2dly, The priests throughout the world differ about fcriptures, and the authority of fcriptures. The Bra mins have a book of fcripture called the Shafter. The Perfees have their Zündavaftaw. The Bonzes of China have books written by the difciples of Fohe, ⚫ whom they call the God and Saviour of the world, who was born to teach the way of falvation, and to give • fatisfaction for all mens fins. The Talapoins of Siam have a book of fcripture written by Sommonocodom, who, the Siamese fay, was born of a virgin, and was the God expected by the universe. The Dervifes have: their Alcoran.' I believe there is no one will defpute the author's great: impartiality in fetting down the accounts of thefe diffe rent religions. And I think it is pretty evident he des livers the matter with an air that betrays, the hiftory 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 inftance of a probable opinion, that they who study philofophy do not believe there are any gods' and then, from confideration of various notions, he affirms Tully concludes, 'That there can be nothing after death.” As to what he mifreprefents of. Tully, the fhort fentence on the head of this paper is enough to oppofe; but who can have patience to reflect upon the affemblage of impoftures, 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 defign to fubvert and ridicule the authority of fcripture. The peace and tranquillity of the nation, and regards even above thofe, are fo much concerned in this matter, that it is difficult to exprefs fufficient forrow for the offender, or indigna tion against him. But if ever man deferved to be denied the common benefits of air and water, it is the author of A difcourfe of free-thinking. N° 4. *I*EMICALIAAF Monday, March 16.. It matters not how falfe or forc'd,» They level at: fo shepherds ufe To fet the fame mark on the hip Hudibras. Hough most things which are wrong in their own fingle word, the custom; yet there are fome, which, as they have a dangerous tendency, a thinking man will the lefs excufe on that very account. Among thefe I cannot but reckon the common practice of dedications; which is of fo much the worfe confequence, as it is generally used ex by people of politeness, and whom a learned education for the most part ought to have infpired with nobler and jufter fentiments. This proftitution of praife, is not only a deceit upon the grofs of mankind, who take their notion of characters from the learned; but alfo the bet ter fort muft by this means lofe fome part at least of that defire of fame which is the incentive to generous actions, when they find it promifcuously bestowed on the merito rious and undeferving. Nay, the author himself, let hina be fuppofed to have ever so true a value for the patron, can find no terms to exprefs it, but what have been already ufed, and rendered fufpected of flatteries. Even truth itself in a dedication, is like an honeft man in à difguife, or vizor-mask, and will appear a cheat by be ing dreffed fo like one. Though the merit of the perfon is beyond difpute, I fee 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 fervices: 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. Suppofing the writer not to be mercenary, yet the great man is no more in reafon obliged to thank him for his picture in a dedication, than to thank a painter for that on a fign poft; except it be a lefs injury to touch the most facred part of him, his character, than to make free with his countenance only. I fhould think nothing justified me in this point, but the patron's permiffion beforehand, that I fhould draw him as like as I could; whereas most authors proceed in this affair juft 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 exprefs my notion of the thing in a word: Tofay more to a man than one thinks, with a prospect of intereft, is dishoneft; 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 for having believed it f I have fometimes been entertained with confidering dedications in no very common light. By obferving what qualities our writers think it will be maft pleafing to others to compliment them with, one may form fome judgment which are most so to themselves; and, in confequence, what fort of people they are. Without this view, one can read very few dedications, but will give us caufe to wonder, either how fuch things came to be faid at all, or how they were faid to fuch perfons. I have known an hero complimented upon the decent ma jefty and flate he affumed after victory, and a nobleman of a different character applauded for his condefcenfion to inferiors. This would have seemed very flrange to me, but that I happened to know the authors. He who made the first compliment was a lofty gentleman, whose air and gait difcovered when he had publifh ed a new book; and the other tippled every night with the fellows who laboured at the prefs while his own writings were working off. It is obferveable of the female poets, and ladies dedicatory, that. here, as : 751 Eelfewhere, they far exceed us in any ftrain or rant. As beauty is the thing that fex are piqued upon, they fpeak Sof it generally in a more elevated ftyle than is used by the men. They adore in the fame manner as they would be adored. So when the authorefs of a famous modern romance begs a young nobleman's permiffion 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 poftare, are what a lady might expect herself; and my wonder immediately ceafes Thefe, when they flatter amoft, do but as they would be done unto: for as none are fo much concerned at being injured by calumnies, as they who are readieft to caft them upon their neigh bours; fo it is certain none are fo guilty of flattery to others, as those who moft ardently defire it themfelves. What led me into these thoughts, was a dedication I happened upon this morning. The reader must underftand, that I treat the least instances or remains of ingemaity with respect, in what places foever found, er under whatever circumstances of difadvantage. From this love to letters, I have been fo happy in my fearches after knowledge, that I have found unvalued repofitories of learning in the lining of bandboxes I look upon thefe pafteboard edifices, adorned with the fragments of the ingenious, with the fame veneration as antiquaries upon ruined buildings, whofe walls preferve divers infcriptions 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 fome hoods and ribbons brought by her tirewoman, with great care and dili gence, I employed no less in examining the box which contained them. It was lined with certain fcenes of a tragedy, written (as appeared by part of the title there extant) by one of the fair fex. What was molt legible, Ewas the dedication; which, by reafon of the largeness of the characters, was the leaft defaced by thefe Gothic ornaments of flourishes and foliage, wherewith the compilers of these fort of structures do often industriously obEfcure the works of the learned. As much of it as I could read with any ease, I fhall communicate to the reader, as follows. Though it is a kind of profanation to approach your Grace with fo poor on offering; yet when I reflect how acceptable a facrifice of firft-fruits was to heaven, in the earliest and pureft ages of religion, that they were honoured with folemn feafts, and confecrated to altars by a divine command, ***upon that confideration, as an argument of particular zeal, I dedicate *** It is impoffible to behold you without adoring; yet dazzled and awed by the glory that furround you, men feel a facred power, that refines their flames, and renders them pure as thefe we ought to offer to the Diety. *** The fhrine 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 thefe, and other periods of this moft pious dedication, could not but convince the Duchefs of what the eloquent authorefs affures her at the end, that he was her fervant with most ardent devotion. I think this a pattern of a new fort of ftyle, 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 religioufly thinks in it. It may ferve for almoft any book, either profe or verfe, that has, is, or hall be published; and might run in this manner. The AUTHOR to HIMSELF. Moft Honoured SIR, TH Hefe labours, upon many confiderations, fo properly belong to none as to you: firft, as it was your moft earnest defire alone that could prevail upon me to make them public: then, as I am fecure, from that confant indulgence you have ever fhewn to all which is mine, that no man will fo readily take them into pro |