"It is the obfervation of an excellent writer *, "That there is no nation in which it is fo neceffary as in our own to affemble from time to time the small tracts and fugitive pieces which are occasionally pubAnd this remark is fully justified by the number and fuccefs of the feveral collections which have been from time to time prefented to the Publick.

lished

In no fpecies of literature have our countrymen more excelled than in the extenfive walks of wit and humour. To affert that in these particulars we furpafs the literati of foreign nations, would be to echo the voice of thofe nations themselves, which appear to allow our fuperiority therein; a fuperiority the more inconteftable, as it is fubmitted to by perfons jealous of, and unwilling to acknowledge, the pre-eminence of English Literature, where there is the least room to difpute it.

Amongst the various publications of fugitive pieces which have yea appeared, not one has been particularly appropriated to the prefervation of pieces of wit and humour. Thefe have either been left to perish in neglect; or have been inferted in collections, the bulk of which confifted of performances of a different nature; or in others where they must neceffarily be loft to the world from the dulness and infipidity of the remainder of the volumes in which they may be faid to have been buried.

From a reflection on the want of a Repofitory like the prefent, the editor was induced to enquire after fuch performances not hitherto hacknied in other mifcellanies, which had been published during the last thirty years. Out of thefe he has formed the following work; which, whatever favour it may be entitled to in other refpects, will at least have the merit of not being compiled from any collections of the like kind."

The pieces, contained in this felection, are, nevertheless, pretty well known, and in general eftcem, as may be feen by the following lift of the contents.

Ver-vert; or, the NunneryParrot; an Heroic Poem.-The Council in the Moon.-Ode upon dedicating a Building, and erecting a Statue to Shakespeare, at Stratford upon Avon; accompanied by the Ode on dedicating a Building, and erecting a Statue, to Le Stue, Cook to the Duke of Newcastle, at Clermont; with notes by Martinus Scriblerus, and Testimonies to the Genius and Merits of Le Stue.An Account of the Giants lately difcovered.-The Splendid Shilling. -The Crooked Six-pence -The Copper Farthing -The Schoolboy.-Ode on an Evening View of the Crefcent at Bath, infcribed to Sir Peter Rivers Gay.-Free Thoughts and Bold Truths; or, a Politico-Tritical Effay upon the prefent fituation of Affairs.-Two Satires of Horace imitated, by R. O. C. Efq.-The Folly of Ufelefs

Dr. Samuel Johnson.

Words

Words expofed.-The Complaint of a Story-teller.-Heroic Epiftle to Richard Twifs, Efq; F. R. S. with explanatory notes written by himself.-The Battiad in Two Cantos.-A Differtation upon Laughter.-An Effay upon Humour.-The Fribbleriad Elegy in a Coun try Church-Yard.-Elegy written in Covent Garden.-The Nunnery, an Elegy. Evening Contemplation in a College - Elegy written in Weftminster-Hall during the long Vacation.-Elegy on the death of the Guardian Outwitted. -Epitaph on a certain Poet.The Advantages of Politicks to this Nation Scheme for the Coalition of Parties.-The Art of Dreffing the Hair.-Origines Divifiance, or the Antiquities of the Devizes, by Dr. Davies.--A curious Specimen of Alliteration.

A Second Differtation on Heretical Opinions; fhewing the Nature of Herefy; in what refpect Errors in Religion may be innocent or finful; the Caufes from whence they generally proceed; the Excufes often alledged by falfe Chriftians and avowed Unbelievers. Concluding with an Addrefs to the Young, or Students in the University. By John Rawlins, M. A. Rector of Leigh in Worcestershire, Minifter of Badley and Wickhamford, and Chaplain to the Right Honourable Lord Archer. 8vo. 2 s. Rivington.

It is fome years fince this author publifhed his firft differta tion about Herefy. In this fecond alfo he writes ftill "about it, Goddefs, and about it." In his third, a critical number, we fhall probably come fully at his meaning. In the mean time, we cannot help thinking he has not hitherto made a fufficient diftinction between heretics and unbelievers; between those who entertain falfe notions of Chriftianity, and thofe who have no notion of Chriftianity at all. For our part, we should not be apt to dignify the latter with even the naine of Hereticks; they being in fact downright Heathens.

