of his study. However, he added to it the "Battle of the Books;" wherein he effectually pursues the main design, of lashing Mr. Wotton: and having added a jocose epistle dedicatory to Lord Somers, and another to Prince Posterity, with a pleasant preface; and interlarded it with one digression concerning critics, and another in the modern kind; a third in praise of digressions, and a fourth in praise of madness; (with which he was not unacquainted;) concludes the book with a fragment, which the first author made, and intended should have come in about the middle of the Tale, as a preliminary to Jack's character.

66

Having thus shown the reasons of the little order observed in the book, and the imperfectness of the Tale: it is so submitted to the reader's censure.

"Thomas Swift is grandson to Sir William Davenant;* Jonathan Swift is cousin-german to Thomas; both retainers to Sir William Temple."

Early in 1710 a new edition of the "Tale of a Tub" was in great forwardness. The Author's Apology, dated June 3, 1709, had been some time in the bookseller's possession; and the cuts (then first added) were delayed, for Sir Andrew Fountaine's approbation of the designs. In a letter to Ben Tooke from Dublin, June 29, 1710 Jonathan complains much of the liberty taken with his character in the Key; talks of trying to obtain redress; and adds, "I cannot but think that little Parson Cousin of mine is at the bottom of this; for, having lent him a copy of some parts of, &c. [N. B.] and he showing it,

The celebrated author of Gondibert. He was born in 1605; suc ceeded Ben Johnson as poet-laureat in 1637; was, knighted in 1643; was, for his loyalty, imprisoned in The Tower in 1651, and saved his life by the intercession of Milton and some others. After the Restoration, he obtained a patent for a play-house; and died April 17, 1668, N

after I was gone for Ireland, and the thing abroad; he affected to talk suspiciously, as if he had some share in it. If he should happen to be in town, and you light on him, I think you ought to tell him gravely, that if he be the Author, he should set his name to the, &c. and rally him a little upon it, and tell him, if he can explain some things, you will (if he pleases) set his name to the next edition. I should be glad to see how far the foolish impudence of a dunce could go. I shall, at the end, take a little contemptible notice of the thing you sent me." This he performed in a single page of Postscript to the Apology. To Dr. Swift's letter, Ben Tooke answered, July 10; "As to that Cousin of yours, which you speak of: I neither know him, nor ever heard of him, till the Key mentioned him." Thus, we see, Thomas envied his Cousin the reputation of this performance; and speaks of him contemptuously enough; as knowing little of his own profession, Divinity; and as little better than mad: but Jonathan is even with him. And the world seems to be of Jonathan's side; and to know nothing of Thomas. Lord Oxford, when he wanted to teaze or provoke Jonathan, affected to call him Thomas. The latter seems to have had no correspondence with the former.

The "Tale of a Tub" is a sort of Hudibras in prose, but quite an original; and has all the merits of Rabelais, without any of his weaknesses, This is throughout the whole a mighty fund of good sense, a strong glow of true wit and masculine satire, accompanied with a kind of humour so singularly pleasant, that no cynic can avoid smiling who reads it. N.

He died in May 1752, in his 87th year. N.

See frequent instances in the Journal to Stella. N

ANALYTICAL TABLE.

THE AUTHOR'S APOLOGY,

THE Tale approved of by a great majority among the men of taste. Some treatises written expressly against it; but not one syllable in its defence. The greatest part of it finished in 1696; eight years before it was published. The Author's intention, when he began it. No irreligious or immoral opinion can fairly be deduced from the book. The Clergy have no reason to dislike it. The Author's intention not having met with a candid interpretation, he declined engaging in a task he had proposed to himself; of examining some publications, that were intended against all religion. Unfair to fix a name upon an Author, who had so industriously concealed himself. The Letter on Enthusiasm ascribed by several to the same Author. If the abuses in Law or Physic had been the subject of this treatise; the learned professors in either faculty would have been more liberal than the Clergy. The passages which appear most li

* This celebrated Letter, which was generally supposed to have been written by Dr. Swift; and by him, with as little foundation, ascribed to his friend Colonel Hunter; was the production of the noble author of the "Characteristics;" in which collection it holds. the foremost rank. It was first published by J. Morphew, in 1708; bears date in September, 1707; and was written with a view to the French Prophets, whose enthusiastic extravagancies were then at the greatest height. N.

able to objection, are parodies. The Author entirely innocent of any intention of glancing at those tenets of Religion, which he has by some prejudiced or ignorant readers been supposed to mean. This particularly the case in the passage about the three wooden machines. An irony runs through the whole book. Not necessary to take notice of treatises written against it. The usual fate of common answerers to books of merit is to sink into waste paper and oblivion. The case very different, when a great genius exposes a foolish piece. Reflections occasioned by Dr. King's Remarks on the Tale of a Tub; others, by Mr. Wotton. The manner in which the TALE was first published accounted for. The Fragment not printed in the way the Author intended; being the ground-work of a much larger discourse.* The oaths of Peter why introduced. The severest strokes of Satire in the treatise are levelled against the custom of employing wit in profaneness or immodesty. Wit the noblest and most useful gift of human nature; and Humour the most agreeable. Those who have no share of either, think the blow weak, because they are themselves insensible.

P. S. The Author of the Key wrong, in all his conjectures. The whole work entirely by one hand; the Author defying any one to claim three lines in the book.

THE BOOKSELLER'S DEDICATION TO LORD SOMERS:

How he finds out that Lord to be a Patron intended by his Author. Dedicators ridiculous, who praise their Patrons for qualities that do not belong to them.

* In several parts of the Apology, the author dwells much on the circumstances of the book having been published, while his original papers were out of his own possession. Three editions were printed in the year 1704; a fourth, corrected, in 1705. N.

THE BOOKSELLER TO THE READER:

Tells how long he has had these papers; when they were written, and why he publishes them now.

THE DEDICATION TO POSTERITY:

The Author, apprehending that Time will soon destroy almost all the writings of this age, complains of his malice against modern Authors and their productions, in hurrying them so quickly off the scene; and therefore addresses Posterity in favour of his contemporaries; assures him, they abound in wit, and learning, and books; and for instance mentions Dryden, Tate, D'Urfey, Bentley, and Wotton.

PREEACE.

The Occasion and Design of this Work.

Project for employing the beaux of the nation. Of modern Prefaces. Modern Wit how delicate. for penetrating into an Author's thoughts.

Method

Complaints of every Writer against the multitude of Writers, like the fat fellows in a crowd. Our Author insists on the common privilege of Writers; to be favourably explained, when not understood; and to praise himself in the modern way. This treatise without satire and why. Fame sooner gotten by satire, than panegyric; the subject of the latter being narrow, and that of the former infinite. Difference between Athens and England, as to general and particular satire. The Author designs a panegyric on the world, and a modest defence of the rabble.

A physico-mytholo

SECT. I. THE INTRODUCTION. gical dissertation on the different sorts of oratorial machines. Of the bar and the bench. The Author fond

of the number Three; promises a panegyric on it. Of