upon morality, or hiftory, requires as much time and capacity to collect and digelt, as the moit abitrufe treatife of any profeffion; and I think, befides, there can be no book well written, but what must neceffarily improve the underftanding of the reader, even in the very profeffion to which he applies himfelf. For to reafon with ftrength, and exprefs himself with propriety, must equally concern the divine, the phyfician, and the lawyer. My own courfe of looking into books has occafioned thefe reflections, and the following account may fuggeft more.

Having been bred up under a relation that had a pretty large ftudy of books, it became my province once a week to duft them. In the performance of this my duty, as I was obliged to take down every particular book, I thought there was no way to deceive the toil of my journey through the different abodes and habitations of thefe authors, but by reading fomething in every one of them; and in this manner to make my paffage eafy from the comely foho in the upper felf or region, even through the crowd of duodecimos in the lower. By frequent excrcife, I became fo great a proficient in this tranfitory application_to books, that I could hold open half a dozen fmall authors in my hand, grafping them with as fecure a dexterity as a drawer doth his glaffes, and feafting my curious eve with all of them at the fame inftant. Through these methods the natural irrefolution of my youth was much ftrengthened; and having no leifure, if I had had inclination, to make pertinent obfervations in writing, I was thus confirmed a very early wandefer. When I was fent to Oxford, my chiefeft expence run upon books, and my only confideration in fuch expence upon numbers; fo that you may be fure I had what they call a choice collection, fometimes buying by the pound, fometimes by the dozen, at other times by the hundred. For the more pleafant ufe of a multitude of books, I had, by frequent conferences with an ingenious joiner, contrived a machine of an orbicular firucture, that had it's particular receptions for a dozen authors, and which, with the leaft touch of the finger, would whirl round, and present the reader at once with a delicious view of it's full furniture. Thrice a day did I change, not only the books but the lan

guages; and had used my eye to fuch a quick fucceffion of objects, that in the moft precipitate twirl I could catch a fentence out of each author, as it paffed fleeting by me. Thus my hours, days, and years, flew unprofitably away, but yet were agreeably lengthened by being diftinguished with this endearing variety; and I cannot but think myself very fortunate in my contrivance of this engine, with it's feveral new editions and amendments, which have contributed so much to the delight of all studious vagabonds. When I had been refident the ufual time at Oxford that gains one admiffion into the public library, I was the hap pieft creature on earth, promifing to myfelf most delightful travels through this new world of literature. Sometimes you might fee me mounted upon a ladder, in fearch of fome Arabian manufcripts, which had flept in a certain corner undisturbed for many years. Once I had the misfortune to fall from this eminence, and catching at the chains of the books, was feen hanging in a very merry pofture, with two or three large folios rattling about my neck, till the humanity of Mr. Crab, the librarian, difentangled us.

As I always held it peceffary to read in public places, by way of oftentation, but could not poffibly travel with a library in my pockets, I took the follow ing method to gratify this errantry of mine. I contrived a little pocket-book, cach leaf of which was a different author, fo that my wandering was indulg ed and concealed within the fame inclosure.

This extravagant humour, which fhould feem to pronounce me irrecoverable, had the contrary effect; and my hand and eye being thus confined to a fingle book, in a little time reconciled me to the perufal of a fingle author, However, I chofe fuch a one as had as little connection as poffible, turning to the Proverbs of Solomon, where the best inftructions are thrown together in the most beautiful range imaginable, and where I found all that variety which I had before fought in fo many different authors, and which was fo neceffary to beguile my attention. By thefe proper degrees, I have made fo glorious a reformation in my studies, that I can keep company with Tully in his moft extended periods, and work through the continued narrations of the most prolix hif

torian,

torian. I now read nothing without making exact collections, and fhall fhortly give the world an inftance of this in the publication of the following difcourfes. The first is a learned controverfy about the existence of Griffins; in which I hope to convince the world, that notwithstanding fuch a mixed creature has been allowed by Alian, Solinus, Mela, and Herodotus, that they have been perfectly mistaken in that matter; and fhall fupport myself by the authority of Albertus, Pliny, Aldrovandus,and Matthias Michovius, which two laft have clearly argued that animal out of the creation.

The fecond is a treatife of Sternuta tion, or Sheezing, with the original cuftom of Saluting or Bleffing upon

that motion; as alfo with a problem from Ariftotle, fhewing why ineezing from noon to night was innocent enough from night to noon, extremely unfor

tunate.

