and industry, vaft improvements may be made, not only in our Play-boufe (which is his immediate province), but in our Gaming-ordinaries, Groom-porter's, Lotteries, Bowling-greens, Nine-pin-allies, Bear-gardens, Cock-pits, Prizes, Puppet and Raree-fhows, and whatever else concerns the elegant divertisements of this Town. He is truly an original genius ; and I felicitate this our Capital City on his refidence here, where I wish him long to live and flourish, for the good of the Commonwealth.

Once more: If any further applications fhall be made on the other fide, to obtain a charter for a Bank here, prefume to make a request, that Poetry may be a fharer in that privilege, being a fund as real, and to the full as well grounded, as our Stocks; but I fear our neighbours, who envy our Wit as much as they do our Wealth or Trade, will give no encouragement to either. I believe alfo, it might be proper to erect a Corporation of Poets in this City. I have been idle enough in my time, to make a computation of Wits here; and do find we have

three

three hundred performing Poets and upwards, in and about this town, reckoning fix score to the hundred, and allowing for Demi's, like Pint-bottles; including also the several denominations of Imitators, Tranflators, and Familiar-letterwriters, &c. One of these last has lately entertained the town with an original piece, and fuch a one as, I dare fay, the late British Spectator, in his decline, would have called, An excellent Specimen of the true Sublime; or, A noble Poem; or, A fine Copy of Verfes, on a Subject perfectly new (the Author himself); and had given it a place amongst his latest lucubrations.

But, as I was faying, fo many Poets, I am confident, are fufficient to furnish out a CORPORATION in point of number. Then, for the feveral degrees of subordinate members requifite to fuch a body, there can be no want; for, although we have not one Mafterly Poet, yet we abound with Wardens and Beadles, having a multitude of Poetafters, Poetito's, Parcel-poets, Poet-apes, and Philo-poets, and many of inferior attainments in Wit, Ff 3

but

but ftrong inclinations to it, which are by odds more than all the reft. Nor fhall I ever be at ease, till this Project of mine (for which I am heartily thankful to myfelf) fhall be reduced to practice. I long to fee the day, when our Poets will be a regular and diftinct body, and wait upon our Lord-mayor on public days, like other good Citizens, in gowns turned up with green instead of laurels; and when I myfelf, who make this Proposal, fhall be free of their Company.

To conclude, What if our Government had a Poet-laureat here, as in England? what if our Univerfity had a Profeffor of Poetry here, as in England? what if our Lord-mayor had a City-bard here, as in England? and, to refine upon England, what if every Corporation, Parish, and Ward in this Town, had a Poet in fee, as they have NOT in England? Laftly, what if every one fo qualified were obliged to add one more than ufual to the number of his domesticks, and befides a Fool and a Chaplain (which are often united in one perfon) would retain a Poet in his family; for, perhaps, a Rhimer is as neceffary a

mong ft

mongst fervants of a house, as a Dobbin with his bells at the head of a team? But these things I leave to the wisdom of my fuperiors.

While I have been directing your pen, I fhould not forget to govern my own, which has already exceeded the bounds of a Letter: I must therefore take my leave abruptly, and defire you, without further ceremony, to believe that I am, Sir,

December
2, 1720.

Your moft humble Servant,

Ff 4

J. S.

THE

THE

HISTORY

OF

MARTIN'.

H

OW Jack and Martin, being parted, fet up each for himself. How they traveled over hills and dales, met many difafters, fuffered much for the good cause, and struggled with difficulties and wants, not having where to lay their head; by all which they afterwards proved themfelves to be right father's fons, and Peter to be fpurious. Finding no fhelter near Peter's habitation, Martin travelled north

66

This Hiftory was inferted in the former editions of the Tale of a Tub, under the title of What follows "after Sect. IX. in the Ma"nufcript;" but in later editions has been omitted, by the Dean's direction, in order to remove the cenfure of

thofe who put a construction on it foreign to his design. As in thefe cooler times the whole allegory has been juftly esteemed, the reader will doubtlefs be pleased at our having preferved this part of it from oblivion.

wards,