BOOKSELLER

TO THE

READ E R.

THE following difcourfe, as it is unqueftionably of the fame author, fo

it feems to have been written about the fame time with the former; I mean, the year 1697, when the famous difpute was on foot about ancient and modern learning. The controversy took its rife from an effay of Sir William Temple's upon that fubject; which was answered by W. Wotton, B D. with an appendix by Dr. Bentley, endeavouring to deftroy the credit of fop and Phalaris for authors, whom Sir William Temple had in the effay before-mentioned highly commended. In that appendix the doctor falls hard upon a new edition of Phalaris, put out by the honourable Charles Boyle (now Earl of Orrery) to which Mr. Boyle replied at large with great learning and wit; and the doctor

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volumi

voluminously rejoined. In this difpute, the town highly resented to see a perfon of Sir William Temple's character and merits roughly used by the two reverend gentlemen aforefaid, and without any manner of provocation. At length, there appearing no end of the quarrel, our author tells us, that the BOOKS in St. James's library, looking upon themfelves as parties principally concerned, took up the controverfy, and came to a decifive battle; but the manufcript by the injury of fortune or weather being in feveral places imperfect, we cannot learn to which fide the victory fell.

I muft warn the reader to beware of applying to perfons, what is here meant only of books in the most literal fense. So, when Virgil is mentioned, we are not to understand the perfon of a famous poet called by that name; but only certain fheets of paper, bound up in leather, containing in print the works of the faid poet and fo of the reft.

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