2dly, The priests throughout the world differ about • scriptures, and the authority of scriptures. The Bra<mins have a book of scripture called the Shaster. The • Perfees have their Zundavastaw. The Bonzes of • China have books written by the disciples of Fohe, • whom they call the God and Saviour of the world, who • was born to teach the way of salvation, and to give • fatisfaction for all mens fins. The Talapoins of Siam have a book of scripture written by Sommonocodom, • who, the Siamese say, was born of a virgin, and was • the God expected by the universe. The Dervises have • their Alcoran.' I believe there is no one will despute the author's great impartiality in setting down the accounts of these different religions. And I think it is pretty evident he de livers the matter with an air that betrays, the history of one born of a virgin has-as much authority with him from St Sommonocodom as from St Matthew. Thus he treats revelation. Then as to philosophy, he tells you, p. 136. ‹ Cicero produces this as an instance of a probable opinion, that they who study philosophy do not believe ⚫ there are any gods;' and then, from consideration of various notions, he affirms Tully concludes, 'That there ⚫ can be nothing after death." As to what he mifrepresents of. Tully, the short fentence on the head of this paper is enough to oppofe; but who can have patience to reflect upon the assemblage of impostures, among which our author places the religion of his country? As for my part, I cannot fee any poffible interpretation to give this work, but a design to fubvert and ridicule the authority of scripture. The peace and tranquillity of the nation, and regards even above those, are so much concerned in this matter, that it is difficult to express sufficient forrow for the offender, or indignation against him. But if ever man deferved to be denied the common benefits of air and water, it is the author of A discourse of free-thinking. R 12 00 No 4.. Monday, March 16.. It matters not how falfe or forc'd, most : Hudibras. nature, are at once confeffed and absolved in that single word, the custom; yet there are some, which, as they have a dangerous tendency, a thinking man will the Plefs excuse on that very account. Among these I cannot but reckon the common practice of dedications; which is of fo much the worse consequence, as it is generally used by people of politeness, and whom a learned education for the most part ought to have inspired with nobler and juster sentiments. This prostitution of praise, is not only a deceit upon the gross of mankind, who take their notion of characters from the learned; but also the better fort must by this means lose some part at least of that defire of fame which is the incentive to generous actions, when they find it promiscuously bestowed on the merito. rious and undeserving. Nay, the author himself, let hina be supposed to have ever so true a value for the patron, can find no terms to express it, but what have been already ufed, and rendered suspected of flatteries. Even truth itself in a dedication, is like an honest man in a disguife, or vizor-mask, and will appear a cheat by being dressed so like one. Though the merit of the person is beyond dispute, I see no reason, that because one man is eminent, therefore another has a right to be impertinent, and throw praises in his face. It is just the reverse of the practice of the ancient Romans, when a perfon was advanced to triumph for his services: As they hired people to rail at him in that circumstance, to make him as humble as they could, we have fellows to flatter him, and make him as proud as they can. Supposing the writer not to be mercenary, yet the great man is no more in reason obliged to thank him for his picture in a dedication, than to thank a painter for that on a sign poft; except it be a less injury to touch the most sacred part of him, his character, than to make free with his countenance only. I should think nothing juftified me in this point, but the patron's permission beforehand, that I should draw him as like as I could; whereas most authors proceed in this affair just as a dawber I have heard of, who not being able to draw portraits after the life, was used to paint faces at random, and look out afterwards for people whom he might perfuade to be like them. To express my notion of the thing in a word: To say more to a man than one thinks, with a prospect of interest, is dishonest; and without it foolish and whoever has had success in such an undertaking, muft of neceffity, at once, think himself in his heart a knave for having done it, and his patron a fool før having believed it I have sometimes been entertained with confidering dedications in no very common light. By observing what qualities our writers think it will be most pleasing to others to compliment them with, one may form fome judgment which are most so to themselves; and, in consequence, what fort of people they are. Without this view, one can read