An Introduction to Reading and Spelling, in four Parts. 1. The Principles. 2. Leffons in Profe and Verfe. 3. Select Claffes of Words 4. Monofyllables ranged by their Sounds. To which is prefixed, a Plan of the Work, with fome Directions to Teachers. By William Scott, Teacher of English and Writing, in Edinburgh. 12mo. Richardfon and Urquhart.

Among the Multiplicity of Elementary Tracts, calculated to initiate young Beginners in the Art of Reading, we look upon this to be one of the best.

A Commentary, with Notes, on the Four Evangelifts and the Acts of the Apofiles; together with a New Tranflation of St. Paul's Firf Epifle to the Corinthians, with a Paraphrafe and Notes. To which are added other Theological Pieces. By Zachary Pearce, D. D. late Lord Bishop of Rochester. To the whole is prefixed, fome Account of his Lordship's Life and Charailer, written by himself. Published from the Original Manufcripts, by John Derby, A. M. his Lordship's Chaplain, and Rector of Southfleet and Longfield. 4to. 2 Vols. 21. 28. Cadell.

To this elaborate commentary, which is dedicated, and has been presented, to the King by the Rev. Mr. Derby, the editor has prefixed the following advertisement.

"Having been charged by my most honoured Patron, the very learned and pious Author of the following Commentary and Notes, &c. in his last Will and Teftament, with the Care of their Publication, I have used my best Endeavours to fulfil the important Truft, by giving the Publick a faithful and, I hope, a correct Edition of them, from the original Manuferipts in his own Hand.

"The Miracles of Jefus vindicated, which were firft printed in 1727 and 1728, of which there have been five feveral Editions--and Epiftola Dua, published in the Year 1721, but long fince out of Print, are given, with a View not only of rendering the Work itfelf more com plete by their intimate Connection therewith, but likewise of preferving them from the ufual Fate of fugitive Pieces.-The Two Letters, never before printed, to the Reverend Doctor Daniel Waterland, upon the Eucharift, are added, more fully to confirm what the Bishop has advanced upon that Subject, in his Notes on the Four Gofpels, and alfo on the First Epistle to the Corinthians."

To the work is alfo prefixed a life of the author, written for the moft part by the bifhop himself, whose narrative is printed with inverted commas, and occafionally fupplied and illuftrated by the editor, who thus introduces it.

"The curiofity of mankind feems naturally to require that a pofthumous work should be accompanied with an account of its author; because he that aves behind him what is worthy to be published, must be supposed to have lived with a character worthy to be known. It has been therefore confidered by the editor of the following Com mentary, &c. as an important part of his duty, to communicate fome memorial of the learned prelate, by whofe friendship they were intrufted to his care.

"Dr. Zachary Pearce, late Lord Bishop of Rochefter, was born the eighth of September, 1690, in the parish of St. Giles, in High Holborn, where his father followed the bufinefs of a diftiller, with great fuccefs; and, having at about the age of forty, acquired a competent fortune, he purchafed an eftate at Little Ealing, in the county of Middiefex, to which he retired, and which he enjoyed to his eighty-fifth

year.

VOL. V.

F

The

"The family, as far as it has been traced, was eminent for longe vity, fo that our author entered the world with an hereditary claim to length of days, which it is evident he did not defeat by negligence, intemperance, or vice.

"The first part of his literary education he received in a private school at Great Ealing, from whence, having, undoubtedly, attained a confiderable proficiency in the learned languages, he was, on the twelfth of February, 1704, removed to Weftminfter-fchool, where he was foon diftinguifhed by his merit, and elected one of the forty King's fcholars. He feems, in the latter part of his life, to have recollected this diftinction with pleafure; for, in a collection of minute.memorials written by himself not long before his death, he has inferted an epigram fpoken by him in praife of Dr. Sprat, who was then Dean of Westminster..

"After fix years spent at Westminster, he was elected to Trinity College, in Cambridge, in the year 1710, having endured the constraint of a grammar-school to the twentieth year of his age. Why his removal was fo long delayed, no other reafon can be given, than that Doctor Bufby uted to detain thofe boys longest under his difcipline, of whofe future eminence he had moft expectation; confidering the fundamental knowledge which grammar-fchools inculcate, as that which is least likely to be fupplied by future diligence, if the ftudent be sent deficient to the university. To this long continuance of his initiatory ftudies, he was perhaps indebted for the philological reputation by which he was afterwards fo happily diftinguished.

