THE WHIG-EXAMINER. No 1. Thursday, September 14, 1710. Nefcia mens hominum fati fortifque futuræ, Oderit. TH HE design of this work is to cenfure the writings of others, and to give all perfons a rehearing, who have suffered under any unjuft fentence of the Examiner. As that author has hitherto proceeded, his paper would have been more properly entitled the Executioner: At least his examination is like that which is made by the rack and wheel. I have always admired a critic that has difcovered the beauties of an Author, and never knew one who made it his business to lash the faults of other writers, that was not guilty of greater himself; as the hangman is generally a worfe malefactor, than the criminal that fuffers by his hand. To prove what I fay, there needs no more than to read the annotations which this Author has has made Doctor Garth's upon with poem, the preface in the front, and a riddle at the end of them: To begin with the first: Did ever an advocate for a party open with fuch an unfortunate affertion? The collective body of the Whigs have already engroffed our riches:' That is, in plain English, the Whigs are poffeffed of all the riches in the nation. Is not this giving up all he has been contending for thefe fix weeks? Is there any thing more reasonable, than that those who have all the riches of the nation in their poffeffion, or if he likes his own phrafe better, as indeed I think it is stronger, that those who have already engroffed our riches, fhould have the management of our public treasure, and the direction of our fleets and armies? But let us proceed: Their representative the Kit-Cat have pretended to make a monopoly of our fenfe.' Well, but what does all this end in? If the author means any thing it is this, That to prevent fuch a monopoly of fenfe, he is refolved to deal in it himself by retail, and fell a pennyworth of it every week. week. In what follows, there is such a shocking familiarity both in his ralleries and civilities, that one cannot long be in doubt who is the author. The remaining part of the preface has so much of the pedant, and fo little of the converfation of men in it, that I fhall pass it over, and haften to the riddles, which are as follows. The The RIDDLE. Sphinx was a monfter, that would eat Unless his ready wit disclos'd The fubtle riddles fhe propos'd. And try what strength of parts could do: Which has four feet at morning bright? In For his third leg adopts the stick. Who has four legs, then two, then three, The first part of this little myftical poem is an old riddle, which we could have told the meaning of, had not the author given himself the trouble of explaining it: But as for the expofition of the fecond, he leaves us alto |