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A

FULL AND TRUE ACCOUNT

OF THE

BATTLE

FOUGHT LAST FRIDAY,

BETWEEN

THE ANCIENT AND THE MODERN

BOOKS

IN

St. James's Library.

THE

BOOKSELLER TO THE READER.

THE following difcourfe, as it is unquestionably of the fame author, fo it feems to have been written about the fame time with the former; I mean the year 1697, when the famous difpute was on foot, about ancient and modern learning. The controversy took its rife from an effay of Sir William Temple upon that fubject; which was anfwered by W. Wotton, B. D. with an Appendix by Dr. Bentley, endeavouring to deftroy the credit of fop and Phalaris, for authors, whom Sir William Temple had, in the effay before mentioned, highly commended. In that Appendix, the Doctor falls hard upon a new edition of Phalaris, put out by the Honourable Charles Boyle, now Earl of Orrery; to which Mr. Boyle replied at large with great learning and wit; and the Doctor voluminously rejoined. In this difpute, the town highly refented to fee a perfon of Sir William Temple's character and merits roughly ufed by the two Reverend Gentlemen aforefaid, and without any manner of provocation. At length, there appearing no end of the quarrel, our author tells us, that the BOOKS in St. James's library, looking upon themselves as parties principally concerned, took up the controverfy, and came to a decifive battle; but the manufcript, by the injury of fortune, or weather, being in feveral places imperfect, we cannot learn to which de the victory fell.

I must warn the reader, to beware of applying to perfons, what is here meant only of books in the most literal fenfe. So, when Virgil is mentioned, we are not to understand the perfon of a famous poet called by that name; but only certain theets of paper, bound up in leather, containing in print the works of the faid poet : and fo of the reft,

P

THE

PREFACE OF THE AUTHOR.

SATIRE is a fort of glass, wherein beholders do generally difcover every body's face but their own; which is the chief reafon for that kind reception it meets in the world, and that fo very few are offended with it. But if it fhould happen otherwife, the danger is not great; and I have learned from long experience, never to apprehend mifchief from thofe understandings I have been able to provoke. For anger and fury, though they add ftrength to the finews of the body, yet are found to relax thofe of the mind, and to render all its efforts feeble and impotent.

There is a brain that will endure but one fcumming; let the owner gather it with difcretion, and manage his little frock with bufbandry. But of all things let him beware of bringing it under the lafh of his betters; because that will make it all bubble up into impertinence, and be will find no new Supply: Wit without knowledge being a fort of cream, which gathers in a night to the top, and by a fkilful band may be foon whipt into froth; but once fcummed away, what appears underneath, will be fit for nothing, but to be thrown to the hogs.

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A

FULL AND TRUE ACCOUNT

OF THE

BATTLE,

FOUGHT LAST FRIDAY, &c.

WHOEVER examines with due circumfpection into the annual records of Time, will find it remarked, that War is the child of Pride, and Pride the daughter of Riches*. The former of which affertions may be foon granted; but one cannot fo eafily fubfcribe to the latter. For pride is nearly related to beggary and want, either by father or mother, and fometimes by both: and to fpeak naturally, it very feldom happens among men to fall out, when all have enough; invasions ufually travelling from north to fouth, that is to fay, from poverty upon plenty. The most ancient and natural grounds of quarrels, are luft and avarice; which, though we may allow to be brethren or collateral branches of pride, are certainly the iffues of want. For to fpeak in the phrafe of writers upon the politics, we may obferve in the republic of Dogs, (which in its original feems to be an inftitution of the many,) that the whole ftate is ever in the profoundeft peace, after a full meal; and that civil broils arife among them, when it happens for one great bone to be feized on by fome leading dog, whe either divides it among the few, and then it falls to an oligarchy; or keeps it to himself, and then it runs up to a tyranny. The fame reasoning alfo holds place among them, in those diffenfions we behold upon a turgefcency in any of their females. For, the right of poffeffion lying in common, (it being impoffible to eftablifh a property in fo delicate a cafe,) jealoufies and fufpicions do fo abound, that the whole commonwealth of that freet is reduced to a manifest state of war, of

[Riches produceth pride; pride is war's ground, &c. Vid. Epbem. de Mary Clark, opt. edit.]

P 2

every

every citizen against every citizen; till fome one of more courage, conduct, or fortune than the reft, feizes and enjoys the prize; upon which naturally arifes plenty of heart-burning, and envy, and fnarling against the happy dog. Again, if we look upon any of thefe republics engaged in a foreign war, either of invafion or defence, we fhall find the fame reafoning will ferve, as to the grounds and occafions of each; and that poverty, or want, in fome degree or other, (whether real, or in opinion, which makes no alteration in the cafe,) has a great fhare, as well as pride, on the part of the aggreffor.

Now, whoever will please to take this fcheme, and either reduce or adapt it to an intellectual state, or commonwealth of learning, will soon discover the first ground of difagreement between the two great parties at this time in arms; and may form juft conclufions upon the merits of either caufe. But the iffue or events of this war are not eafy to conjecture at: for the prefent quarrel is fo inflamed by the warm heads of either faction, and the pretenfions fomewhere or other fo exorbitant, as not to admit the leaft overtures of accommodation. This quarrel first began (as I have heard it affirmed by an old dweller in the neighbourhood) about a small spot of ground, lying and being upon one of the two tops of the hill Parnaffus; the highest and largest of which had, it feems, been, time out of mind, in quiet poffeffion of certain tenants called the Ancients; and the other was held by the Moderns. But thefe difliking their prefent ftation, fent certain ambaffadors to the Ancients, complaining of a great nuifance, how the height of that part of Parnaffus quite spoiled the profpect of theirs, especially towards the east; and therefore, to avoid a war, offered them the choice of this alternative, Either that the Ancients would please to remove themselves and their effects down to the lower fummit, which the Moderns would gracioufly furrender to them, and advance in their place; or elfe, that the faid Ancients will give leave to the Moderns, to come with fhovels and mattocks,

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