horfe at St. James's gate, and galloped away to the Hague.

Before I take my farewel of this fubject, I fhall advise the Author for the future to speak his meaning more plainly. I allow he has a happy talent at doggrel, when he writes upon a known fubject: where he tells us in plain intelligible language, how Syrifca's ladle was loft in one hole, and Hans Carvel's finger in another, he is very. jocular and diverting; but when he wraps a lampoon in a riddle, he muft confider that his jeft is loft to every one, but the few merry wags that are in the fecret. This is making darker fatyrs than ever Perfius did. After this curfory view of the Examiner's performance, let us confider his remarks upon the Doctor's. That general piece of raillery which he paffes upon the Doctor's confidering the Treafurer in feveral different views, is that which might fall upon any Poem in Waller, or any other writer who has diverfity of thoughts and allufions: and tho' it may appear a pleasant ridicule to an ignorant Reader, is wholly groundless and unjuft. I do likewife diffent with the Examiner, upon the phrafes of paffions being poifed, and of the retrieving merit from dependence, which are very beautiful and poetical. It is the fame cavilling fpirit that finds fault with that expreffion of the pomp of peace among the woes of war, as well as of offering unasked. As for the Nile, how Icarus and Phaeton came to be joined with it, I cannot conceive. I must confefs they have been formerly used to represent the fate of rafh ambitious men; and I cannot imagine why the Author should deprive us of thofe particular Similes for the future. The next Criticism upon N 2

the

the ftars, feems introduced for no other reason but to mention Mr. Bickerstaff, whom the Author every where endeavours to imitate and abufe. But I fhall refer the Examiner to the frog's advice to her little one, that was blowing it felf up to the size of an Ox:

The allufion to the victim may be a Gallimatia in French politicks, but is an apt and noble allufion to a true English fpirit. And as for the Examiner's remarks on the word bleed (though a man wou'd laugh to fee impotent malice fo little able to contain it felf) one cannot but obferve in them the temper of the Banditti whom he mentions in the fame paper, who always murder where they rob. The laft obfervation is upon the line, Ingratitude's a weed of every clime. Here he is very much out of humour with the Doctor, for having called that the weed, which Dryden only terms the growth, of every Clime. But for God-fake, why fo much tenderness for ingratitude.

But I fhall fay no more. We are now in an age wherein impudent affertions muft pafs for arguments: and I do not queftion but the fame, who has endeavoured here to prove that he who wrote the Difpenfary was no Poet, will very fuddenly undertake to fhew, that he who gained the Battle of Blenheim is no General,

Thursday,

CONCONOTCHES?

N° 2. Thursday, September 21.

I

Arcades ambo,

Et cantare pares.

can

Never yet knew an Author that had not his admirers. Bunyan and Quarles have paffed thro feveral editions, and pleafe as many Readers, as Dryden and Tillotson. The Examiner had not written two half sheets of paper, before he met with one that was aftonifhed at the force he was mafter of, and approaches him with awe, when he mentions State-fubjects, as encroaching on the province that belonged to him, and treating of things that deferved to pass under his pen. The fame humble author tells us, that the Examiner furnish mankind with an Antidote to the poyfon that is fcattered through the nation. This crying up of the Examiner's Antidote, puts me in mind of the first appearance that a celebrated French quack made in the streets of Paris. A little boy walked before him, publishing, with a fhrill voice, Mon pere guerit toutes fortes de maladies, My father cures all forts of diffempers: To which the Doctor, who walked behind him, added in a grave and compofed manner, L'enfant dit vrai, The child fays true.

That the Reader may fee what party the Author of this Letter is of, I fhall fhew how he fpeaks

of the French King and the Duke of Anjou, and how of our greatest Allies, the Emperor of Germany and the States-General. In the mean while

the French King has withdrawn his troops from Spain, and has put it out of his power to restore that monarchy to us, was he reduced low enough really to defire to do it. The Duke of Anjou has had leisure to take off those whom he fufpected, to confirm his friends, to regulate his revenues, to increase and form his troops, and above all, to roufe that spirit in the Spanish nation, which a fucceffion of lazy and indolent Princes had lulled afleep. From hence it appears probable enough, that if the war continue much longer on the prefent foot, instead of regaining Spain, we fhall find the Duke of Anjou in a condition to pay the debt of gratitude, and support the grandfather in his declining years; by whofe arms, in the days of his infancy, he was upheld. What expreffions of tenderness, duty and fubmiffion! The Panegyrick on the Duke of Anjou, is by much the best written part of this whole Letter; the Apology for the French King is indeed the fame which the Poft-boy has often made, but worded with greater deference and refpect to that great Prince. There are many ftrokes of the Author's good-will to our confederates, the Dutch and the Emperor, in feveral parts of this notable Epiftle; I fhall only quote one of them, alluding to the concern which the Bank, the States-General, and the Emperor, exprefled for the Miniftry by their humble applications to Her Majefty, in these words.

Not daunted yet, they refolve to try a new expedient, and the interest of Europe is to be reprefented as infeparable from that of the Minifters.

Haud

Haud dubitant equidem implorare quod ufquam eft; Flectere fi nequeunt Superos, Acheronta movebunt.

The members of the Bank, the Dutch, and the Court of Vienna, are called in as confederates to the Miniftry. This, in the mildeft English it will bear, runs thus. They are refolved to look for help whereever they can find it; if they cannot have it from heaven, they will go to hell for it; That is, to the members of the Bank, the Dutch, and the Court of Vienna. The French King, the Pope, and the Devil, have been often joined together by a well-meaning Englishman; but I am very much furprized to fee the Bank, the Dutch, and the Court of Vienna, in fuch company. We may ftill fee this Gentleman's principles in the accounts which he gives of his own country: fpeaking of the G---1, the quondam T----r, and the F-to, which every one knows comprehends the Whigs, in their utmoft extent; he adds, in oppofition to them, For the Queen and the whole body of the British nation,----

Nos Numerus fumus.

In English,

We are Cyphers.

How properly the Tories may be called the whole body of the British nation, I leave to any one's judging and wonder how an author can be fo difrefpectful to Her Majefty, as to feparate Her in fo faucy a manner from that part of her people, who according to the Examiner himself, have engroffed the riches of the nation; and all this to join

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her,