nifter to appoint a preacher before the House of Commons, would not he be wife to make choice of these words? Give, and it shall be given unto ye. Or before the Lords, Giving no offence, that the Miniftry be not blamed, 2 Cor. vi. 3. Or praising the warm zeal of an Adminiftration, Who maketh his Ministers a flaming fire, Psalm civ. 4. We omit many other of his texts, as too tedious. From this period, the style of the book rifes extremely. Before the next chapter was pafted the Effigies of Dr. Sacheverel, and I found the oppofite page all on a foam with Politicks. We are now (fays he) arrived at that celebrated year, in which the Church of England was tried in the person of Dr. Sacheverel. I had ever the interest of our High Church at heart, neither would I at any feafon mingle myself in the focieties of Fanaticks, whom I from my infancy abhorred, more than the Heathen or Gentile. It was in thefe days I bethought myself that much profit might accrue unto our Parish, and even unto the nation, could, there be affembled together a number of chofen men, of the right fpirit, who might argue, refine and define, upon high and great matters. Unto this purpofe, I did inftitute a weekly Affembly of divers worthy men at the Rofe and Crown Alehoufe, over whom myfelf (tho' unworthy) did prefide. Yea, I did read unto them the Poft-Boy of Mr. Roper, and the written letter of Mr. Dyer, upon which we communed afterwards among ourselves. Our fociety was compofed of the following perfons: Robert Jenkins, Farrier; Amos Turner, Collar-maker; George Pilcocks, late Excifeman; Thomas White, Wheelwright; and myself. First, of the first, Robert Jenkins, He He was a man of bright parts and fhrewd conceit, for he never fhoed an horse of a Whig or a Fanatick, but he lamed him forely. Amos Turner, a worthy perfon, rightly esteemed among us for his fufferings, in that he had been honoured in the ftocks for wearing an Oaken bough. George Pilcocks, a fufferer alfo; of zealous and laudable freedom of Speech, infomuch that his occupation had been taken from him. Thomas White, of good repute likewife, for that his uncle, by the Mother's fide, had, formerly, been fervitor at Maudlin college, where the glorious Sacheverel was educated. Now were the eyes of all the parish upon these our weekly councils. In a fhort space, the Minifter came among us; he fpake concerning us and our councils to a multitude of other Ministers at the Vifitation, and they spake thereof unto the Minifters at London, fo that even the Bishops heard and marvelled thereat. Moreover Sir Thomas, member of Parliament, fpake of the fame to other members of Parliament; who-fpake thereof unto the Peers of the Realm. Lo! thus did our counsels enter into the hearts of our Generals and our Law-givers; and from henceforth, even as we devifed, thus did they. After this, the whole book is turned on a fudden, from his own Life, to a Hiftory of all the publick Tranfactions of Europe, compiled from the Newspapers of thofe times. I could not comprehend the meaning of this, till I perceived at laft (to my no small Aftonishment) that all the Meafures of the four laft years of the Queen, together with the peace at Utrecht, which have been usually attributed to the E- of ·O, D— of O--, Lords Hand B--, and 4ther great men ; do here most plainly appear, to have been been wholly owing to Robert Jenkins, Amos Turner, George Pilcocks, Thomas White, but above all, P. P. The reader may be fure I was very inquifitive after this extraordinary writer, whofe work I have here abstracted. I took a journey into the Country on purpofe; but could not find the leaft trace of him: till by accident I met an old Clergyman, who faid he could not be pofitive, but thought it might be one Paul Philips, who had been dead about twelve years. And upon enquiry, all he could learn of that perfon from the neighbourhood, was, That he had been taken notice of for fwallowing Loaches, and remembered by Some people by a black and white Cur with one Ear, that conftantly followed him. In the Church-yard, I read his Epitaph, faid to be written by himself. O Reader, if that thou canst read, OF OF THE POET LAUREATE. November 19, 1729. HE time of the election of a Poet Laureate Tbeing now at hand, it may be proper to give fome accout of the rites and ceremonies anciently used at that Solemnity, and only discontinued through the neglect and degeneracy of later times. These we have extracted from an hiftorian of undoubted credit, a reverend bishop, the learned Paulus Jovius; and are the fame that were practifed under the pontificate of Leo X, the great reftorer of learning. As we now fee an age and a court, that for the encouragement of poetry rivals, if not exceeds, that of this famous Pope, we cannot but wish a restoration of all its honours to porfy; the rather, fince there are so many parallel circumstances in the person who was then honoured with the laurel, and in him, who (in all probability) is now to wear it. I fhall tranflate my author exactly as I find it in the 82d chapter of his Elogia Vir. Doct. He begins with the character of the poet himself, who was the original and father of all Laureates, and called Camillo. He was a plain country-man of Apulia, (whether a fhepherd or thresher, is not material.) This man (says Jovius) excited by the "fame of the great encouragement given to poets at court, and the high honour in which they were held, came to the city, bringing with him 3 |