fcure than any of the reft, and indeed the difficulties I have met with ever fince the first mention of the lion are so many and great, that I had, in utter despair of furmounting them, once defifted from my design of ` publishing any thing upon this fubject; but was prevailed upon by the importunity of fome friends, to whom I can deny nothing, to refume my defign; and I must own, that nothing animated me fo much as the hope they flattered me with, that my effay might be inferted in the Gazetteer, and fo become of service to my country.

That a weaker animal fhould fuck the blood of a ftronger without refiftance is wholly improbable and inconfiftent with the regard for felf-prefervation, so obfervable in every order and species of beings. We must therefore neceffarily endeavour after fome figurative fense not liable to fo infuperable an objection.

Were I to proceed in the fame tenor of interpretation, by which I explained the moon and the lilies, I might observe that a horse is the arms of HBut how then does the horse fuck the lion's blood? Money is the blood of the body politic.But my zeal for the present happy establishment will not suffer me to pursue a train of thought that leads to fuch shocking conclufions. The idea is deteftable, and fuch as, it ought to be hoped, can enter into the mind of none but a virulent Republican, or bloody Jacobite. There is not one honeft man in the nation unconvinced how weak an attempt it would be to endeavour to confute this infinuation. An infinuation which no party will dare to abet, and of so fatal and destructive a tendency,

that

that it may prove equally dangerous to the author whether true or falfe.

As therefore I can form no hypothesis on which a confiftent interpretation may be built, I muft leave thefe loose and unconnected hints entirely to the candour of the reader, and confefs that I do not think my fcheme of explication juft, fince I cannot, apply it throughout the whole, without involving myself in difficulties, from which the ableft interpreter would find it no eafy matter to get free.

Being therefore convinced upon an attentive and deliberate review of these obfervations, and a confultation with my friends, of whofe abilities I have the higheft efteem, and whofe impartiality, fincerity, and probity, I have long known and frequently experienced, that my conjectures are in general very uncertain, often improbable, and fometimes little lefs than apparently falfe, I was long in doubt whether I ought not entirely to fupprefs them, and content myfelf with publishing in the Gazetteer, the infcription, as it ftands engraven on the ftone, without tranflation or commentary, unless that ingenious and learned fociety, fhould favour the world with their own remarks.

To this fcheme, which I thought extremely well calculated for the public good, and therefore very eagerly communicated to my acquaintance and fellow ftudents, fome objections were ftarted, which as I had not forefeen, I was unable to answer.

It was observed firft, That the Daily Differtations publifhed by that fraternity, are written with fuch profundity of fentiment, and filled with fuch uncommon modes

of

of expreffion, as to be themselves fufficiently unintelligible to vulgar readers, and that therefore the venerable obfcurity of this prediction, would much less excite the.. curiofity and awaken the attention of mankind, than if it were exhibited in any other paper, and placed in oppofition to the clear and easy stile of an author generally understood.

To this argument, formidable as it was, I anfwered, after a short pause, that, with all proper deference to the great fagacity and advanced age of the objector, I could not but conceive that his pofition confuted itfelf, and that a reader of the Gazetteer, being by his own confeffion accustomed to encounter difficulties, and fearch for meaning where it was not eafily to be found, must be better prepared than any other man for the perufal of these ambiguous expreffions. And that, befides, the explication of this ftone, being a task, which nothing could furmount but the most acute penetration joined with indefatigable patience, seemed in reality reserved for those who have given proofs of both in the highest degree, by reading and understanding the Gazetteer.

This answer satisfied every one but the objector, who with an obstinacy, not very uncommon, adhered to his own opinion, though he could not defend it; and not being able to make any reply, attempted to laugh away my argument, but found the reft of my friends fo little disposed to jest upon this important question, that he was forced to restrain his mirth, and content himself with a fullen and contemptuous filence.

Another of my friends, whom I had affembled on this occafion, having owned the folidity of my answer to the

7

firft

first objection, offered a second, which in his opinion could not be so easily defeated.

"I have obferved, fays he, that the effays in the Ga"zetteer, though written on very important fubjects by "the ableft hands which ambition can incite, friendship

engage, or money procure, have never, though cir"culated through the kingdom with the utmost appli"cation, had any remarkable influence upon the peo

3

ple. I know many perfons of no common capacity, "that hold it fufficient to peruse these papers four times

a year; and others who receive them regularly, and "without looking upon them, treasure them under ground for the benefit of pofterity. So that the inscription may, by being inferted there, fink once more "into darkness and oblivion, inftead of informing the age, and affifting our prefent miniftry in the regula❝tion of their measures."

Another obferved, that nothing was more unreasonable than my hope, that any remarks or elucidations would be drawn up by that fraternity, fince their own employments do not allow them any leisure for fuch attempts. Every one knows that panegyric is in its own nature no eafy task, and that to defend is much more difficult than to attack; confider then, fays he, what industry, what affiduity it must require, to praise and vindicate a ministry like ours.

It was hinted by another, that an infcription which had no relation to any particular set of men amongst us, but was compofed many ages before the parties, which now divide the nation, had a being, could not be so

pro

properly conveyed to the world by means of a paper, dedicated to political debates.

Another to whom I had communicated my own obfervations in a more private manner, and who had inferted fome of his own arguments, declared it, as his opinion, that they were, though very controvertible and unfatisfactory, yet too valuable to be loft; and that though to infert the infcription in a paper of which such numbers are daily distributed at the expence of the public, would doubtless be very agreeable to the generous defign of the author, yet he hoped that as all the students, either of politics or antiquities, would receive both pleasure and improvement from the differtation, with which it is accompanied, none of them would regret to pay for fo agreeable an entertainment.

It cannot be wondered that I have yielded at last to fuch weighty reasons, and fuch infinuating compliments, and chofen to gratify at once the inclinations of friends, and the vanity of an author. Yet I fhould think I had very imperfectly difcharged my duty to my country, did I not warn all whom either intereft or curiosity shall incite to the perufal of this treatife, not to lay any stress upon my explications.

How a more compleat and indifputable interpretation may be obtained, it is not eafy to fay. This will, I fuppofe, be readily granted, that it is not to be expected from any fingle hand, but from the joint enquiries and united labours of a numerous fociety of able men, instituted by authority, felected with great difcernment and impartiality, and fupported at the charge of the nation,

I am