never did any thing really to forfeit his Character, as the rest of his Junto had done. For the Grand Treasurer is abused by many, as well as the forecited Author; tho' it does not appear from any Authors of good Credit, that he ever forfeited his Integrity, however he might act upon miftaken Principles: All the Writers of those times allow him to be a Man of extraordinary Understanding, very learned, intrepid, and generous to a Fault, dying in Debt, tho' he had the Management of the publick Revenues for feveral Years; however his dark and intricate way of dealing made the Generality of Mankind have a worfe Opinion of him than he deferv'd.

This laft Minifter was the principal Promoter (as our Scholiaft tells us) of the Piece we are now to examine, and the Pontiff Martin ( for that was his ( Name in plain English) had the chief Hand in compofing it, being his Creature and Domeftick; though there is great reafon to believe that Peter and Johnny were concerned in it from several Peculiarities remarkable in their Writings, as hereafter fhall be fhewn, and from the general Current of Antiquity.

But before we produce any farther Proofs of their being the Authors of this Work, we must first prove negatively who is not, as we before promifed from three different, and undeniable Arguments, which are these :

First, From the Characters and Stile of the Original, which is unquestionable from what has been urged already.

Secondly, From the ludicrous, trifling, and obfcure Paffages in it. And Thirdly, from the Reflections it is faid to caft upon the present Government and its Friends.

But tho' we have divided what we design to fay into feveral Heads, to fhew our Skill in Analytick,

we

we hope the courteous Reader will not imagine us fuch dull Fellows to be methodical, fince he may be affured that it is not our Defign, having the ge-. neral Current of Antiquity, as well as the Practice of the most approved modern Writers and Speakers, to fupport us in saying whatever we think fit as incoherently as we find neceflary, notwithstanding the ungenteel Schemes of the Schoolmen. So that if we lay down any Topick of Difcourfe, the Judici ous must not expect us to speak to it, any more than certain noted Speech-makers in both Houfes, or the celebrated Montaigne in his Effays, or the famous City Preachers, fchifmatical Orators, or Academical Lectures, whofe Difcourfes will commonly ferve for any Subject or Text in the Bible, as well as that they undertake to handle, which, it must be granted, is a very ingenious Contrivance, and of very great Ufe to fuch as have but a small Stock.

Now I am talking of Perfons, it puts me in mind of the Grand Treasurer's Chaplain, for fo we may call him, whatever his Title was in thofe Times; whether Secretary, Steward, Pimp, or Decipherer, for we have heard of confiderable Pontiffs, who have fupply'd the Place of each of thefe great Offcers, with very great Succefs and Advantage. Mr. Martin, you must know, (for that was his Name, as we faid before, according to our English Termination) was what the Country Folk call a jolly lufty Fellow, a moft excellent Man at a Loin of Beef; and for Claret, few could match him, and then he was blefs'd with a fort of Grace for which a neighbouring Country is very famous, being never known to blufh in his Life, but once, when discover'd on his Knees in private. Our Author tells us, that he had abundance of Wit and Humour, but that he generally employ'd it upon trifling Occafions, or to ridicule

ridicule Religion, or Libel the Government; never having produced any thing in his own Profeffion, but what ferv'd to make a Jeft of it. He had an excellent Knack at compofing merry Odes upon Matters of State, and of burlefquing the Hymns that were dedicated to their Deities; tho' fome Writers attribute these rather to his Friend Peter, fince more confiftent with his Character as a Ballad-finger, and as not being of the Pontifical College, tho' he profeffed himself to be one of that Sect, whose way of Worship was moft abfurd and fuperftitious: For Martin, Peter and John, differed from each other in the Modes, however they might agree in the Ef fentials of Religion; though the Criticks fay, that John was the moft ferious, his Countrymen being generally inclined to Enthufiafm. Having now got our Three Wags together, let us leave them a little whilft we examine their Performance.