very few dedications, but will give us caufe to wonder, either how such things came to be faid at all, or how they were faid to such perfons. I have known an hero complimented upon the decent ma jesty and state he assumed after victory, and a nobleman of a different character applauded for his condescension to inferiors. This would have seemed very strange to me, but that I happened to know the authors. He who made the first compliment was a lofty gentleman, whose air and gait discovered when he had publish ed a new book; and the other tippled every night with the fellows who laboured at the press while his own writings were working off. It is observeable of the female poets, and ladies dedicatory, that here, as elfewhere, they far exceed us in any strain or rant. As beauty is the thing that sex are piqued upon, they speak S of it generally in a more elevated style than is used by 'the men. They adore in the fame manner as they would be adored. So when the authoress of a famous modern romance begs a young nobleman's permission to pay him * her kneeling adorations, I am far from cenfuring the expreffion, as fome critics would do, as deficient in grammar or fenfe but I reflect, that adorations paid in that pofture, are what a lady might expect herself; and my wonder immediately ceases. These, when they flatter #most, do but as they would be done unto: for as none are so much concerned at being injured by calumnies, as they who are readiest to caft them upon their neigh*bours; fo it is certain none are fo guilty of flattery to others, as those who most ardently defire it themselves. What led me into these thoughts, was a dedication I happened upon this morning. The reader must under ftand, that I treat the least instances or remains of ingenuity with respect, in what places foever found, er under whatever circumstances of disadvantage. From this love to letters, I have been so happy in my searches after knowledge, that I have found unvalued repositories of T4 learning in the lining of bandboxes. I look upon these palteboard edifices, adorned with the fragments of the ingenious, with the fame veneration as antiquaries upon ruined buildings, whose walls preferve divers inscriptions and names, which are no where elfe to be found in the world. This morning, when one of Lady Lizard's daughters was looking over some hoods and ribbons brought by her tirewoman, with great care and diligence, I employed no less in examining the box which contained them. It was lined with certain scenes of a tragedy, written (as appeared by part of the title there - extant) by one of the fair sex. What was most legible, was the dedication; which, by reason of the largeness of the characters, was the least defaced by these Gothic ornaments of flourishes and foliage, wherewith the compilers of these fort of structures do often industrioufly obscure the works of the learned. As much of it as I could read with any eafe, I shall communicate to the reader, ■as follows. 6 Though it is a kind of profanation to approach your Grace with so poor on offering; yet when I reflect how acceptable a facrifice of first-fruits was to heaven, in the earliest and purest ages of religion, that • they were honoured with folemn feasts, and confecrated to altars by a divine command, ***upon that confideration, as an argument of particular zeal, I dedicate *** It is impossible to behold you without adoring; yet dazzled and awed by the glory that surround you, men feel a facred power, that refines their flames, and renders them pure as those we ought to offer to the Diety. *** The shrine is worthty the divinity that inhabits it. In your grace we fee what woman was before the fell, how nearly allied to the purity and perfection of angels. And WE ADORE AND BLESS THE GLORIOUS WORK!' Undoubtedly these, and other periods of this most pious dedication, could not but convince the Duchess of what the eloquent authorefs affures her at the end, that she was her servant with most ardent devotion. think this a pattern of a new fort of style, not yet taken notice of by the critics, which is above the fublime and may be called the celestial; that is when the most facred phrafes appropriated to the honour of the Diety, are applied to a mortal of good quality. As I am naturally emulous, I cannot but endeavour, in imitation of this lady, to be the inventor, or at least the first producer of a new kind of dedication, very different from her's and most others, fince it has not a word but what the author religiously thinks in it. It may serve for almost any book, either prose or verse, that has, is, or shall be published; and might run in this manner. The AUTHOR to HIMSELF. Most Honoured SIR, Hefe labours, upon many confiderations, fo I proper first, as it was your most earnest defire alone that could prevail upon me to make them public: then, as I am secure, from that conRant indulgence you have ever shewn to all which is mine, that no man will fo readily take them into pro |