neither to regard or confider the perfon or the parts of the owner within a misfortune we undergo with fomewhat lefs reluctancy, because it has been common to us with Pythagoras, fop, Socrates, and other of our prede

ceffors.

HOWEVER, that neither the world nor ourselves may any longer fuffer 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, befides their beautiful externals. for the gratification of fuperficial readers, have darkly and deeply couched under them, the moft finished and refined systems of all sciences and arts: as I do not doubt to lay open by untwifting 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_moft eminent members. He began with the hiftory of Reynard the fox *; but neither lived to publish his effay, nor to proceed farther in fo ufeful an attempt: which is very much to be lamented; because the difcovery he made, and communicated with his friends, is now univerfally received. Nor do I think any of the learned will difpute that famous treatise to be a compleat body of civil knowledge, and the revelation, or rather the apocalyple, of all state arcana. But the progrefs I have made is much greater; having already finished my annotations upon feveral dozens: from fome of which I fhall impart a few hints to the candid reader, as far as will be neceffary to the conclufion at which I aim.

THE first piece I have handled, is that of Tom Thumb, whofe author was a Pythagorean philofopher. This dark treatise contains the whole fcheme of the Metempsychosis, deducing the progress of the foul through all her ftages.

THE next is Dr. Fauftus, penned by Artephius, an author bonæ notæ, and an adeptus. He published it in the E 2

nine

*The author feems here to be mistaken; for I have seen 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,

nine hundredth eighty fourth year of his age*. This writer proceeds wholly by reinerudation, or in the via bumida. And the marriage between Fauftus and Helen, does most confpicuously dilucidate the fermenting of the male and female dragon.

Whittington and his cat, is the work of that mysterious Rabbi, Jehuda Hannafi; containing a defence of the t Gemara of the Jerusalem Mifna, and its juft preference to that of Babylon; contrary to the vulgar opinion.

THE bind and panther. This is the mafter-piece of a famous writer now living ‡, intended for a compleat abftract of fixteen thousand school-men from Scotus to Bellar min.

Tommy Pots. Another piece fuppofed by the fame hand, by way of fupplement to the former."

THE wife men of Goatham, cum appendice. This is a treatise of immenfe erudition; being the great original and fountain of those arguments, bandied about both in France and England, for a juft defence of the moderns learning and wit, against the prefumption, the pride, and the ignorance of the antients. This unknown author hath fo exhaufted the subject, that a penetrating reader will eafily difcover whatever hath been written fince upon that difpute, to be little more than repetition. An abstract of this treatife hath been lately published by a worthy member of our fociety ||.

THESE notices may ferve to give the learned reader an idea as well as a taste of what the whole work is likely to produce; wherein I have now altogether circumfcribed my thoughts and my studies; and if I can bring it to a perfection before I die, shall reckon I have well employed the

The Chymifts fay of him in their books, that he prolonged his life to a thousand years, and then died voluntarily.

The Gemara is the decifion, explanation, or interpretation of the Jewish Rabbies: and the Mifna is properly the code or body of the Jewish civil or common law.

Viz. In the year 1698.

This I fuppofe to be understood of Mr. Wotton's discourse of antient and modern learning.

the poor remains of an unfortunate life. This indeed is more than I can justly expect from a quill worn to the pith in the service of the State; in pro's and con's upon Popish plots, and meal-tubs, and exclufion-bills, and paffive obedience, and addreffes of lives and fortunes, and prerogative, and property, and liberty of conscience, and letters to a friend, from an understanding and a conscience thread-bare and ragged with perpetual turning; from a head broken in an hundred places, by the malignants of the oppofite factions; and from a body spent with poxes ill cured, by trufting to bawds and furgeons who (as it afterwards appeared) were profeffed enemies to me and the Government, and revenged their party's quarrel upon my nofe and fhins. Fourfcore and eleven pamphlets have I written under three reigns, and for the fervice of fix and thirty factions. But, finding the State has no farther occafion for me and my ink, I retire willingly to draw it out into fpeculations more becoming a philofopher; having, to my unspeakable comfort, paffed a long life with a confcience void of offence towards God and towards men.