The third, and most curious, is my difcourfe upon the nature of the Lake Afphaltites, or the Lake of Sodom, being a very careful enquiry whether brickbats and iron will fwim in that lake, and feathers fink, as Pliny and Mandevill have averred.

The difcuffing thefe difficulties without perplexity or prejudice, the labour in collecting and collating matters of this nature, will, I hope, in a great measure atone for the idle hours I have trifled away in matters of lefs importance. I am, Sir, your humble fervant,

DRYDEN.

gine, that mankind are no less in proportion accountable for the illufe of their dominion over creatures of the lower rank of beings, than for the exercife of tyranny over their own fpecies. The more entirely the inferior creation is fubmitted to our power, the more anfwerable we should seem for our mifmanagement of it; and the rather, as the very condition of nature renders these creatures incapable of receiving any recompence in another life for their ill treatment in this.

It is obfervable of those noxious animals, which have qualities most powerful to injure us, that they naturally avoid mankind, and never hurt us unlefs provoked or neceffitated by hunger. Man, on the other hand, seeks out and purfues even the moft inoffenfive animals on purpose to perfecute and destroy them.

Montaigne thinks it fome reflection upon human nature itfelf, that few people take delight in feeing beafts carefs or play together, but almost every one is pleased to see them lacerate and worry one another. I-am forry this temper is

ter of our own nation, from obfervation which is made by foreigners of our beloved paftimes, Bear-baiting, Cock-fighting, and the like. We should find it hard to vindicate the destroying of any thing that has life, merely out of wantonnefs; yet in this principle our children are bred up; and one of the first pleasures we allow them, is the licence of inflicting pain upon poor animals: almoft as foon as we are fenfible what life is ourfelves, we make it our fport to take it from other creatures. cannot but believe a very good ufe might be made of the fancy which children have for birds and infects. Mr. Locke takes notice of a mother who permitted them to her children, but rewarded or punished them as they treated them well or ill. This was no other than enter-, ing them betimes into a daily exercife of humanity, and improving their very diverfion to a virtue

I

the confidence thefe birds feem to put in us by building under our roofs, fo that it is a kind of violation of the laws of hofpitality to murder them. As for robin-red-breasts in particular, it is not improbable they owe their fecurity to the old ballad of the Children in the Wood. However it be, I do not know, I fay, why this prejudice, well improved, and carried as far as it would go, might not be made to conduce to the prefervation of many innocent creatures, which are now expofed to all the wantonness of an ignorant barbarity.

There are other animals that have the misfortune, for no manner of reason, to be treated as common enemies wherever found. The conceit that a cat has nine lives, has coft at least nine lives in ten of the whole race of them: fcarce a boy in the streets but has in this point outdone Hercules himself, who was famous for killing a monster that had but three lives. Whether the unaccountable animofity against this useful domeftic may be any caufe of the general perfecution of owls, (who are a fort of feathered cats) or whether it be only an unreafonable pique the moderns have taken to a ferious countenance, I fhall not determine: though I am inclined to believe the former; fince I obferve the fole reafon alledged for the deftruction of frogs, is because they are like toads. Yet, amidst all the misfortunes of thete unfriended creatures, it is fome happinefs that we have not yet taken a fancy to eat them: for fhould our countrymen refine upon the French never fo little, it is not to be conceived to what unheard-of torments owls, cats, and frogs, may be yet reserved.

When we grow up to men, we have another fucceffion of fanguinary fports; in particular Hunting. I dare not attack a diverfion which has fuch authority and custom to fupport it; but muft have leave to be of opinion, that the agitation of that exercife, with the example and number of the chacers, not a little contribute to resist thofe checks, which compaffion would naturally fuggeft in behalf of the animal purfued. Nor shall I lay with Monfieur Fleury, that this iport is a remain of the Gothic barbarity; but I muit animadvert upon a certain custom yet in ufe with us, and barbarous enough to be derived from the Goths, or even the Scythians; I mean that favage compliment our huntamen

pafs upon ladies of quality, who are prefent at the death of a stag, when they put the knife in their hands to cut the throat of a helpless, trembling, and weeping creature.

-Queftuque cruentus,
Atque imploranti fimilis.

-That lies beneath the knife, Looks up, and from her butcher begs her life.

