he could not please his Wife, would fometimes: wade out of his depth in Phyfick and Criticism, and might at any time be flattered out of his Senfes.

Johnny getting information of these weak fides of his proud enemy, refolved to attack him in his own quarters, and either kill or put him to flight: Accordingly he fummon'd his Allies to furnifh their Quota; and tho' Peter and his friend were but Parties in the difpute, he, as fome great Nations have done by their neighbours, made them Principals in his own quarrel, and be at most of the expence of the battels that were fought for his Advantage only. To this purpose a Council was held, wherein, after Preliminaries fettled, ways and means thought on, they unanimously agreed to attack the Doctor in the following manner, which, 'tis thought, was concluded by the Inftance of the Chief Secretary, who ow'd him a fpight for many reasons, but the Memoirs of thofe times only affign thefe two.

The firft was, that the Secretary's Lady being dangerously fick, and the Doctor called to prescribe to her, he had used his utmost Skill to recover her (for all agree that he was an honeft well-meaning Man) and fucceeded fo well as to give good hopes of the Lady's enjoying a good ftate of health and long life, which by no means pleas'd her Husband (for People did infinuate that he really occafion'd her illness); he having at that time criminal correfpondence with the Wives and Sifters of certain great men, who in fucceeding Reigns became first minifters. But what most irritated Mr. Secretary, was the inclination he had for the Doctor's own Bedfellow, (who was noted for her kind-heartedness to her Hufband's Patients) which being whifper'd about, fhe was convey'd into the Country to be out of his way, tho' 'tis hinted as if the found means, notwithstand

ing this precaution, to converse with him. However, this watchfulness of the jealous Doctor occafioned Refentment in the Secretary, which, with the injuries done to honeft Johnny, and fome displeasure of Peter and his Friend, and the common Intereft together, produced a kind of Satyr or Stage-performance, called by the Moderns a Farce.

Here each Party, had a fine Opportunity of being reveng'd of their feveral adverfaries; Peter abused the Wittlings of the Town, for not having Sense enough to tafte his Mock-Heroicks and his Friends Paftorals, who alfo introduced a Character to ridicule his former Miftrefs or Lady Dutchefs (as the Moderns term it) for refufing to fupport him in his Extravagancies as formerly; and Johnny you may be fure, did not forget to fet off his Antagonist in the most riciculous light, and to befpatter his Wife in complaifance to the Secretary, who is faid to have had reason to complain of her kindness as well as her Hufband's injuries to him.

War was now begun with great fury, and the Theatre was the field of battle; but notwithstanding that they attack'd their enemies with Crocodiles. instead of Elephants, ufing Hoop Petticoats for Mortar Pieces, and Scandal for Bullets, Dr. Plaufible and his party raised such power as to defeat their Enemies, and a trophy was erected in memory of their Victory; wherein the three Champions, who clubb'd for the Farce, where reprefented as in the Picture we mentioned to have seen in the Gallery of Luxembourg, with the Infcription under it that gave rife to this digreffion. But now we re-affume our firft Intention.

However, what has been faid is not so foreign to our main Defign, as most of the pretty Episodes of Modern writers; for we hope to make it appear

F 3

from

from unquestionable MSS. in the Cotton and Bod leian Libraries, and feveral others collated by our Friends the Clariffimi both at Rome and Paris, that two of this Triumvirate, and the merry Pontiff of their acquaintance, is the individual LEMUEL GULLIVER, whom we undertake to difcover to the World. But first, we shall beg leave to affign fome reafons why it cannot poffibly be written by the Reverend Dean, on whom it is maliciously father'd, or whom the Bookfeller for his own gain infinuates to be the Author of it.

it

The first reafon for our Opinion in this important Matter is, that in the Greek Copies of this Work, there are all poffible Marks of very early Antiquity, the characters being the fame with the Infcriptio Sigea lately published by a learned Antiquary; and appears that the Greek letter about which he and one of our Learned Profeffors difputed, is not once made ufe of throughout the whole work, as the publick may be informed from the accurate Mr. Hern of Oxford, who collated the Bodlean MSS. for us. So that we may prefume to affirm without any difparagement to the Reverend D, that this Piece could not be his, fince 'tis very probable that he cannot fo much as read the Characters in which the Original is written; tho' in other respects a good Grecian, and this he will affure any one of, that is curious enough to enquire, having never pretended to any great Skill in the Philological way, tho' always a great Advocate for the Ancients thinking it, beft no doubt with his Mafter Sir William Temple to defend them in our own Mother tongue, as being what is beft understood by us.

Another reason why this Book cannot be the D-'s is, that it plainly appears to be the Work of an Heathen or Jew, there being not one Word of true Christianity

Chriftianity in it, but feveral ludicrous and obfcene Paffages, which are shocking even to common Decency; and every Body is acquainted with the D---great Piety and Devotion, as well as his Abhorrence of Blafphemy and Irreligion.

A Third Reason why this Book cannot be the worthy D, is the many oblique Reflections it is faid to caft upon our present happy Administration, to which 'tis well known how devoutly he is attach'd and affected.

For Method fake, we fhall examine each of these Reasons severally, and prove them from undoubted Paffages taken out of the Book itself, and diligently revis'd and compar'd with the Original; but first, by way of Prolegomena, or Preliminary Difcourfe, fay fomething of the Defign and Intent of the real Author or Authors of this Performance.

A Learned Scholiaft, who flourish'd about the middle of the 15th Century, affures us, that this laborious Work was begun in the latter End of the Reign of the great Queen before-mention'd, at the Defire of her Grand Treasurer and Chief Secretary, and several others of her great Officers, in order to oppose the contrary Faction, and abuse the fucceeding Government: And that the Reader may form a true Notion of the Spirit of its Authors, he gives fome Account of thefe Minifters, from the Writings of their own Party.

"The Grand Treafurer, fays our Scholiaft, (as a celebrated Author tells us) always held much deep Converfation with himself, had his Countenance chequer'd with Bufinefs and Defign; was fometimes feen to walk very faft, with his Eyes faft nail'd to a Paper that he held in his Hands; was a great Saver of Time; fome what thick of Hearing; very fhort of Sight, but more of Memory. A Man ever in Hafte, a great Hatcher and Breeder of Business, and excellent

F 4

excellent at the famous Art of Whispering Nothing. An huge Idolator of Monofyllables and Procraftination; fo ready to give his Word to every Body, that he never kept it. One that forgot the common Meaning of Words, but an admirable Retainer of the Sound. Extremely fubject to the Loofenefs, for his Occafions were ever calling him away.'

Here, to our great Misfortune, is an irretrievable Hiatus in Manufcript. We have therefore no Account from our Scholiaft of the rest of the Minifters: But what we can learn from other Authors is this, namely, that the Chief Secretary was a young Gentleman of admirable Qualities, both natural and acquir'd; a moft excellent Speaker, and one who had an uncommon Capacity for Bufinefs, but withal fo enflav'd by his Fears, that he was, at laft, prevail'd upon to quit his Party.

.. The next in Power, tho' firft in Rank, was the Grand Chancellor, one deeply fkill'd in the Laws, and an excellent Orator; but wholly govern'd by Avarice, which eafily induced him to go over to the other Side, for valuable Confiderations.

*

The laft whom we fhall have Occafion to mention as a great Promoter of this Work, was the Commander of the Forces, a Perfon whom all the celebrated Writers of thofe Times highly extoll for his fingular Humanity, Good Nature, and Generofity, having wafted, instead of making, his Fortune in his Country's Service; and yet at length he was forc'd to quit it for feme Reasons of which Hiftory is filent; but 'tis generally agreed, that he