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 praifing the warm zeal of an Adminiftration, Who maketh his Minifters a = flaming fire, Pfalm civ. 4. We omit many other of : his texts, as too tedious. From this period, the ftyle 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 perfon of Dr. Sacheverel. I had ever the intereft of our High-Church at heart, neither would I at any seafon 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 chosen men of the right spirit, who might argue, refine and define, upon high and great matters. Unto this purpose, I did institute a weekly Affembly of divers worthy men at the Rofe and Crown Alehouse, 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 persons; Ro. bert Jenkins, Farrier; Amos Turner, Collar-maker; George Pilcocks, late Excifeman; Thomas White, Wheel wright; and myfelf. Firft, of the firft, Robert Jenkins. 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 stocks 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 Maudling college, where the glorious Sacheverel was educated. Now were the eyes of all the parish upon the e our weekly councils. In a fhort space, the Minister came among us; he spake 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 marveled thereat. Moreover, Sir Thomas, member of Parliament, spake of the fame to other members of Parliament; who spake thereof unto the Peers of the Realm. Lo! thus did our counfels enter into the hearts of our Generals and our Law-givers; and from henceforth, even as we devised, thus did they. After this, the whole book is turned on a fudden, from his own Life, to a Hiftory of all the publick Trafactions of Europe, compiled from the News-papers of those times. I could not comprehend the meaning of this, till I perceived at laft (to my no small Astonishment) that all the Measures of the four last years of the Queen, together with the peace at Utrecht which have been usually attributed to the E―of O—, D of O—, Lords H— and B—, and other great men ; do bere moft plainly appear, to have been wholly owing to Robert Jenkins, Amos Turner, George Pilcocks, Thomas White, but above all, to P. P. - The reader may be fure I was very inquifitive after this extraordinary writer, whose 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 fome people by a black and white Cur with one Ear, that conftantly followed him. 1701 In the Church yard, I read his Epitaph, faid to be written by himself. O Reader, if that thou canst read, T OF THE POET LAUREATE. November 19, 1729. HE time of the election of Poet Laureate Tbeing now at hand, it may be proper to give some account of the rites and ceremonies anciently used at that Solemnity, and only difcontinued through the neglect and degeneracy of later times. These we have extracted from an historian 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 with a restoration of all its honours to poefy; the rather, fince there are so many parallel circumftances in the person who was then honoured with the laurel, and in him, who (in all probability) is now to wear it. I shall 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 |