that is to fay, not without fome Profitable Conference, nor wholly without obfervance of fome Ancient Custom.

He remembered to have read in Theocritus, that the Cradle of Hercules was a Shield; and being poffeffed of an antique Buckler which he held as a most inestimable Relick, he determined to have the infant laid therein, and in that manner brought into the Study, and to be fhewn to certain learned men of his acquaintance.

The regard he had for this Shield, had caused him formerly to compile a Differtation concerning it, proving from the feveral properties, and particularly the colour of the Ruft, the exact chronology thereof.

With this Treatife, and a moderate Supper, he proposed to entertain his Guefts; though he had also another defign, to have their affistance in the calculation of his Son's Nativity.

He therefore took the Buckler out of a Cafe, (in which he always kept it, left it might contract any modern ruft) and entrusted it to his Houfe-maid, with orders, that when the company was come fhe fhould lay the Child carefully in it, covered with a mantle of blue Sattin.

The Guests were no fooner feated, but they entered into a warm Debate about the Triclinium and the manner of Decubitus of the Ancients, which Cornelius broke off in this

manner:

See the Differtation on Dr. Woodward's Shield.

"This day, my Friends, I propose to exhi"bit my Son before you; a a Child not wholly un"worthy of infpection, as he is defcended from

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a Race of Virtuofi. Let the Phyfiognomists "examine his Features; let the Chirographifts "behold his Palm; but above all let us confult "for the calculation of his Nativity. To this "end, as the Child is not vulgar, I will not

prefent him unto you in a vulgar manner. He "hall be cradled in my Ancient Shield, fo fa"mous through the Univerfities of Europe. "You all know how I have purchased that in"valuable piece of Antiquity at the great (though "indeed inadequate) expence of all the Plate "of our family, how happily I carried it off, "and how triumphantly I tranfported it hither, "to the inexpreffible grief of all Germany. Happy in every circumftance, but that it "broke the heart of the great Melchior Infipidus!"

Here he stopped his Speech, upon fight of the Maid, who entered the room with the Child: He took it in his arms and proceeded :

"Behold then my Child, but first behold the "Shield: Behold this Ruft,-or rather let me "call it this precious Ærugo,-behold this beau"tiful Varnish of Time,-this venerable Ver"dure of fo many Ages

In fpeaking these words, he flowly lifted up the Mantle which covered it, inch by inch; but at every inch he uncovered, his cheeks grew paler, his hand trembled, his nerves failed, till on fight of the whole, the Tremor became univerfal:

The Shield and the Infant both dropt to the ground, and he had only ftrength enough to cry out, "O God! my Shield, my Shield!"

The Truth was, the Maid (extremely concerned for the reputation of her own cleanliness, and her young master's honour) had scoured it as clean as her Andirons'.

Cornelius funk back on a chair, the Guests stood astonished, the infant fquauled, the maid ran in, fnatched it up again in her arms, flew into her mistress's room, and told what had happened. Down ftairs in an inftant hurried all the Goffips, where they found the Doctor in a Trance: Hungary water, Hartshorn, and the confused noise of fhrill voices, at length awakened him when opening his eyes, he faw the Shield in the hands of the Houfe-maid. "O Woman! "Woman!" he cried (and fnatched it violently from her)" was it to thy ignorance that this "Relick owes its ruin? Where, where is the "beautiful Cruft that covered thee fo long?

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"was

where thofe Traces of Time, and Fingers as it were of Antiquity? Where all thofe beau"tiful obfcurities, the cause of much delightful difputation, where doubt and curiofity went "hand in hand, and eternally exercised the fpe"culations of the learned? All this the rude Touch of an ignorant woman hath done away! The curious Prominence at the belly of that figure, which fome taking for the Cufpis of a

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Poor Vadius, long with learned fpleen devour'd,
Can tafte no pleasure fince his Shield was fcour❜d.

"fword, denominated a Roman Soldier; others

accounting the Infignia Virilia, pronounced to "be one of the Dii Termini; behold the hath "cleaned it in like fhameful fort, and fhewn to "be the head of a Nail. O my Shield! my "Shield! well may I fay with Horace, non bene "relicta Parmula."

The Gofiips, not at all enquiring into the cause of his forrow, only asked if the Child had no hurt? and cried, "Come, come, all is well; "what has the woman done but her duty? a tight cleanly wench I warrant her; what a "ftir a man makes about a Bafon, that an hour ago, before this labour was bestowed upon it, "a Country Barber would not have hung at his

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fhop door." "A Bafon!" (cried another)

"no fuch matter, 'tis nothing but a paultry old "Sconce, with the nozzle broke off." The learned Gentlemen, who till now had stood fpeechlefs, hereupon looking narrowly on the Shield, declared their Affent to this latter opinion; and defired Cornelius to be comforted, affuring him it was a Sconce and no other. But this, instead of comforting, threw the Doctor into fuch a violent Fit of paffion, that he was carried off groaning and fpeechlefs to bed; where, being quite fpent, he fell into a kind of flumber.

CHA P. IV.

Of the Suction and Nutrition of the Great Scriblerus in his Infancy, and of the first Rudiments of his Learning.

A

S foon as Cornelius awaked, he raifed himself on his elbow, and cafting his eye on Mrs. Scriblerus, fpoke as follows. "Wifely "was it faid by Homer, that in the Cellar of

Jupiter are two barrels, the one of good, the "other of evil, which he never beftows on "Mortals feparately, but conftantly mingles "them together. Thus at the fame time hath "Heaven bleffed me with the birth of a Son, " and afflicted me with the fcouring of my "Shield. Yet let us not repine at his Dif

penfations, who gives, and who takes away; "but rather join in prayer, that the Ruft of Antiquity which he hath been pleased to "take from my Shield, may be added to my "Son; and that so much of it, as it is my pur

pofe he fhall contract in his Education, may "never be destroyed by any modern polishing."

He could no longer bear the fight of the Shield, but ordered it fhould be removed for ever from his eyes. It was not long after purchafed by Dr. Woodward, who, by the affiftance of Mr. Kemp, incrufted it with a new Ruft, and is the fame whereof a Cut hath been VOL. VI.

K