A TALE OF A TUB.

WRITTEN FOR THE

UNIVERSAL IMPROVEMENT

OF

MANKIND.

Diu multumque desideratum.

TO WHICH IS ADDED,

An Account of a BATTLE between the ANCIENT and MODERN Books in St. James's Library.

WITH THE AUTHOR'S APOLOGY;

AND

EXPLANATORY NOTES, by W. WOTTON, B. D. and Others.

VOL. III.

A mene tale of a tub

1 John webster, The White Devil Art 2 Se 1

Basyma cacabassa eanaa, irraumista diaraba caëota bafobor

camelanthi *.

IREN. lib. i. c. 18.

·Juvatque novos decerpere flores, Insignemque meo capiti petere inde coronam, Unde prius nulli velarunt tempora Musæ.

Ridentem dicere verum, quid vetat ?

LUCRET.

HORACE.

*This citation, which seems all gibberish, is a form of initiation used by the Marcosjan heretics. Dr. WOTTON.-" The words are taken from the first book of Irenæus against the Pagans; where he says that the followers of the Heretic Marcus hid their mysteries under these Greek letters, but that the words were Hebrew; of which he gives the following interpretation : "Hoc quod est super omnem virtutem Patris invoco, quod vocatur Lumen & Spiritus & Vita, quoniam in corpore regnâsti.” Fenardeatius, the commentator on Irenæus, says, that these are monstrous and barbarous words, and neither Hebrew, Greek, Chaldee, Syriac, or Arabic. In several antient jaspers, agates, and onyxes, we meet with these and such like extravagant words and figures, altogether as prepostrous, See Chifflet's Abraxas, &c."—This note is copied from one by Mr. Pate, whom Swift styles "the learned woollen draper;" and who had this and a few others, which will be found distinguished by his name, from the Dean's own mouth. N.

ADVERTISEMENT.

The following Historical Particulars were communicated to Mr. NICHOLS in 1777 by the Rev. SAMUEL SALTER, D.D. then Master of the Charter-house.

THE "Tale of a Tub *" was planned and composed about 1692, by Jonathan Swift, afterwards D. D. and Dean of St. Patrick's, Dublin; but whether by him alone, or in concert and conjunction with another of his family and name, is not quite so clear; as it is, that great part of it was designed in favour and in honour of sir William Temple, on whom the Swifts were dependent in some sort, and under obligations to him. When the Tale, &c. was first printed, Mr. Wotton speaks of it, as generally believed to have been written, or published however, by a brother of Jonathan's; which brother, he adds, was preferred by lord Somers, at sir William Temple's request, to a very good benefice ‡, in one

"Gulliver's Travels" and the Tale of a Tub" are indisputably the two most capital works of Swift. It is remarkable that he never would own himself to be the author of the latter; nor is the slightest hint of it to be found in any of his writings." Dr. WARTON.

† Meaning Thomas, the dean's cousin. N.

Puttenham, near Guilford, in Surrey. As this is a crownliving, Mr. Swift's presentation to it seems another exception to his relation Mr. Deane Swift's persuasion; "that no solicitation was ever made to the Crown by one of the name, from the Restoration to this day, for any the least favour whatsoever; that was either worth the Crown's refusal, or any of the family's acceptance: except, &c." S. S.

of the most delicious parts of one of the pleasantest counties of England. This is invidiously aggravated; because Mr. Wotton conceived lord Somers was indecently played upon, in the dedication addressed to him and is besides false; at least in part: for Jonathan had no brother. His first cousin, Thomas Swift, one year only senior to him, though the son of a much elder brother, was presented by lord Somers, and probably at sir William Temple's request, to a crown living; which he held sixty years, and quitted but with life, in May 1752, in the eightyseventh year of his age. The same lord Somers recommended Jonathan to lord Wharton; but without success. Thomas preached a sermon in November 1710 (it is not specified where); which he printed, and prefixed to it a dedication to Mr. Harley, chancellor of the exchequer, afterward earl of Oxford †. It is on Is. xi. 13, 14, and is entitled, "Noah's Dove; an earnest Exhortation to Peace; set forth in a Sermon, preached on the 7th of November 1710, a Thanksgiving-day, by Thomas Swift, A. M. formerly chaplain to sir William Temple, now rector of Puttenham, in Surrey." Mr. Deane Swift says: "T. S. was a man of learning, and abilities; but unfortunately bred up, like his father and grandfather, with an abhorrence and contempt for all the Puritanical sectaries:" whence he seems to infer, that he neither had, nor could well have, the least hope of rising in the church. In fact, this Sermon, and its Dedication (stand as near as you please, or as you can), will not be found to carry with them any marks of superior parts: nor did Thomas Swift attempt giving any other proof, that I ever saw or heard of, to the world. So that, although he certainly put in his claim to a share here, it appears to

**See the dedication to lord Somers, p. 37. N.

See the Epistolary Correspondence, Nov. 21, 1710. N.