"Of his life, from the year 1710 to 1768, he has left a short narrative written by himself in November, 1769, the feventy-ninth year of his age; in which he has related principally his publick tranfactions, and the feries of his preferments. This narrative, for whatever purpofe it was left, has been thought neceffary to be published, without any alteration, as being more fatisfactory, at least of more authority, than any other account that could be given of him."

In this narrative we are told, that after being at the uni verfity about fix years, he published the firft edition of his Cieero de Oratore, which brought him acquainted with Lord Parker, then chief juftice of the King's-Bench, and afterwards Earl of Macclesfield, and lord chancellor of Great Britain; who continued his patron, and to whofe memory he has erected a lafting monument of gratitude in the juftification here pub lifhed of that nobleman's conduct on occafion of the remarkable impeachment and penalty inflicted on him after his refignation of the feals..

"In the first years of his refidence in Cambridge, fays the editor, he fometimes amufed himself with lighter compofitions. The diurnal papers of that time afforded to men, at once ambitious and timorous, very tempting opportunities of trying their power of writing without hazard of reputation. A letter to the Spectator or Guardian ftole upon the publick with great advantage, being certain to be read, and if it deferved praife, certain to be praifed; at least it was fecure of candid perufal and impartial criticifm, by which the writer might be pleased without envy, or corrected without fhame.

Mr.

"Mr. Pearce did not omit to make the experiment. He wrote in the eighth volume of the Spectator, N° 572, a humorous effay upon quacks, and N° 633, a ferious differtation on the eloquence of the pulpit, of which the hint is taken from a fragment of Longinus, where Paul of Torfus is numbered among the great mafters of oratory. In the ludicrous paper the editor confeffes that he has made additions and retrenchments, but the other is printed as it came to his hand without ariation. A year before (1713) he had fent a letter to the Guardian figned Ned Mum, which gives a fprightly and fanciful account of a filent club. In two of thefe little pieces there is humour and gaiety, which might perhaps have been much advanced by cultivation, had not they been thrown afide in purfuit of more important truths, and application to higher studies.

66

In the year 1717 (fays the bishop's narrative), Mr. Pearce was ❝ordained a deacon by Dr. Fleetwood, the bishop of Ely, and in 1718

was ordained a prieft by the fanie bifhop; he having always had in ❝his intention to devote himself to that holy profeffion, which he de❝layed to do till he was twenty-feven years of age; and, as he "thought, taken time enough to prepare himself, and attain to fo "much knowledge of that facred office, as fhould be fufficient to an❝ fwer all the good purposes for which it is defigned.

"On the twelfth of May, in 1718, the Lord Chief Juftice Parker "was appointed lord high chancellor of Great Britain; and Mr. Pearce having been the next morning informed, that the great feal had been "the day before delivered to his lordship by King George the First, "and that a great number of the nobility and gentry were then at his "chambers in Serjeant's-Inn, in Fleet-ftreet, congratulating him upon "the occafion, he went thither, and his name being carried to him, " in an inner room, where his lordship received the company one "after another, his tecretary came foon out to Mr. Pearce, and faid, "that his lordship defired him to stay till all the company was gone, "and that then he would fee him. He did fa, and being brought to -"the lord chancellor, he, among other things, faid, that he fhould

now want a chaplain to live with him in his houfe; and he asked Mr. Pearce, if it would fuit with his convenience to live with him in that capacity. With this Mr. Pearce very readily, and with thanks, "complied; and, as foon as his lordship had provided himself with a proper houfe, he went into his family as his chaplain, and there "continued three years."

66

"In December, 1719, Mr. Pearce was inftituted into the rectory of "Stapleford Abbots, in Effex.

"In 1720, the rectory of St. Bartholomew, behind the Royal Exchange, becoming vacant by the death of Doctor Adams, the Pro"voft of King's College Cambridge, of the yearly value of £.400, the "lord chancellor, in whofe gift it was, prefented him to that living, "which was then fuppofed to be the most valuable of any in the city "of London. And when Mr. Pearce made his acknowledgement of "thanks to the lord chancellor for this favour, his lordship faid, You are not to thank me fo much as Doctor Bentley for this benefice.' "How is that, my lord, faid Mr. Pearce? Why, added his lordship, ⚫ when I asked Doctor Bentley to make you a fellow of Trinity ColF 2

lege,