the inferior world. By the pulpit, are adumbrated the writings of our modern faints in Great Britain, as they have fpiritualised and refined them, from the drofs and groffness of sense and human reason. The matter, as we have faid, is of rotten wood; and that upon two confiderations; because it is the quality of rotten wood, to give light in the dark: and fecondly, because its cavities are full of worms; which is a * type with a pair of handles, having a respect to the two principal qualifications of the orator, and the two different fates attending upon his works.

The ladder, is an adequate fymbol of faction, and of poetry, to both of which so noble a number of authors are indebted for their fame. † Of faction, because

*

*

Hiatus in

MS.

Of poetry,

because its orators do perorare with a fong; and becaufe climbing up by flow degrees, fate is fure to turn them off, before they can reach within many steps of the top and because it is a preferment attained by transferring of propriety, and a confounding of meum and tuum.

Under the stage itinerant, are couched thofe productions defigned for the pleasure and delight of mor

• The two principal qualifications of a fanatic preacher are, his inward light, and his head full of maggots; and the two different fates of his writings are, to be burnt or worm-eaten.

+ Here is pretended a defect in the manufcript; and this is very frequent with our author, either when he thinks he cannot fay any thing worth reading, or when he has no mind to enter on the subject, or when it is a matter of little moment; or perhaps to amufe his reader, whereof he is frequently very fond; or, laftly, with fome fatyrical intention.

tal

tal man; fuch as, fix-penny-worth of wit, Weftminster drolleries, delightful tales, compleat jefters, and the like; by which the writers of and for GRUB-STREET, have in thefe latter ages fo nobly triumphed over time; have clipped his wings, pared his nails, filed his teeth, turned back his hourglafs, blunted his scythe, and drawn the hobnails out of his fhoes. It is under this class, I have prefumed to lift my present treatise, being just come from having the honour conferred upon me, to be adopted a member of that illuftrious fraternity.

Now, I am not unaware, how the productions of the Grub-street brotherhood, have of late years fallen under many prejudices, nor how it has been the perpetual employment, of two junior ftart-up focieties, to ridicule them and their authors, as unworthy their established post in the commonwealth of wit and learning. Their own confciences will eafily inform them, whom I mean; nor has the world been fo negligent a looker-on, as not to obferve the continual efforts made by the focieties of Gresham, and of

Will's, to edify a name and reputation upon the ruin of OURS. And this is yet a more feeling grief to us, upon the regards of tendernefs as well as of juftice, when we reflect on their proceedings not only as unjust, but as ungrateful, undutiful, and unnatural. For how can it be forgot by the world

*Grefham college was the place where the Royal Society then met, from whence they removed to Crane Court in Fleet-Street.

+ Will's coffee-houfe in Covent-Garden was formerly the place where the poets ufually met, which, though it be yet fresh in memory, in fome years may be forgotten, and want this explanation,

or

or themselves, to fay nothing of our own records, which are full and clear in the point, that they both are feminaries not only of our planting, but our watering too? I am informed, our two rivals have lately made an offer to enter into the lifts with united forces, and challenge us to a comparison of books, both as to weight and number. In return to which, with licence from our prefident, I humbly offer two answers; firft, we fay, the propofal is like that which Archimedes made upon a * fmaller affair, including an impoffibility in the practice; for, where can they find scales of capacity enough for the first, or an arithmetician of capacity enough for the fecond. Secondly, we are ready to accept the challenge; but with this condition, that a third indifferent perfon be affigned, to whofe impartial judgment it should be left to decide, which fociety each book, treatise, or pamphlet, do moft properly belong to. This point, God knows, is very far from being fixed at present: for, we are ready to produce a catalogue of fome thousands, which in all common justice ought to be entitled to our fraternity, but by the revolted new and new-fangled writers, most perfidiously afcribed to the others. Upon all which, we think it very unbecoming our prudence, that the determination fhould be remitted to the authors themselves; when our adverfaries, by briguing and caballing, have caufed fo univerfal a defection from us, that the greatest part of our fociety has already deferted to them, and our nearest friends begin to ftand aloof, as if they were half-afhamed to own us.

Viz. About moving the earth.

*

This is the utmost I am authorised to fay upon fo ungrateful and melancholy a fubject; becaufe we are extreme unwilling to inflame a controversy, whose continuance may be so fatal to the interests of us all, defiring much rather that things be amicably compofed; and we fhall fo far advance on our fide, as to be ready to receive the two prodigals with open arms, whenever they fhall think fit to return from their husks and their harlots; which, I think, from the + present course of their studies they most properly may be faid to be engaged in; and like an indulgent parent, continue to them our affection and our bleffing.

But the greatest maim given to that general reception, which the writings of our society have formerly received (next to the tranfitory state of all sublunary things) has been a fuperficial vein among many readers of the prefent age, who will by no means be perfuaded to infpect beyond the furface and the rind of things; whereas, wisdom is a fox, who, after long hunting, will at last cost you you the pains to dig out: it is a cheese, which, by how much the richer, has the thicker, the homelier, and the coarfer coat; and whereof, to a judicious palate, the maggots are the beft: it is a fack-poffet, wherein the deeper you go, you will find it the sweeter. Wisdom is a hen, whofe cackling we muft value and confider, because it is attended with an egg: but then lastly, it is a nut, which, unless you choofe with judgment, may coft you a tooth, and pay you with nothing but a worm. In confequence of these It should be, extremely unwilling, &c. + Virtuofo experiments, and modern comedies.

momen

momentous truths, the grubæan fages, have always chofen to convey their precepts and their arts, fhut up within the vehicles of types and fables; which having been perhaps more careful and curious in adorning, than was altogether neceffary, it has fared with these vehicles, after the ufual fate of coaches over finely painted and gilt, that the tranfitory gazers have fo dazzled their eyes, and filled their imaginations with the outward luftre, as neither to regard or confider the perfon, or the parts, of the owner within. A misfortune we undergo with fomewhat less reluctancy, because it has been common to us with Pythagoras, fop, Socrates, and other of our predeceffors.

However, that neither the world, nor ourselves, may any longer suffer by fuch misunderstandings, I have been prevailed on, after much importunity from my friends, to travel in a compleat and laborious differtation, upon the prime productions of our fociety; which, befide their beautiful externals, for the gratification of fuperficial readers, have darkly and deeply couched under them, the most finished and refined systems of all sciences and arts; as I do not doubt to lay open, by untwisting or unwinding, and either to draw up by exantlation, or difplay by incifion.

This great work was entered upon fome years ago, by one of our most eminent members: he began with the history of * Reynard the fox, but neither lived to

The author feems here to be mistaken, for I have feen a Latin edition of Reynard the fox above a hundred years old, which I take to be the original; for the reft, it has been thought by many people to contain fome fatyrical defign in it.

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