MEMOIRS OF P. P. CLERK OF THIS PARISH. THIS humorous piece is written in almost avowed ridicule of Bishop Burnet's History of his own Time. The weak points in that curious and interesting performance, are seized with great and successful address. Yet Burnet's egotism, which is here the subject of such poignant satire, is neither without excuse nor advantage. His intention being to narrate at once his own private memoirs with the history of the interesting events which he had witnessed, it occasioned an unavoidable mixture of personal and unimportant anecdote with the narrative of the fate of nations. It may indeed be urged, that the plan itself was that of a vain and opinionative mind; nor does the reverend historian's private character altogether clear him of the accusation. But, on the other hand, to give authenticity to his detail of secret and important transactions, it was necessary for the author to shew in what manner he came to the knowledge of that which future ages were to receive upon his credit. And if, after all, traces of vanity and self-importance are found to occur more frequently than can be justified by these considerations, let us reflect how much we owe the author, who, at the risk of at once ridicule and of misrepresentation, did not hesitate to give to the world much valuable information, which prudence perhaps would have suppressed, and which could not have been procured through any other channel. When this is remembered, we may pardon the naïveté with which the good prelate dwells upon petty personal incidents, and upon the history of his own obscure relations; and, while we laugh with the satirist, may still retain our gratitude and esteem for the author who is the object of his severity. It must not be concealed that Pope, in the testimonies prefixed to the Dunciad, informs us that these Memoirs were written at the seat of the Lord Harcourt, in Oxfordshire, before that excellent person, Bishop Burnet's death, and many years before the appear. ance of that history of which they are pretended to be an abuse. But I am afraid this can only be understood as evading the accusation. For although the Memoirs might be written before the history was made public, yet the communicative disposition of the bishop, left his contemporaries in no doubt as to the general nature of the work, on which he had long laboured, and from which he was accustomed to read liberal extracts to his visitors. The satire, therefore, must be considered as a sort of anticipation of the history against which it is levelled; which is the more probable, as the ridicule is of a general nature, and not drawn so close as to appear a parody of any particular part of the bishop's work. It would seem, from what follows in the same passage, that Mr James Moore Smyth not only urged Dr Arbuthnot and Pope to join him in a design of ridiculing Burnet's History, but even borrowed the Memoirs, with intent to turn them to such abuse. "But being able," continues Pope, "to obtain from our author but one single hint, and either changing his mind, or having more mind than ability, he contented himself to keep the said Memoirs, and read them as his own to all his acquaintance." MEMOIRS OF P. P. CLERK OF THIS PARISH. ADVERTISEMENT. The original of the following extraordinary treatise consisted of two large volumes in folio; which might justly be entitled, "The importance of a Man to himself;" but, as it can be of very little use to any body besides, I have contented myself to give only this short abstract of it, as a taste of the true spirit of memoir-writers. In the name of the Lord. Amen. IP. P., by the grace of God, clerk of this parish, writeth this history. * It was impossible but that such a history as Burnet's, which these Memoirs are intended to ridicule, relating recent events, so near the time of their transaction, should be variously represented by the violent parties that have agitated and disgraced this country; though these parties arise from the very nature of our free government. Accordingly this prelate's History of his own Time was as much vilified and depreciated by the Tories, as praised and magnified by the Whigs. As he related the actions of a Persecutor and a Benefactor, he was accused of partiality, injustice, malignity, flattery and falsehood. Bevil Higgins, and Lord Lansdown, and others, wrote remarks on him; as did the great Lord Peterborough, whose animadversions, as his amanuensis, a Mr Holloway, assured me, were very severe; they were never published. As Burnet was much trusted and consulted by King William, and had a great share in bringing about the Revo Ever since I arrived at the age of discretion, I had a call to take upon me the function of a parishclerk: and to that end, it seemed unto me meet and profitable to associate myself with the parish-clerks of this land; such I mean as were right worthy in their calling, men of a clear and sweet voice, and of becoming gravity. Now it came to pass, that I was born in the year of our Lord Anno Domini 1665, the year wherein our worthy benefactor esquire Brett did add one bell to the ring of this parish. So that it hath been wittily said, "that one and the same day did give to this our church two rare gifts, its great bell and its clerk." Even when I was at school, my mistress did even extol me above the rest of the youth, in that I had a laudable voice. And it was furthermore observed, that I took a kindly affection unto that black letter lution, his Narrations, it must be owned, have a strong tincture of self-importance and egotism. These two qualities are chiefly exposed in these Memoirs. Hume and Dalrymple have taken occasion to censure him. After all, he was a man of great abilities, of much openness and frankness of nature, of much courtesy and benevolence, indefatigable in his studies, and in performing constantly the duties of his station. His character is finely drawn by the Marquis of Halifax: one paragraph of which is too remarkable to be omitted: "His indifference for preferment; his contempt not only of splendour, but of all unnecessary plenty; his degrading himself to the lowest and most painful duties of his calling; are such unprelatical qualities, that let him be never so orthodox in other things, in these he must be a Dissenter." Few persons or prelates would have had the boldness and honesty to write such a remonstrance to Charles II. on his dissolute life and manners, as did Burnet in the year 1680. We may easily guess what the sycophants of that profligate court, and their profligate master, said and thought of the piety and freedom of this letter.-Dr WARTON. in which our bibles are printed. Yea, often did I exercise myself in singing godly ballads, such as, "The Lady and Death," "The Children in the Wood," and "Chevy-chace;" and not like other children, in lewd and trivial ditties. Moreover, while I was a boy, I always adventured to lead the psalm next after master William Harris, my predecessor, who (it must be confessed to the glory of God) was a most excellent parish-clerk in that his day. Yet be it acknowledged, that at the age of sixteen I became a company keeper, being led into idle conversation by my extraordinary love to ringing; insomuch that in a short time I was acquainted with every set of bells in the whole country: neither could I be prevailed upon to absent myself from wakes, being called thereunto by the harmony of the steeple. While I was in these societies, I gave myself up to unspiritual pastimes, such as wrestling, dancing, and cudgel-playing; so that I often returned to my father's house with a broken pate. I had my head broken at Milton by Thomas Wyat, as we played a bout or two for a hat, that was edged with silver galloon; but in the year following I broke the head of Henry Stubbs, and obtained a hat not inferior to the former. At Yelverton I encountered George Cummins, weaver, and behold my head was broken a second time! At the wake of Waybrook I engaged William Simkins, tanner, when lo, thus was my head broken a third time, and much blood trickled therefrom, But I administered to my comfort, saying within myself, "What man is there, howsoever dexterous in any craft, who is for ay on his guard?" A week after I had a baseborn child laid unto me; for in the days of my youth I was looked upon as a follower of venereal fantasies; thus was I led into sin by the comeliness of Susanna |