ever read and admired; to Two Lord CHANCELLORS, for Law, from whom, when confederate against him at the bar, he carried away the prize of Eloquence"; and, to say all in a word, to the right reverend the Lord BISHOP OF LONDON himself, in the art of writing paftoral letters".

Nor did his Actions fall fhort of the fublimity of his Conceit. In his early youth he met the Revolution face to face in Nottingham, at a time when his betters contented themselves with following her. It was here he got acquainted with Old Battle-array, of whom he hath made fo honourable mention in one of his immortal Odes. But he fhone in Courts as well as Camps: He was called up when the nation fell in labour of this Revolution and was a goffip at her christening, with the Bishop and the ladies".

As to his Birth, it is true he pretendeth no relation either to Heathen God or Goddess; but, what is as good, he was defcended from a Maker of bath. And that he did not pass himself on the world for a Hero, as well by birth as education, was his own fault: For, his lineage he bringeth into his life as an Anecdote, and is fenfible he had it in his power to be thought no body's fon at all: And what is that but coming into the world a Hero?

But be it, (the punctilious Laws of Epic Poefy fo requiring) that a Hero of more than mortal birth muft needs be had, even for this we have a remedy. We can easily derive our Hero's Pedigree from a Goddess of no small power and authority amongst men; and legitimate and install him after the right claffical and authentic fashion: For, like as the ancient Sages found a Son of Mars in a mighty warrior; a Son of Neptune in a skilful Seaman; a Son of Phoebus in a harmonious Poet; fo have we here, if need be, a Son of FORTUNE

• P. 425. • P. 57.

▾ P. 436, 437. * P. 47.

y P. 57.
• A Statuary.

z P. 58, 59.
b Life, p. 6.

in an artful Gamefter. And who fitter than the Offfpring of Chance, to affift in reftoring the Empire of Night and Chaos?

There is in truth another objection of greater weight, namely, "That this Hero ftill existeth, and hath nor 66 yet finished his earthly courfe. For if Solon faid well, "that no man could be called happy till his death, "furely much lefs can any one, till then, be pronounced "a Hero: this fpecies of men being far more fubject " than others to the caprices of Fortune and Humour. But to this also we have an answer, that will (we hope) be deemed decifive. It cometh from himself, who, to cut this matter short, hath folemnly protefted that be will never change or amend.

With regard to his Vanity, he declareth that nothing shall every part them. "Nature (faith he) hath amply "fupplied me in Vanity; a pleasure which neither the "pertnefs of Wit, nor the gravity of Wisdom, will ever "perfuade me to part with." Our poet had charitably "Our endeavoured to adminifter a cure to it: But he telleth us plainly, "My fuperiors perhaps may be mended by "him; but for my part I own myself incorrigible. I "look upon my Follies as the beft part of my Fortune"." And with good reafon: We fee to what they have brought him!

Secondly, as to Buffoonry, "Is it (faith he) a time of day for me to leave off thefe fooleries, and fet up a new "character? I can no more put off my Follies than my "Skin; I have often tried, but they stick too close to

me; nor am I fure my friends are displeased with them, "for in this light I afford them frequent matter of mirth, “&c. &ce”. Having then fo publickly declared himfelf declared himself incorrigible, he is become dead in law, (I mean the law Epopeian) and devolveth upon the Poet as his property: who may take him, and deal with e P. 17.

• P. 424.

a P. 19.

.

him, as if he had been dead as long as an old Egyptian hero; that is to say, embowel and embalm him for posterity.

Nothing therefore (we conceive) remaineth to hinder his own Prophecy of himself from taking immediate effect. A rare felicity! and what few prophets have had the fatisfaction to fee, alive! Nor can we conclude better than with that extraordinary one of his, which is conceived in these Oraculous words, MY DULNESS WILL FIND SOMEBODY TO DO IT RIGHT.

Tandem Phœbus adest, morfufque inferre parantem
Congelat, et patulos, ut erant, INDURAT hiatus &.

f. Ibid. p. 243. octavo edit. Orpheus's head.

Ovid, of the ferpent biting at

DIEU

DROW

By AUTHORITY.

15 virtue of the Authority in Us vefted by the Act for fubjecting Poets to the power of a Licenser, we have revised this Piece; where finding the Kyle and appellation of KING to have been given to a certain Pretender, Pfeudo-Poet, 02 Phantom, of the name of TIBBALD; and apprehending the fame may be deemed in fome lost a Reflection on Majesty, o; at least an in, sult on that Legal_Authozity which has bellowed on another Person the Crown of Poefy: We have ozdered the faid Pretender, Pfeudo-Poet, 02 Phantom, utterly to vanish and evaporate out of this work: And do declare the faid Thzone of Poely from henceforth to be abdicated and vacant, unless duly and lawfully supplied by the LAUREATE himself. And it is hereby enacted, that no other perfon do prefume to fill the fame.

OC. Ch.