"The preface of the Bookseller, before the Battle of the Books, shows the cause and design of the whole work which was performed by a couple of young Clergymen in the year 1697; who, having been domestic chaplains to sir William Temple, thought themselves obliged to take up his quarrel; in relation to the controversy then in dispute between him and Mr. Wotton, concerning Ancient and Modern Learning.

"The one of them began a defence of sir William, under the title of a Tale of a Tub; under which he intended to couch the general history of Christianity showing the rise of all the remarkable errours of the Roman church, in the same order they entered; and how the Reformation endeavoured to root them out again: with the different temper of Luther from Calvin (and those more violent spirits), in the way of his reforming. His aim is to ridicule the stubborn errours of the Romish church, and the humours of the fanatic party; and to show that their superstition has something very fantastical in it, which is common to both of them; notwithstanding the abhorrence they seem to have for one another.

"The author intended to have it very regular; and withal so particular, that he thought not to

"&c. Price 6d. Where may be had, A Meditation upon a "Broomstick, and somewhat beside, utile dulci; by one of the "authors of the Tale of a Tub, Price 6d."-" I had long a de

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sign upon the ears of that Curll, when I was in credit; but "the rogue would never allow me a fair stroke at them, although my pen-knife was drawn and sharp." Swift, Lett. to Pope, Aug. 30, 1760.-"What gave this edge to the Dean's pen"knife was, A Key to the Tale of a Tub, by Ralph Noden, "Esq." Curll, Annot. in loc.

pass

pass by the rise of any one single errour, or its reformation. He designed at last to show the purity of the Christian Church, in the primitive times; and consequently, how weakly Mr. Wotton passed his judgement, and how partially; in preferring the modern divinity before the ancient; with a confutation of whose book he intended to conclude. But when he had not yet gone half-way, his companion borrowing the manuscript to peruse, carried it with him to Ireland; and, having kept it seven years, at last published it imperfect: for indeed he was not able to carry it on, after the intended method; because Divinity, though it chanced to be his profeffion, had been the least of his study. However, he added to it the Battle of the Books; wherein he effectually pursues the main design, of lashing Mr. Wotton and having added a jocose epistle dedicatory to lord Somers, and another to Prince Posterity, with a pleasant preface; and interlarded it with one digreffion concerning critics, and another in the modern kind; a third in praise of digreffions, and a fourth in praise of madness; (with which he was not unacquainted;) concludes the book with a fragment, which the first author made, and intended should have come in about the middle of the Tale, as a preliminary to Jack's character.

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Having thus shown the reasons of the little order observed in the book, and the imperfectness of the Tale: it is so submitted to the reader's censure.

"Thomas Swift is grandson to sir William Davenant; Jonathan Swift is cousin-german to Thomas; both retainers to sir W. Temple."

Early

* The celebrated author of Gondibert. He was born in 1605; succeded Ben Jonson as poet-laureat in 1637; was knighted in

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 en1643; 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 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