We fhall not detain our Readers with Remarks upon the Title of the Book, or upon what the Publifher fays to the Reader, fince foreign to our main Defign, which is to vindicate the Reverend D

on whom it is malicioufly father'd: Befides, every Body is now acquainted with Curlifm, or the Tricks which Bookfellers put upon the World, in order to raife their Market.

The Account which the Author is faid to give of himfelf and Family, his Travels, &c. are manifeft Forgeries, not one Word of them being in the Original; fo that they seem to have been added to the English Verfion by the Author of Robinson Crusoe, ta inhance the Price, and other Reasons very obvicus. We are told, indeed, that the learned By intends to favour the World with a Differtation upon the Words Gulliver, Lilliput, and the reft of the Terms made ufe of throughout this Piece, to fhew

that

that they are originally Syriack, but have been cor rupted by the Copyifts; and by this 'tis thought the pious D means to prove, that the Queen, we mention'd in the Beginning of this Book, was really the famous Zenobia, fu remarkable for her Chastity, that she used to turn her Hufband out of Bed the Minute he had conceiv'd; which looks fomething like an Argument for Bigamy, were we not well affured of the D- Continence and Self-Denial.

In this Differtation it is demonftrated, that the Word Emperor in the English, is in the Original fometimes written ΒΑΣΙΛῚΣ or βασίλισσα ; which fome of the merry Fellows of Trinity in Cambridge, will needs interpret, Queen Anne, from whence others infer, that the Pretender is certainly meant by this Defription of the Emperor of Lilliput, (Pag.29.) "He is taller than any of his Court, which ftrikes an Awe into the Beholders. His Features are strong and mafculine, with an Aufirian Lip and arched Nofe, his Complexion Olive, his Countenance erect, his Body and Limbs well proportioned, all his Motions graceful, and his Deportment majeftick. He alfo fays, this Prince lives chiefly upon his own Demefns, feldom, except upon great Occasions, raising any Subfidies upon his Subjects, who are bound to attend him in his Wars at their own Expence."

(Pag. 85.) The Account of Rope-dancing is much difcanted on by the judicious and politick. "This Diverfion is only practifed by thofe Perfons, who are Candidates for great Employments, and high Favour at Court. They are train'd in this Art from their Youth, and are not always of noble Birth, or liberal Education. When a great Office is vacant, either by Death or Difgrace, (which often happens) Five or Six Candidates petition the Emperor to entertain his Majefty and the Court with a Dance on the Rope

and

and whoever jumps highest without falling, fucceeds in the Office. Very often, the chief Minifters themfelves are commanded to fhew their Skill, and to convince the Emperor that they have not loft their Faculty. Flimnap, the Treafurer, is allow'd to cut a Caper on the trait Rope, at least, an Inch higher than any other Lord in the whole Empire. I have feen him do the Somerset several Times together upon a Trencher fix'd on the Rope. The principal Secretary for private Affairs is, in my Opinion, if I am not partial, the Second after the Treasurer; the reft of the great Officers are much upon a Par.

These Diverfions are often attended with fatal Accidents, whereof great Numbers are on Record. I myself have seen Two or Three Candidates break a Limb. But the Danger is much greater when the Minifters themselves are commanded to fhew their Dexterity; for by contending to excell themselves and their Fellows, they ftrain fo far, that there is hardly one of them who hath not received a Fall, and fome of them Two or Three. I was affured, that a Year or Two before my Arrival, the Treafurer would infallibly have broke his Neck, if one of the King's Cushions, that accidentally lay on the Ground, had not weakened the Force of his Fall."

The

"There is likewife another Diverfion, which is only fhewn before the Emperor and Emprefs, and first Minifter, upon particular Occafions. Emperor lays upon a Table three fine Silken Threads of fix Inches long; One is Purple, the other Yellow, and the Third White. Thefe Threads are proposed as Prizes for those Perfons, whom the Emperor hath a Mind to distinguish by a peculiar Mark of his Favour. The Ceremony is perform'd in his Majefty's great Chamber of State, where the Candidates are to undergo a Trial of Dexterity, ve

rv