THE

BOOKSELLER to the READER.

Tis now * fix years fince these papers came first to my hand, which feems to have been about a twelve-month after they were written. For the author tells us in his preface to the first treatise, that he hath calculated it for the year 1697; and in several paffages of that discourse, as well as the second, it appears they were written about that time.

As to the author, I can give no manner of fatisfaction; however, I am credibly informed, that this publication is without his knowledge; for he concludes the copy is loft, having lent it to a person fince dead, and being never in poffeffion of it after. So that whether the work received his last hand, or whether he intended to fill up the defective places, is like to remain a secret.

IF I fhould go about to tell the reader, by what ac cident I became master of these papers, it would, in this unbelieving age, pass for little more than the cant or jargon of the trade. I therefore gladly spare both him and myself fo unnecessary a trouble. There yet remains a difficult queftion, why I published them no fooner? I forebore upon two accounts: first, because I thought I had better work upon my hands; and fecondly, because I was not without fome hope of hearing from the author, and receiving his directions. But I have been lately alarmed with intelligence of a furreptitious copyt, which a certain great wit had new polished and refined; or, as our prefent writers exprefs themselves, fitted to the humour of the age; as they have already done, with great felicity, to Don Quixote, Boccalini, la Bruyere, and other authors. However, I thought it fairer dealing to offer the whole work in its naturals. If any gentleman will please to furnish me with a key, in order to explain the more difficult parts, I fhall very gratefully acknowledge the favour, and print it by itself.

* The Tale of a Tub was first published in 1704.
† See the Apology.

THE

THE

EPISTLE DEDICATORY,

то

His Royal Highness

Prince POSTERITY.

I

SIR,

HERE prefent your Highness with the fruits of a very few leisure hours, ftolen from the short intervals of a world of bufinefs, and of an employment quite alien from fuch amusements as this; the poor production of that refufe of time which has lain heavy upon my hands, during a long prorogation of parliament, a great dearth of foreign news, and a tedious fit of rainy weather. For which, and other reasons, it cannot chufe extremely to deferve fuch a patronage as that of your Highness, whose numberlefs virtues in fo few years, make the world look upon you as the future example to all princes. For altho' your Highness is hardly got clear of infancy,

C

yet

The citation out of Iræneus in the title-page, which feems to be all gibberish, is a form of initiation used antiently by the Marcofian heretics. William Wotton.

It is the ufual ftyle of decried writers to appeal to posterity, who is here reprefented as a prince in his nonage, and time as his governor; and the author begins in a way very frequent with him, by perfonating other writers, who fometimes offer fuch reafons and excufes for publishing their works, as they ought chiefly to conceal and be ashamed of.

yet has the univerfal learned world already refolved upon appealing to your future dictates with the lowest and most refigned fubmiffion; fate having decreed you fole arbiter of the productions of human wit, in this polite and most accomplished age. Methinks, the number of appellants were enough to fhock and startle any judge of a genius lefs unlimited than yours. But, in order to prevent fuch glorious trials, the perfon, it seems, to whofe care the education of your Highness is committed, has refolved, (as I am told) to keep you in almoft an univerfal ignorance of our ftudies, which it is your inherent birthright to inspect.

Ir is amazing to me, that this person should have afsurance, in the face of the fun, to go about perfuading your Highness, that our age is almost wholly illiterate, and has hardly produced one writer upon any fubje&t. I know very well, that when your Highness shall come to riper years, and have gone thro' the learning of antiquity, you will be too curious to neglect inquiring into the authors of the very age before you. And to think that this infolent, in the account he is preparing for your view, defigns to reduce them to a number fo infignificant as I am ashamed to mention; it moves my zeal and my fpleen for the honour and intereft of our vaft flourishing body, as well as of myself, for whom I know, by long experience, he has profeffed, and still continues a peculiar malice.

"Tis not unlikely, that when your Highness will one day peruse what I am now writing, you may be ready to expoftulate with your Governor upon the credit of what I here affirm, and command him to fhew you fome of our productions. To which he will answer, (for I am well informed of his defigns) by afking your Highness, where they are? and, what is become of them? and pretend it a demonstration that there never were any, because they are not then to be found. Not to be found! who has mifled them? are they funk in the abyfs of things? 'tis certain, that in their own nature they were light enough to fwim upon the furface for all eternity. There

fore

fore the fault is in him, who tied weights fo heavy to their heels, as to deprefs them to the centre. Is there very effence deftroyed? who has annihilated them? were they drowned by purges, or martyred by pipes? who adminiftred them to the posteriors of But,

that it may no longer be a doubt with your Highness, who is to be the author of this univerfal ruin, I befeech you to obferve that large and terrible feythe which your Governor affects to bear continually about him; be pleased to remark the length and ftrength, the fharpnefs and hardness of his nails and teeth; confider his baneful abominable breath, enemy to life and matter, infectious and corrupting; and then reflect whether it be poffible for any mortal ink and paper of this generation to make a suitable refiftance. Oh! that your High nefs would one day refolve to difarm this ufurping Maitre du palais of his furious engines, and bring your empire hors de page 4.

*

IT were endlefs to recount the feveral methods of tyranny and destruction which your Governor is pleased to practife upon this occafion. His inveterate malice is fuch to the writings of our age, that of feveral thousands produced yearly from this renowned city, before the next revolution of the fun, there is not one to be heard of: unhappy infants, many of them barbaroufly deftroyed, before they have fo much as learned their mother-tongue to beg for pity. Some he ftifles in their cradles ; others he frights into convulfions, whereof they fuddenly die: fome he flays alive, others he tears limb from limb: great numbers are offered to Moloch; and the rest, tainted by his breath, die of a languishing confumption.

Comptroller. The kingdom of France had a race of kings which they call les roys faineans (from their doing nothing) who lived lazily in their apartments, while the kingdom was adminiftred by the Mayor de palais, till Charles Martel, the last mayor, put his master to death, and took the kingdom into his own hand.

tOut of guardianship.