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INTRODUCTION

To the READER.

N the Reign of Queen ANNE, (which, not

ed, every Englishman may remember) thou may'st poffibly, gentle Reader, have feen a certain venerable Person who frequented the outfide of the Palace of St. James's, and who, by the Gravity of his Deportment and Habit, was generally taken for a decay'd Gentleman of Spain. His ftature was tall, his vifage long, his complexion olive, his brows were black and even, his eyes hollow yet piercing, his nofe inclin'd to aquiline, his beard neglected and mix'd with grey: All this contributed to fpread a folemn Melancholy over his countenance. Pythagoras was not more filent, Pyrrho more motionless, nor Zeno more auftere. His Wig was as black and fmooth as the plumes of a Raven, and hung as ftrait as the hair of a River God rifing from the water. His Cloak fo compleatly covered his whole perfon, that whether or no he had any other cloaths (much less any linnen) under it, I fhall not fay; but his fword appear'd a full yard behind him, and his manner of wearing it was fo ftiff, that it feem'd grown to his Thigh. His whole figure was fo utterly unlike any thing of this world, that it was not natural for any man to ask him a question without bleffing himself first. Those who never faw a Jefuit, took him for one, and others believ'd him fome High Prieft of the Jews,

But

But under this macerated form was conceal'd a Mind replete with Science, burning with a zeal of Benefiting his fellow-creatures, and filled with an honeft confcious pride, mixt with a fcorn of doing, or fuffering the leaft thing beneath the dignity of a Philofopher. Accordingly he had, a, foul that would not let him accept of any offers or Charity, at the fame time that his body feem'd but too much to require it.. His lodging was in a fraall chamber up four pair of ftairs, where he regularly payed for what he had when he eat or drank; and he was often obferved wholly to abftain from both. He declined fpeaking to any one, except the Queen, or her firft Minifter, to whom he attempted to make fome applications; but his real bufinefs or intentions were utterly unknown to all men. Thus much is certain, that he was obnoxious to the Queen's Miniftry; who, either out of Jealousy or Envy, had him fpirited away, and carried abroad as a dangerous perfon, without any regard to the known Laws of the Kingdom.

One day, as this Gentleman was walking about dinner-time alone in the Mall, it happened that a Manufcript dropt from under his cloak, which my fervant pick'd up, and brought to me. It was written in the Latin tongue, and contain'd many moft profound fecrets, in an unusual turn of reafoning and ftyle. The firft leaf was infcribed with these words, Codicillus, feu Liber Memorialis, Martini Scribleri. The Book was of fo wonderful a nature, that it is incredible what a defire I conceived that moment to be acquainted with the Author, who I clearly perceived was fome great Philofopher in disguise. I feveral times endeavoured to fpeak to him, which he as often induftriously avoided. At length I found an opportunity (as he stood under the Piazza by the Dancing-room in St. James's) to acquaint him in the Latin tongue, that his Ma

nuscript

C nufcript was fallen into my hands; and faying this, I prefented it to him, with great Encomiums on the learned Author. Hereupon he took me afide,' furvey'd me over with a fixt attention, and opening the clafps of the Parchment cover, spoke (to my great furprize) in English, as follows:

"Courteous ftranger, whoever thou art, I em-' "brace thee as my best friend; for either the Stars and my Art are deceitful, or the deftin'd time "is come which is to manifeft Martinus Scrible

rus to the world, and thou the perfon chofen by "fate for this talk. What thou feeft in me is a "body exhausted by the labours of the mind. I "have found in Dame Nature not indeed an un"kind, but a very coy Miftrefs: Watchful nights, "anxious days, flender meals, and endless labours, "must be the lot of all who purfue her, through "her labyrinths and meanders. My firft vital air "I drew in this Island (a foil fruitful of Philofo"phers) but my complexion is become aduft, and "my body arid, by vifiting lands (as the Poet has "it) alio fub fole calentes. I have, through my "whole life, paffed under feveral difguifes and un"known names, to fkreen myself from the envy "and malice which mankind exprefs against those "who are poffefled of the Arcanum Magnum. But

at present I am forced to take Sanctuary in the "British Court, to avoid the Revenge of a cruel " Spaniard, who has pursued me almoft through "the whole terraqueous globe. Being about four years ago in the City of Madrid in queft of na"tural knowledge, I was informed of a Lady who "was marked with a Pomegranate upon the in"fide of her right Thigh, which bloffom'd, and, 66 as it were, feem'd to ripen in the due feason. "Forthwith was I poffeffed with an insatiable cu❝riofity to view this wonderful Phænomenon. I

"felt

"felt the ardour of my paffion encrease as the feafon advanced, till, in the month of July, I could

no longer contain. I bribed her Duenna, was "admitted to the Bath, faw hér undrefs'd, and the "wonder displayed. This was foon after difcover*ed by the husband, who finding fome letters I

had writ to the Duenna, containing expreffions "of a doubtful meaning, fufpected me of a crime "moft alien from the Purity of my Thoughts. "Incontinently I left Madrid by the advice of "friends, have been pursued, dogg'd, and way-laid "through feveral Nations, and even now scarce "think myself fecure within the facred walls of "this Palace. It has been my good fortune to "have seen all the grand Phænomena of Nature, "excepting an Earthquake, which I waited for in "Naples three years in vain; and now by means "of fome British Ship (whofe Colours no Spa"niard dares approach *) 1 impatiently expect a "fafe paffage to Jamaica, for that benefit. Tơ "thee, my Friend, whom Fate has marked for "my Hiftoriographer, I leave thefe my Commen"taries, and others of my works. No more-be "faithful and impartial."

He foon after performed his promife, and left me the Commentaries, giving me alfo further lights by many Conferences; when he was unfortunately fnatched away (as I before related) by the jealoufy of the Queen's Ministry.

Tho' I was thus to my eternal grief deprived of his converfation, he for fome years continued his Correfpondence, and communicated to me many of his Projects for the benefit of mankind. He fent me fome of his Writings, and recommended

ten.

This marks the time when the Introduction was writ

to my care the recovery of others, straggling about the world, and affumed by other men. The laft time I heard from him was on occafion of his Striatures on the Dunciad: fince when, feveral years being elapfed, I have reason to believe this excellent perfon is either dead, or carried by his vehement thirst of knowledge into fome remote, of perhaps undiscovered Región of the world. In ei→ ther cafe, I think it a debt no longer to be delayed, to reveal what I know of this Prodigy of Science, and to give the Hiftory of his life, and of his extenfive merits to mankind'; in which I dare promise the Reader, that, whenever he begins to think any one Chapter dull, the ftyle will be immediate ly changed in the next.