BUT to return: I am affured from the reader's candor, that the brief specimen I have given, will eafily clear all the reft of our fociety's productions from an afperfion, grown, as it is manifeft, out of envy and ignorance, that they are of little farther use or value to mankind beyond the common entertainments of their wit and their ftyle: for thefe I am fure have never yet been difputed by our keenest adverfaries: in both which, as well as the more profound and myftical part, I have throughout this treatife closely followed the moft applauded originals. And to render all compleat, I have, with much thought and application of mind, fo ordered, that the E 3 chief

Here the author feems to perfonate L'eftrange, Dryden, and fome others, who, after having paft their lives in vices, faction, and falfhood, have the impudence to talk of merit and innocence, and fufferings.

In King Charles II.'s time, there was an account of a Presbyterian plot, found in a Tub, which then made much noife.

chief title prefixed to it, (I mean, that under which I design it shall pafs in the common converfations of court and town) is modelled exactly after the manner peculiar to our fociety.

I confefs to have been somewhat liberal in the business of titles; having obferved the humour of multiplying them to bear great vogue among certain writers whom I exceedingly reverence. And, indeed, it seems not unreasonable, that books, the children of the brain, should have the honour to be chriftened with variety of names, as well as other infants of quality. Our famous Dryden has ventured to proceed a point farther, endeavouring to introduce also a multiplicity of || god-fathers, which is an improvement of much more advantage, upon a very obvious account. It is a pity this admirable invention has not been better cultivated, fo as to grow by this time into general imitation, when fuch an authority ferves it for a precedent. Nor have my endeavours been wanting to fecond fo ufeful an example: but it feems, there is an unhappy expence ufually annexed to the calling of a god-father, which was clearly out of my head, as it is very reasonable to believe. Where the pinch lay, I cannot certainly affirm; but having employed a world of thoughts and pains to fplit my treatise into forty fections, and having intreated forty Lords of my acquaintance, that they would do me the honour to ftand, they all-made it a matter of confcience, and fent me their excuses.

SECT.

The title-page in the original was fo torn, that it was not poffible to recover feveral titles, which the author here speaks

of.

See Virgil tranflated &c. He dedicated the different parts of Virgil to different patrons,

SECT. II. *

ONCE upon a time, there was a man who had

Ο

three *fons by one wife, and all at a birth; neither could the midwife tell certainly which was the eldest. Their father died while they were young ; and upon his death-bed, calling the lads to him, fpoke thus :.

66

"Sons, because I have purchafed no eftate, nor was "born to any, I have long confidered of fome good legacies to bequeath you; and at laft, with much care as well as expence, have provided each of you (here "they are)a new coat t. Now, you are to understand, "that these coats have two virtues contained in them. "One is, that, with good wearing, they will laft you "fresh and found as long as you live: the other is, that they will grow in the fame proportion with your "bodies, lengthening and widening of themfelves, fo "as to be always fit. Here, let me fee them on you " before I die. So, very well; pray, children, wear "them clean, and brush them often. You will find in my I will (here it is) full inftructions in every particular concerning the wearing and management of your coats; "wherein you must be very exact, to avoid the penal"ties I have appointed for every tranfgreffion or neglect, 66 upon which your future fortunes will entirely depend. "I have alfo commanded, in my will, that you fhould "live together in one houfe, like brethren and friends; " for then you will be fure to thrive, and not other"wife."

HERE the ftory fays, this good father died, and the three fons went all together to feek their fortunes.

I

*By these three fons, Peter, Martin, and Jack, Popery, the church of England, and our Proteftant Diffenters are defigned. W. Wotton.

By his coats, which he gave his fons, the garment of the Ifraelites. W. Wotton.

An error (with fubmiffion) of the learned commentator; for by the coats are meant the doctrine and faith of Chriftianity, by the wisdom of the Divine founder fitted to all times, places, and circumftances. Lambin.

The New Testament.