he ftifles in their cradles; others he frights into convulfions, whereof they fuddenly die: fome he flays alive; others he tears limb from limb. Great numbers are offered to Moloch; and the rest, tainted by his breath, die of a languishing confumption.

But the concern I have most at heart, is for our corporation of poets; from whom I am preparing a petition to your highness, to be fubfcribed with the names of one hundred thirty-fix of the first rate; but whofe immortal productions are never likely to reach your eyes, though each of them is now an humble and an earnest appellant for the laurel, and has large comely volumes ready to fhew, for a fupport to his pretenfions. The never-dying works of

* Comptroller. The kingdom of France had a race of kings, which they call les roys faineans (from their doing nothing) who lived lazily in their apartments, while the kingdom was administered by the mayor de palais, till Charles Martel the last mayor put his master to death, and took the kingdom into his own hand.

+ Out of guardianship.

thefe

1 these illustrious perfons, your governor, fir, has devoted to unavoidable death; and your highness is to be made believe, that our age has never arrived at the honour to produce one fingle poet.

We confefs immortality to be a great and powerful goddess; but in vain we offer up to her our devotions and our facrifices, if your highness's governor, who has ufurped the priesthood, must by an unparallel'd ambition and avarice, wholly intercept and devour them.

To affirm that our age is altogether unlearned, and devoid of writers in any kind, feems to be an affertion fo bold and fo falfe, that I have been some time thinking, the contrary may almost be proved by uncontroulable demonftration. It is true, indeed, that although their numbers be vast, and their productions numerous in proportion, yet are they hurried fo haftily off the scene, that they escape our memory, and elude our fight. When I first thought of this address, I had prepared a copious lift of titles to prefent your highness, as an undisputed argument for what I affirm. The originals were pofted fresh upon all gates and corners of streets; but, returning in a very few hours to take a review, they were all torn down, and fresh ones in their places: I enquired after them among readers and bookfellers, but I enquired in vain, the memorial of them was loft among men, their place was no more to be found: and I was laughed to fcorn for a clown and a pedant, without all taste and refinement, little verfed in the course of present affairs, and that knew nothing of what had paffed in the best companies, of court

D 2

and

and town.

So that I can only avow in general to your highness, that we do abound in learning and wit; but to fix upon particulars, is a task too flippery for my flender abilities. If I fhould venture in a windy day to affirm to your highness, that there is a large cloud near the horizon, in the form of a bear; another in the zenith, with the head of an afs; a third to the weftward, with claws like a dragon; and your highness should in a few minutes think fit to examine the truth, it is certain, they would all be changed in figure and pofition; new ones would arife, and all we could agree upon would be, that clouds there were, but that I was grofly mistaken in the zoography, and topography of them.

But your governor perhaps may still infift, and put the question: What is then become of those immenfe bales of paper, which must needs have been employed in fuch numbers of books? cán thefe alfo be wholly annihilate, and fo of a fudden, as I pretend? What shall I fay in return of fo invidious an objection? it ill befits the distance between your highness and me, to fend you for ocular conviction to a jakes, or an oven; to the windows of a bawdy-house, or to a fordid lanthern. Books, like men their authors, have no more than one way of coming into the world, but there are ten thoufand to go out of it, and return no more.

I profefs to your highness in the integrity of my heart, that what I am going to fay is literally true this minute I am writing: what revolutions may happen before it shall be ready for your perufal, I can by no means warrant: however, I beg you to

accept

accept it as a specimen of our learning, our politenefs, and our wit: I do therefore affirm upon the word of a fincere man, that there is now actually in being a certain poet, called John Dryden, whose tranflation of Virgil was lately printed in a large folio, well bound, and if diligent search were made, for aught I know, is yet to be seen. There is another, called Nahum Tate, who is ready to make oath, that he has caused many reams of verse to be. published, whereof both himself and his book feller (if lawfully required) can ftill produce authentic copies, and therefore wonders why the world is pleased to make fuch a fecret of it. There is a third, known by the name of Tom Durfey, a poet of a vaft comprehenfion, a univerfal genius, and most profound learning. There are also one Mr. Rymer, and one Mr. Dennis, most profound critics. There is a person styled Dr. Bentley, who has written near a thoufand pages of immenfe erudition, giving a full and true account, of a certain fquabble, of wonderful importance, between himself and a bookfeller *: he is a writer of infinite wit and humour; no man rallies with a better grace, and in more sprightly turns. Farther I avow to your highness, that with these eyes I have beheld the perfon of William Wotton, B. D. who has written a good sizeable volume against a friend of your governor † (from whom alas he must therefore look for little favour) in a

Bentley, in his controverfy with lord Orrery upon the genuineness of Phalaris's epiftles has given, in a preface, a long account of his dialogues with a bookfeller about the loan and refitution of a MS. + Sir William Temple.

moft gentlemanly ftile, adorned with the utmost politenefs and civility; replete with difcoveries equally valuable for their novelty and use; and embellished with traits of wit, fo poignant and fo appofite, that he is a worthy yokemate to his forementioned friend.

Why fhould I go upon farther particulars, which might fill a volume with the juft elogies of my contemporary brethren? I fhall bequeath this piece of justice to a larger work; wherein I intend to write a character of the present set of wits in our nation: their perfons I shall describe particularly and at length, their genius and understandings in mi

niature.

In the mean time, I do here make bold to prefent your highness with a faithful abftract drawn from the univerfal body of all arts and fciences, intended wholly for your fervice and inftruction: nor do I doubt in the leaft, but your highness will peruse it as carefully, and make as confiderable improvements, as other young princes have already done, by the many volumes of late years written for a help to their ftudies *.

That your highness may advance in wifdom and virtue, as well as years, and at last out-fhine all your royal ancestors, fhall be the daily prayer of,

Decemb.

1697.

SIR,

Your Highness's

Moft devoted, &c.

There were innumerable books printed for the ufe of the Dauphine

of France.

THE