But if our fports are destructive, our gluttony is more fo, and in a more inhuman manner. Lobsters roasted alive, pigs whipped to death, fowls fewed up, are teftimonies of our outrageous luxury. Thofe who (as Seneca expresses it) divide their lives betwixt an anxious confcience and a naufeated ftomach, have a just reward of their gluttony in the difeafes it brings with it; for human favages, like other wild beafts, find snares and poifon in the provifions of life, and are allured by their appetite to their deftruction. I know nothing more fhocking or horrid than the profpest of one of their kitchens covered with blood, and filled with the cries of creatures expiring in tortures. It gives one an image of a giant's den in a romance, beftrewed with the fcattered heads and mangled limbs of those who were flain by his cruelty.

The excellent Plutarch (who has more ftrokes of good-nature in his writings than I remember in any author) cites a faying of Cato to this effect-That it is no eafy talk to preach to the belly, which has no ears. Yet if,' fays he, we < are ashamed to be fo out of fashion as not to offend, let us at least offend with fome difcretion and measure. If we kill an animal for our provision, let us do it with the meltings of compaffion, and without tormenting it. Let us confider, that it is, in it's own nature, cruelty to put a living creature to death; we at leaft deftroy a foul that has fenfe and perception.In the life of Cato the Cenfor, he takes occafion, from the fevere difpofition of that man, to difcourfe in this manner"It ought to be esteemed a happiness to • mankind, that our humanity has a wider sphere to exert itself in than bare justice. It is no more than the obligation of our very birth to practise equity to our own kind; but humanity may be extended through the whole order of creatures, even to the meanett.

• Such

very agreeable light in one of the Perfan fables of Pilpay, with which I fhall end this paper.

A traveller paffing through a thicket, and fecing a few fparks of a fire, which fome paffengers had kindled as they went that way before, made up to it. On a fudden the fparks caught hold of a bush, in the midit of which lay an adder, and fet it in flames. The adder entreated the traveller's affiftance, who tying a bag to the end of his ftaff, reached it, and drew him out: he then bid him go where he pleafed, but never more be hurtful to men, fince he owed his life to a man's compaffion. The adder, however, prepared to fting him; and when he expoftulated how unjuft it was to retaliate good with evil- I fhall do no • ́more,' faid the adder, than what you men practife every day, whofe cullom it is to requite benefits with ingratitude. If you cannot deny this truth, let us refer it to the firit we meet.' The man confented; and feeing a tree, put the question to it, in what manner a good turn was to be recompenfed? If you mean according to the ufage of men,' replied the tree, by it's contrary: I have been standing here these

hundred years to protect them from 'the scorching fun, and in requital they have cut down my branches, and are going to faw my body into planks.' Upon this the adder infulting the man, he appealed to a fecond evidence, which was granted, and immediately they met a cow. The fame demand was made, and much the fame anfwer given, that among men it was certainly fo. I know it, faid the cow, by woful experience; for I have ferved a man this long time with milk, butter, and cheese, and brought him befides a calf every year; but now I am old, he turns me into this pafture with defign to fell me to a butcher, who will fhortly make 'an end of me.' The traveller upon this flood confounded, but defired, of courtesy, one trial more, to be finally judged by the next beaft they should meet. meet. This happened to be the fox, who, upon hearing the story in all it's circumftances, could not be perfuaded it was poffible for the adder to enter in fo narrow a bag. The adder, to convince him, went in again; when the fox told the man he had now his enemy in his power; and with that he fattened the bag, and crushed him to pieces.

VIRG. GEORG. 2. v. 458.

PON the late election of King's

UPON the late election of

Weftminfter-School. The fight of a place where I had not been for many years, revived in my thoughts the tender images of my childhood, which by a great length of time had contracted a foftness that rendered them inexpreffibly agreeable. As it is ufual with me to draw a fecret unenvied pleasure from a thousand incidents overlooked by other men, I threw myself into a fhort tranfport, forgetting my age, and fancying myfelf a fchool-boy.

This imagination was ftrongly fa voured by the prefence of fo many young boys, in whole looks were legible the fprightly paffions of that age, which raifed in me a fort of fympathy. Warm blood thrilled through every vein; the faded memory of those enjoyments that

once gave me pleasure, put on more lively colours, and a thousand gay amuse. ments filled my mind.

The

It was not without regret that I was forfaken by this waking dream. cheapnefs of puerile delights, the guiltlefs joy they leave upon the mind, the blooming hopes that lift up the foul in the afcent of life, the pleasure that attends the gradual opening of the ima gination, and the dawn of reason, made. me think most men found that stage the moft agreeable part of their journey.

When men come to riper years, the innocent diverfions which exalted the fpirits, and produced health of body, indolence of mind, and refreshing flumbers, are too often exchanged for criminal delights, which fill the foul with anguish, and the body with disease. The grateful employment of admiring and

railing