Governour, Sir, has devoted to unavoidable Death, and Tour Highness is to be made believe, that our Age has never arrived at the Honor to produce one fingle Poet.

WE confess Immortality to be a great and powerful Goddess, but in vain we offer up to her our Devotions and our Sacrifices, if Tour Highness's Governour, who has ufurped the Priesthood, muft by an unparallell❜d 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 falfe, that I have been fometime 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 hurryed so hastily off the Scene, that they escape our Memory, and delude our Sight. When I first thought of this Addrefs, I had prepared a copious Lift of Titles to present Tour Highness as an undisputed Argument for what I affirm. The Originals were posted

posted 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 enquired after them among Readers and Bookfellers, but I enquired in vain, the Memorial of them was lost 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 Taste and Refinement, little versed in the Course of prefent Affairs, and that knew nothing of what had pass'd in the best Companies of Court and Town. So that I can only avow in general to Tour Highness, that we do abound in Learning and Wit; but to fix upon Particulars, is a Task too flippery for my flender Abilities. If I fhould ventúre in a windy Day, to affirm to Tour 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 Afs, a third to the Weftward with Claws like a Dragon; and Tour Highness fhould in a few Minutes think fit to examine the Truth; 'tis certain, they would be all changed in Figure and Position, new ones would arife, and all we could agree upon would be, that Clouds there

B 4

were,

were, but that I was grofly mistaken in the Zoography and Topography of them.

BUT Your Governour, perhaps, may ftill infift, and put the Question: What is then become of those immense Bales of Paper, which must needs have been employ'd in fuch Numbers of Books? Can these also be wholly annihilate, and so of a fudden as I pretend? What fhall I fay in return of so invidious an Objection? It ill befits the Distance between Tour Highnefs and Me, to fend You for ocular Conviction to a Fakes or an Oven; to the Windows of a Bawdy-House, or to a fordid Lanthorn Books, like Men their Au thors, have no more than one Way of coming into the World, but there are ten Thoufand to go out of it, and return no

more.

I profefs to Tour Highness in the Intégrity 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 Specimen of our Learning, our Politeness and

our

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 Translation 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 seen. There is another call'd Nahum Tate, who is ready to make Oath that he has caused many Rheams of Verse to be published, whereof both himself and his Bookfeller (if lawfully required) can still produce authentick Copies, and therefore wonders why the World is pleased to make such 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 most profound Learning. There are also one Mr. Rymer, and one Mr. Dennis, most profound Criticks. There is a Perfon ftyled Dr. B--t--y, who has written near a thousand Pages of immenfe Erudition, giving a full and true Account of a certain Squable of wonderful importance between himself and a Bookfeller: He is a Writer of infinite Wit and Humour; no Man raillyes with a better Grace, and in more fprightly Turns. Farther, I avow to Tour Highness, that with thefe Eyes I have be

held

held the Person of William W--tt--n, B. D. who has written a good fizeable Volume against a Friend of Four Governour (from whom, alas! he must therefore look for little Favour) in a moft gentlemanly Style, adorned with utmost Politeness and Civility; replete with Discoveries equally valuable for their Novelty and Ufe: and embellish'd with Traits of Wit fo poignant and so appofite, that he is a worthy Yoke mate to his fore-mention'd Friend.

WHY fhould I go upon farther Parti culars, which might fill a Volume with the juft Elogies of my cotemporary Bre thren? I fhall bequeath this Piece of Ju ftice to a larger Work: wherein I intend to write a Character of the present Set of Wits in our Nation: Their Perfons I fhall describe particularly, and at Length, their Genius and Understandings in Migna

ture.

IN the mean time, I do here make bold to prefent Tour Highness with a faithful Abstract drawn from the Universal Body of all Arts and Sciences, intended wholly for Your Service and Instruction; Nor do I doubt in the least, but Tour Highness will peruse