mortuis ad vivos provocari, tibíque pro tribunali fifti; ut poft noftri feculi ineptias, et inep tos, illas explofas, hos fepultos, non etiam defint, quas explodas, quos fepelias: eum nempe volo Magnæ Britanniæ Cenforem, qui non folùm in præfentem fed et præteritas ætates ultrò citróque jus cenforiæ authoritatis exerceat. Nolim autem mihi id vitio verti, quòd Theologos hic in medium protraham, et deridendos propinem. Cum enim Theologia omnium Difciplinarum Regina ab ipfo Numine jus in fe derivaverit, procul abfit, ut illius cultores defpicatui habeam, ut potiùs ex omni non modò Republicâ, fed ex finibus humanæ naturæ exterminandos arbitrer, quotquot Theologiam aut ejus Miniftros divino illo jure ac dignitate spoliare contendunt. Si aliter fentirem, næ tuum patrocinium defugiffem, Vir Integerrime, cui curæ fuit, ut morum bonorum ac pietatis jura sarta ac tecta ab omni piaculo confervares. verò credo me culpam minimè commeruiffe, fi eos infecter, qui majori ignorantiâ an malitiâ freti in Theologiam involant; qui venerabili Theologiæ gradu, et optimis beneficiis tumidi, novis, et hactenus inauditis opinionibus, Reipublicæ ftatum convellunt; qui eò quòd Theologorum titulo magis quàm meritis ornentur, ideo tantum fibi arrogant, ut omnem abjiciant ac relinquant obedientiam, ne modò rationi pareant, cui ipsâ naturæ lege fubjecti funt; qui At pro pro Magiftrali fuâ dignitate in cunctos inferiores ferulam vibrant; quíque longo quantumvis toga fyrmate ferocientes pallium tamen brevius indui debuerunt, quo minùs incautos fallant. Hujufmodi Theologos tanto quod per fummum decus ufurpaverunt nomine exui, et loco moveri dignos in confpectum adduxi, Lepidiffime Morum Caftigator, ut ab omnibus publicitus exibilentur. Hanc ineptiarum farraginem duxi nunquam commodiùs extrudi poffe, quàm cum Natio in rifum prona, morionibus et nugis magis impensè delectetur. Nationis equidem patientiam nequeo non obiter fufpicere, et mecum ftomachari, quæ libellos iftos quotidie impune libertate plufquam vernili vagantes, affaniis puris putis refertos, legere sustineat; ferátque illud Obfervatorum, Reviforum et cæterorum fcurrarum vulgus, vocibus nonnifi Barbaris efferendum. Etas profectò Cenfore digniffima, qui hanc effrænem fcribendi licentiam virgâ notet, et reprimat; iftófque nugatores, nifi inter vivos marari ulteriùs definant, ad Vefpillones damnet! Age, Vir infigniffime; prodeat tandem tamdiu defideratus tuarum lucubrationum liber, facundo illo filentii, quod in ipfis tam difertè expreffifti, præconio celebrandus. Ex illis difcant Lectores fcriptoréfque, illi quid legi, hi quid fcribi potiffimum cum fructu non *Sueton. in Vit, Neron. Claud. cap. 33. minori quàm voluptate deceat. Interea dum illas expectamus, præludant Hæ obfcurorum Epiftola, quarum elaborata barbaries, et folœcifmi, legentem in cachinnos folvant, et quicquid ridiculi vanæque levitatis in pectore refidet, adeo exhauriant, ut ad tuas poftea Lucubrationes perlegendas, animus defæcatior, et à nugis expurgatior accedat: quippe medici folent corpus ægrum medicamentis purgare, quò meliùs ad victum falubriorem fumendum preparetur. Denique obfcuri ifti homunciones, quibus nil quicquam vixit infulfius, longo pòft tempore jam tandem refipifcunt; famam, quam olim non potuerunt, conantur nunc aucupari; à coætaneis fuis audiri vix meruerunt, nunc in fpem et lectores et emptores fibi conciliandi veniunt: vivi pro mortuis meritò habebantur; mortui verò nunc vivere et inclarefcere incipient, ubi primùm eorum Epiftolæ nomine tuo infignitæ præfulgebunt. Vale, Vir Eruditiffime; noftrifque moribus diu ac feliciter confule. * "The purpose of the work," fays Steele, Tatler, No 197, "is fignified in the dedication, in very elegant language, and "fine raillery. It feems this is a collection of letters which "fome profound blockheads, who lived before our times, have "written in honour of each other, and for their mutual infor"mation in each other's abfurdities. They are mostly of the "German nation, whence, from time to time, inundations of "writers have flowed, more pernicious to the learned world, " than the swarms of Goths and Vandals to the publick." LETTER CCCXCIII *. TO WILLIAM Lord CowPER, Baron of Wingham t. A rior graces and excellencies among men, in an imaginary character, I do myself the honour to fhew my veneration for tranfcendent merit under my own name, in this address to your Lordship. The juft application of thofe high accomplishments of which you are mafter, has been an advantage to all your fellow-fubjects; and it is from the common obligation you have laid upon all the world, that I, though a private man, can pretend to be affected with, or *Prefixed to the third volume of "The Tatler." † William Cowper, efq. foon after being called to the bar, was appointed one of King William's counsel; he fucceeded Sir Nathan Wright, as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, Oct. 11, 1705; was created Baron Cowper of Wingham, Nov. 9, 1706; and appointed Lord Chancellor, May 4, 1707; which post he held till Sept. 25, 1710. On the acceffion of King George, he was appointed again Lord Chancellor, Sept. 21, 1714; and, on refigning the great feal, was created Earl Cowper, and Viscount Fordwich, March 18, 1717-18. He generoufly declined accepting New-years-gifts from the counfellors at law, which had been long given to his predeceffors; and, what is ftill more to his honour, forefaw and oppofed the deftructive measures of the Southfea bubble in 1720. He died Oct. 10, 1723. It is recorded, and ought always to be mentioned to the honour of Lord Cowper, that when he was Chancellor, though in friendship with the Duke of Marlborough, and of the fame political principles, he nobly refused, and perfifted in his refufal, to put the broad seal of his office to a tremendous commission for making his Grace Generalifimo for life. take the liberty to acknowledge, your great talents and public virtues. It gives a pleafing profpect to your friends, that is to fay, to the friends of your country, that you have paffed through the higheft offices, at an age when others ufually do but form to themselves the hopes of them. They may expect to fee you in the Houfe of Lords as many years as you were afcending to it. It is our common good, that your admirable eloquence can now no longer be employed, but in the expreffion of your own fentiments and judgement. The skilful pleader is now for ever changed into the juft judge; which latter character your Lordship exerts with so prevailing an impartiality, that you win the approbation even of those who diffent from you; and you always obtain favour, because you are never moved by it. This gives you a certain dignity peculiar to your prefent fituation, and makes the equity, even of a Lord High Chancellor, appear but a degree towards the magnanimity of a Peer of Great-Britain. Forgive me, my Lord, when I cannot conceal from you, that I fhall never hereafter behold you, but I fhall behold you, as lately, de-, fending the brave and the unfortunate. He had just refigned the office of Lord Chancellor. The brave means the Duke of Marlborough. But who was the unfortunate? When |