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, às a taste of the true spirit of memoir-writers. In the name of the Lord. Amen. I P. 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 |