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OF Dr. Lifter's book only 120 copies were printed in 1705. It was re-printed at Amsterdam, in 1709, by Theod. Janf. Almeloveen, under the title, of

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Apicii Caelii de Opfoniis & Condimentis, five Arte "Coquinaria, Libri Decem. Cum Annotationibus "Martini Lifter, è Medicis Domefticis Sereniffimæ "Majeftatis Reginæ Annæ, & Notis felectioribus, "variifque Lectionibus integris, Humelbergii, Barthii, "Reinefii, A Van Der Linden, & aliorum, ut & va"riarum Le&tionum Libello. Editio Secunda." Afkew had a copy of each edition. N.

Dr.

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THE

PUBLISHER

ΤΟ THE

REA DE R.

IT is now-a-days the hard fate of fuch as pretend to

be Authors, that they are not permitted to be mafters of their own works; for, if fuch papers (however imperfect) as may be called a copy of them, either by a fervant or any other means, come to the hands of a Bookfeller, he never confiders whether it be for the perfon's reputation to come into the world, whether it is agreeable to his fentiments, whether to his ftyle or correctnefs, or whether he has for fome time looked over it; nor doth he care what name or character he puts to it, fo he imagines he may get by it.

It was the fate of the following Poem to be fo ufed, and printed with as much imperfection and as many miftakes as a Bookfeller that has common fenfe could imagine fhould pafs upon the town, efpecially in an age fo polite and critical as the prefent.

Thefe following Letters and Poem were at the prefs fome time before the other paper pretending to the fame title was crept out: and they had elfe, as the Learned fay, groaned under the prefs till fuch time as the sheets had one by one been perufed and corrected, not only by the Author, but his friends; whofe judgement, as

he is fenfible he wants, fo is he proud to own that they fometimes condefcend to afford him.

For many faults, that at first seem small, yet create unpardonable errors. The number of the verfe turne upon the harshness of a fyllable; and the laying a stress upon improper words will make the most correct piece ridiculous. Falfe concord, tenfes, and grammar, nonfenfe, impropriety, and confufion, may go down with fome perfons; but it fhould not be in the power of a Bookfeller to lampoon an Author, and tell him, " You "did write all this: I have got it; and you shall stand * to the fcandal, and I will have the benefit." Yet this is the prefent cafe, notwithstanding there are above threefcore faults of this nature; verses tranfpofed, fome added, others altered, or rather that should have been altered, and near forty omitted. The Author does not value himfelf upon the whole; but, if he shews his efteem for Horace, and can by any means provoke perfons to read fo ufeful a treatise; if he fhews his averfion to the introduction of luxury, which may tend to the corruption of manners, and declares his love to the old British hofpitality, charity, and valour, when the arms of the family, the old pikes, muíkets, and halberts, hung up in the hall over the long table, and the marrow-bones lay on the floor, and " Chevy Chace" and "The old Courtier of the Queen's" were placed over the carved mantle-piece, and the beef and brown bread were carried every day to the poor; he defires little farther, than that the Reader would for the future give all fuch Bookfellers as are before fpoken of no manner of encouragement.

LETTERS

LETTERS

TO

DR. LISTER AND OTHER S.

DEAR SIR,

THE

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HE happiness of hearing now and then from you extremely delights me; for, I must confefs, moft of my other friends are so much taken-up with politicks or fpeculations, that either their hopes or fears give them little leifure to perufe fuch parts of Learning as Tay remote, and are fit only for the clofets of the Curious. How bleft are you at London, where you have new Books of all forts! whilft we at a greater distance, being deftitute of fuch improvements, muft content ourfelves with the old ftore, and thumb the Clafficks as if we were never to get higher than our Tully or our Virgil.

You tantalize me only, when you tell me of the Edition of a Book by the ingenious Dr. Lifter, which you fay is a Treatife De Condimentis & Opfoniis Veterum,

"Of

"Of the Sauces and Soups of the Ancients," as I take it. Give me leave to use an expreffion, which, though vulgar, yet upon this occafion is just and proper: You have made my mouth water, but have not fent me wherewithal to fatisfy my appetite.

I have raised a thousand notions to myself, only from the title. Where could fuch a treasure lay hid? What Manuscripts have been collated? Under what Emperor was it written? Might it not have been in the reign of Heliogabalus, who, though vicious and in fome things fantastical, yet was not incurious in the grand affair of eating?

Confider, dear Sir, in what uncertainties we must remain at prefent. You know my neighbour Mr. Greatrix is a learned Antiquary. I fhewed him your Letter; which threw him into fuch a dubiousness, and indeed perplexity of mind, that the next day he durft not put any catchup in his fifb-sauce, nor have his beloved pepper, oil, and lemon, with his partridge, left, before he had feen Dr. Lifter's Book, he might tranfgrefs in ufing fomething not common to the Ancients.

Dispatch it, therefore, to us with all speed; for I expect wonders from it. Let me tell you; I hope, in the first place, it will, in fome measure, remove the barbarity of our prefent education: for what hopes can there be of any progrefs in Learning, whilft our Gentlemen fuffer their fons, at Westminster, Eaton, and Winchester, to eat nothing but falt with their mutton, and vinegar with their roaft-beef, upon holidays? what extensiveness can there be in their fouls; efpecially

when,

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