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Lift of Titles to prefent your Highness, as an undifputed 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 inquired after them among Readers and Bookfellers: But I inquired 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, devoid of all Tafte and Refinement, little verfed in the Course of prefent Affairs; and that knew nothing of what had paffed in the beft Companies of Court 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 Tafk too flippery for my flender Abilities. If I fhould venture in a windy Day to affirm to your Highnefs, 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 fhould in a few Minutes think fit to examine the Truth; 'tis certain they would be all 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 grofsly mistaken in the Zoography and Topography

of them.

- BUT your Governor perhaps may ftill infift, and put the Question, What is then become of thofe immenfe Bales of Paper, which muft needs have been employed in fuch Numbers of Books? Can thefe alfo be wholly annihilate, and fo of a fudden, as I. pretend? What fhall I fay in Return of fo invidious an Objection? It ill befits the Distance between your Highness and me, to fend you for ocular Convi &tion to a Fakes or an Owen; to the Windows of al Bawdy-houfe, or to a fordid Lanthorn. Books, like Men, their Authors, have no more than one Way

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of coming into the World; but there are Ten thousand 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 fhall be ready for your Perusal, I. can by no means warrant. However, I beg you to 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 largeFolio, well bound, and, if diligent Search were made, for ought I know, is yet to be feen. There is another, called Nahum Fate, who is ready to make Oath, that he has caufed many Reams of Verfe to be pu blished, whereof both himself and his Bookfeller, if lawfully required, can still produce authentic Copies; and therefore wonders why the World is pleafed to. make fuch a Secret of it. There is a Third, known by the Name of Tom Durfey, a Poet of a vaft Comprehenfion, an univerfal Genius, and moft profounds Learning. There are alfo one Mr. Rymer, and one Mr. Dennis, moft profound Criticks. There is a Perfon ftyled Dr. Bnt, who has write ten near a thousand Pages of immenfe Erudition, giving a full and true Account of a certain Squabble of wonderful Importance between himfelf and a Bookfeller. He is a Writer of infinite, Wit and Humour ; no Man rallies with a better Grace, and in more fprightly Turns. Farther, I avow to your Highness, that, with thefe Eyes, I have beheld the Perfon of: William W-tt-n, B. D. who has written a good frzeable Volume against a Friend of your Governor (from whom, alas! he must therefore look for little Favour) in a moft gentlemanly Style, adorned with the utmoft Politeness and Civility; replete with Difcoveries, equally valuable for their Novelty and Ule; and embellished with Traits of Wit fo poignant

and

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 just Elogies of my cotemporary Brethren? I fhall bequeath this Piece of Juftice to a larger Work; wherein I intend to write a Character of the prefent Set of Wits in our Nation. Their Perfons I fhall defcribe particularly, and at length; their Genius and Understandings in mignature.

In the mean time, I do here make bold to prefent your Highnefs with a faithful Abstract drawn from the univerfal Body of all Arts and Sciences, intended wholly for your Service and Inftruction. Nor do Is doubt in the least, but your Highness will perufe 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 Studies.

THAT your Highness may advance in Wisdom and Virtue, as well as Years, and at last outshine all your Royal Ancestors, fhall be the daily Prayer of

SIR,

December, 1697,

Your Highness's

Moft devoted, &c.

THE

PRE FAC E.

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HE Wits of the prefent Age being fo very numerous and penetrating, it feems the Grandees of Church and State begin to fall under horrible Apprehenfions, left thefe Gentlemen, during the Intervals of a long Peace, fhould find Leifure to pick Holes in the weak Sides of Religion and Government. To prevent which, there has been much Thought employed of late upon certain Projects for taking off the Force and Edge of those formidable Inquirers, from canvaffing and reafoning upon fuch delicate Points. They have at length fixed upon one, which will require fome Time as well as Coft to per fect. Mean while the Danger hourly increafing, by new Levies of Wits, all appointed (as there is Rea fon to fear) with Pen, Ink, and Paper, which may; at an Hour's Warning, be drawn out into Pamphlets, and other offenfive Weapons, ready for immediate Execution; it was judged of abfolute Neceffity, that fome prefent Expedient be thought on, till the main Defign can be brought to Maturity. To this End, at a grand Committee, fome Days ago, this important Discovery was made by a certain curious and refined Obferver, That Seamen have a Custom when they meet a Whale, to fling him out an empty Tub by Way of Amusement, to divert. him from laying violent Hands upon the Ship. This Parable was immediately mythologized. The Whale was inter preted to be Hobbe's Leviathan; which toffes and plays with all other Schemes of Religion and Government, whereof