to express it, but what have been already used, and rendered suspected by flatterers. Even Truth itself in a Dedication is like an honeft man in a difguife or Vizor-Masque, and will appear a Cheat by being drest so like one. Tho' the merit of the perfon is beyond difpute, I fee no reason, that because one man is eminent, therefore another has a right to be impertinent, and throw praises in his face. 'Tis juft the reverse of the practice of the ancient Romans, when a person was advanced to triumph for his fervices: they hired people to rail at him in that Circumftance, to make him as humble as they could; and we have fellows to flatter him, and make him as proud as they can. Suppofing the writer not to be mercenary, yet the great man is no more in reafon obliged to thank him for his picture in a Dedication, than to thank the painter for that on a fign-poft; except it be a lefs injury to touch the most facred part of him, his character, than to make free with his countenance only. I should think nothing justified me in this point, but the patron's permiffion beforehand, that I fhould draw him as like as I could whereas most authors proceed in this affair just as a dawber I have heard of, who, not being able to draw portraits after the life, was used to paint faces at random, and look out afterwards for people whom he might perfuade to be like them. To express my notion of the thing in a word: to fay more to a man than one thinks, with a prof

pect of interest, is dishoneft; and without it, foolifh. And whoever has had fuccefs in fuch an undertaking, muft of neceffity at once think himself in his heart a knave for having done it, and his patron a fool for having believed it.

I have fometimes been entertained with confidering Dedications in no very common light. By obferving what qualities our writers think it will be moft pleafing to others to compliment them with, one may form fome judgment which are moft fo to themselves; and, in confequence, what fort of people they are. Without this view one can read very few Dedications, but will give us cause to wonder, either how fuch things came to be faid at all, or how they were said to fuch perfons. I have known an Hero complimented upon the decent majefty and ftate he affumed after a victory; and a nobleman of a different character applauded for his condefcenfion to inferiors. This would have feemed very ftrange to me but that I happened to know the authors: He who made the first compliment was a lofty gentleman, whose air and gait discovered when he had published a new book; and the other tippled every night with the fellows who laboured at the prefs while his own writings were working off. 'Tis obfervable of the female poets and ladies dedicatory, that dare (as clfewhere) they far exceed us in any strain ortant. As beauty is the thing that fex are piqu'd upon, they speak of it generally in a more elevated

style than is used by the men. They adore in the fame manner as they would be adored. So when the authoress of a famous modern romance begs a young Nobleman's permiffion to pay him her kneeling adorations, I am far from cenfuring the expreffion, as fome Criticks would do, as deficient in grammar or sense; but I reflect, that adorations paid in that posture are what a lady might expect herself, and my wonder immediately ceases. These, when they flatter moft, do but as they would be done unto; for as none are fo much concerned at being injured by calumnies, as they who are readieft to caft them upon their neighbours; fo, 'tis certain none are fo guilty of flattery to others, as those who most ardently defire it themselves.

What led me into these thoughts, was a Dedication I happened upon, this morning. The reader muft understand that I treat the least instances or remains of ingenuity with refpect, in what places foever found, or under whatever circumstances of disadvantage. From this love to letters I have been so happy in my searches after knowledge, that I have found unvalued repofitories of learning in the lining of bandboxes. I look upon these pasteboard edifices, adorned with the fragments of the ingenious, with the same veneration as antiquaries upon ruined buildings, whose walls preferve divers infcriptions and names, which are no where elfe to be found in the world. This morning, when one of Lady Lizard's daughters

was looking over fome hoods and ribbands, brought by her tirewoman, with great care and diligence, I employed no lefs in examining the box which contained them; it was lined with certain fcenes of a tragedy, written (as appeared by a part of the title there extant) by one of the fair fex. What was most legible was the Dedication; which, by reafon of the largeness of the characters, was leaft defaced by thofe Gothic ornaments of flourishes and foliage, wherewith the compilers of these fort of structures do often industriously obscure the works of the learned. As much of it as I could read with any eafe, I fhall communicate to the reader, as follows. ***« Though it is a kind of

prophanation to approach your Grace with fo poor an offering, yet when I reflect how accept"able a facrifice of firft fruits was to Heaven, in the "earliest and pureft ages of religion, that they "were honour'd with folemn feafts, and confe"crated to altars by a Divine command; ***Upon

that confideration, as an argument of particular zeal, I dedicate *** 'Tis impoffible to behold ་ you without adoring; yet dazzled and aw'd by "the glory that furrounds you, men feel a facred "power, that refines their flames, and renders "them pure as thofe we ought to offer to the Deity. **** The thrine is worthy the divinity that inhabits it. In your Grace we see what woman was before the fell, how nearly allied

"to the purity and perfection of Angels. And "we adore and bless the glorious work!"

Undoubtedly these, and other periods of this moft pious Dedication, could not but convince the Duchefs of what the eloquent authorefs affures her at the end, that fhe was her fervant with most ardent devotion. I think this a pattern of a new fort of style, not yet taken notice of by the Criticks, which is above the fublime, and may be called the celestial; that is, when the most sacred praises appropriated to the honour of the deity, are applied to a mortal of good quality. As I am naturally emulous, I cannot but endeavour, in imitation of this Lady, to be the inventor, or, at least, the first producer of a new kind of Dedication, very different from hers and most others, fince it has not a word but what the author religiously thinks in it. It may serve for almost any book either Profe or Verfe, that has, is, or shall be published; and might run in this manner.

The AUTHOR to Himself.

Moft Honoured Sir,

TH

HESE labours, upon many confiderations, fo properly belong to none as to you: first, that it was your moft earnest defire alone that could prevail upon me to make them publick: then, as I am secure (from that conftant indulgence you have ever shown to all which is mine)