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BUT the concern I have moft at heart, is for our corporation of poets; from whom I am preparing a petition to your Highness, to be subscribed with the names of one hundred thirty fix of the first rate; but whose immortal productions are never likely to reach your eyes, tho' each of them is now an humble and an earnest appellant for the laurel, and has large comely volumes ready to fhew for a fupport to his pretenfions. The never-dying works of thefe illuftrious perfons, your Governor, Sir, has devoted to unavoidable death; and your Highness is to be made believe, that our age has never arrived at the honour to produce one fingle poet.

WE confefs immortality to be a great and powerful goddess: but in vain we offer up to her our devotions and our facrifices, if your Highnefs's Governor, who has ufurped the priesthood, muft, by an unparallelled ambition and avarice, wholly intercept and devour them.

To affirm that our age is altogether unlearned, and devoid of writers in any kind, feems to be an affertion fo bold and fo false, that I have been sometime thinking, the contrary may almost be proved by uncontroulable demonftration. "Tis true indeed, that altho' their numbers be vaft, and their productions numerous in proportion; yet are they hurried fo haftily off the fcene, that they escape our memory, and delude our fight. When I first thought of this addrefs, I had prepared a copious list of titles to prefent your Highnefs, 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 left among men, their place was no more to be found and I was laughed to fcorn for a clown, and a pedant, without all taste and refinement, little verfed in the courfe of prefent affairs; and that knew nothing of what had paffed in the best companies of court and town. So that I can only avow in general to your Highness, that we do abound in learn

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ing and wit; but to fix upon particulars, is a task too Пlippery for my flender abilities. If I fhould venture in a windy day to affirm to your Highness, that there is a large cloud near the horizon in the form of a bear, another in the zenith with the head of an ass, 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 all be 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 grossly miftaken in the zoography and topography of them..

BUT your Governor perhaps may fill infift, and put the queftion, what is then become of thofe immense bales of paper, which muft needs have been employed in fuch numbers of books? can these also be wholly annihilate, and fo of a fudden, as I pretend? What shall I fay in return of fo invidious an objection? it ill befits the distance between your Highness and me, to send you for ocular conviction to a jakes or an oven; to the windows of a bawdy house, or to a fordid lanthern. Books, like men, their authors, have no more than one way 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 perufal, I can by no means warrant. However, I beg you to accept it as a fpecimen 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, whofe tranflation of Virgil was lately printed in a large folio, well bound; and, if diligent fearch were made, for ought I know, is yet to be feen. There is another, called Nahum Tate, who is ready to make oath, that he has caufed many reams of verse to be published, whereof both himself and his bookfeller, (if lawfully required) can still produce authentic copies; and therefore wonders why the world is pleased to make

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fuch a fecret of it. There is a third, known by the name of Tom Durfy, a poet of a vast comprehenfion, an univerfal genius, and moft profound learning. There are alfo one Mr. Rymer, and one Mr. Dennis, most profound critics. There is a person ftyled Dr. B-nt -y, who has written near a thousand pages of immenfe erudition, giving a full and true account of a certain Squabble of wonderful importance between himself 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 fizeable volume against a friend of your Governor (from whom, alas! he must therefore look for little favour) in a moft gentlemanly ftyle, adorned with the utmost politenefs and civility; replete with discoveries, equally valuable for their novelty and ufe; and embellished with traits of wit fo poignant and fo appofite, that he is a worthy yokemate to his forementioned friend.

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WHY fhould I go upon farther particulars, which might fill a volume with the juft 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 present set of wits in our nation. Their perfons I fhall defcribe particulary, and at length; their genius and understandings in mignature.

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In the mean time, I do here make bold to prefent your Highness with a faithful abstract drawn from the univerfal body of all arts and fciences, intended wholly for your fervice and inftruction. Nor do I doubt in the leaft, but your Highnefs will perufe it as carefully,

and

* Bentley in his controverfy with Lord Orrery upon the genuineness of Phalaris's epiftles has given, in a preface, a long account of his dialogues with a bookfeller about the loan and reftitution of a MS.

↑ Sir William Temple.

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 ftudies .

THAT your Highnefs may advance in wisdom and virtue, as well as years, and at last outshine all your royal ancestors, shall be the daily prayer of,

SIR,

Your Highness's

December,

1697.

Moft devoted, &c.

There were innumerable books printed for the tife of the

Dauphine of France,

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