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, after I was gone for Ireland, "and the thing abroad; he affected to talk suspi"ciously, 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 railly 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, B. 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 en

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.

vied

vied 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.

ANA

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.

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 bears date in September 1707; and was written with a view to the French Prophets, whose enthusiastic extravagances were then at the greatest height.

The

The passages, which appear most liable 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.

*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. Threeeditions were printed in the year 1704; a fourth, corrected, in 1705.

The