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more sprightly turns. Further, I avow to your Highness that with
these eyes I have beheld the person of William Wotton, B.D., who has
written a good-sized volume against a friend of your governor, from
whom, alas! he must therefore look for little favour, in a most
gentlemanly style, adorned with utmost politeness and civility,
replete with discoveries equally valuable for their novelty and use,
and embellished with traits of wit so poignant and so apposite, that
he is a worthy yoke-mate to his fore-mentioned friend.
Why should I go upon farther particulars, which might fill a volume
with the just eulogies of my contemporary brethren? I shall
bequeath this piece of justice to a larger work, wherein I intend to
write a character of the present set of wits in our nation; their
persons I shall describe particularly and at length, their genius
and understandings in miniature.
In the meantime, I do here make bold to present your Highness with a
faithful abstract drawn from the universal body of all arts and
sciences, intended wholly for your service and instruction. Nor do
I doubt in the least but your Highness will peruse it as carefully
and make as considerable improvements as other young princes have
already done by the many volumes of late years written for a help to
their studies.
That your Highness may advance in wisdom and virtue, as well as
years, and at last outshine all your royal ancestors, shall be the
daily prayer of,
SIR,
Your Highness's most devoted, &c. Decemb. 1697.
THE PREFACE.
The wits of the present age being so very numerous and penetrating,
it seems the grandees of Church and State begin to fall under
horrible apprehensions lest these gentlemen, during the intervals of
a long peace, should find leisure to pick holes in the weak sides of
religion and government. To prevent which, there has been much
thought employed of late upon certain projects for taking off the
force and edge of those formidable inquirers from canvassing and
reasoning upon such delicate points. They have at length fixed upon
one, which will require some time as well as cost to perfect.
Meanwhile, the danger hourly increasing, by new levies of wits, all
appointed (as there is reason to fear) with pen, ink, and paper,
which may at an hour's warning be drawn out into pamphlets and other
offensive weapons ready for immediate execution, it was judged of
absolute necessity that some present expedient be thought on till
the main design can be brought to maturity. To this end, at a grand
committee, some days ago, this important discovery was made by a
certain curious and refined observer, that seamen have a custom when
they meet a Whale to fling him out an empty Tub, by way of
amusement, to divert him from laying violent hands upon the Ship.
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