MEMOIRS of the extraordinary Life, Works, and Difcoveries of MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS. INTRODUCTION to the READER. N the reign of Queen ANNE, (which, notwithstanding thofe happy times which fucceeded, every Englishman may remember), thou may'it poflibly, gentle reader, have seen a venerable perfon 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 decayed gentleman of Spain. His ftature was tall, his vi fige long, his complexion olive, his brows were black, and even his eyes hollow, yet piercing, his nofe inclined to aquiline, his heard neglected and mixed with grey. All this contributed to spread a folemn melancholy over his countenance. Pythagoras was not more filent, Pyrrho · more motionless, nor Zeno more austere. His wig was as black and fimooth as the plumes of a raven, and hung as ftrait as the hair of a river-god rifing from the water. His cloak fo completely covered his whole perfon, that whether or no he had any other cloaths (much less any linen) under it, I fhall not fay; but his fword appeared a full yard behind him, and his manner of wearing it was fo ftiff, that it seemed 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 blefling himself firft. Those who never faw a Jefuite, took him for one, and others believed him fome HighPrieft of the Jews. But under this macerated form was concealed a mind replete with fcience, burning with a zeal of benefiting his fellow-creature, and filled with an honeft confcious pride, mixed with a fcorn of doing or fuffering the leaft thing beneath the dignity of a philofopher. Accordingly, he bad a foul that would not let him accept of any offers of VOL. V. A charity, charity, at the fame time that his body feemed but too much to require it. His lodging was in a finall chamber up four pair of flairs, where he regularly paid for what he had when he eat or drank, and he was often obferved wholly to abstain from both. He declined fpeaking to any one, except the queen, or her first minister, to whom he attempted to make fome applications; but his real bufinefs or intentions were utterly unknown to all men. This much is certain, that he was obnoxious to the queen's miniftry; who, either out of jealousy or envy, had him Spirited 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 dinnertime alone in the Mall, it happened that a manufcript dropt from under his cloak, which my fervant picked up, and brought to me. It was written in the Latin tongue, and contained many most profound fecrets, in an unusual turn of reafoning and ftile. The first leaf was infcribed with these words, Codicillus, feu Liber Memorialis, Martini Scribleri. The book was of fo wonderful a nature, 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 difguife. I feveral times endeavoured to fpeak to him, which he as often industrioufly avoided. At length I found an opportunity (as he ftood under the piazza by the dancing-room in St. James's) to acquaint him in the Latin tongue, that his manuscript was fallen into my hands; and laying this, I prefented it to him, with great encomiums on the learned author, Hereupon he took ine afide, furveyed me over with a fixed attention, and opening the clafps of the parchment cover, fpoke (to my great furprise) in English, as follows. "Courteous ftranger, whoever thou art, I embrace "thee as my best friend; for either the stars and my art 46 are deceitful, or the defined time is come, which is to "manifeft Martinus Scriblerus to the world, and thou "the perfon chofen by fate for this task. What thou fecft "in me, is a body exhaufted by the labours of the mind. "I have found in Dame Nature not indeed an unkind, "but a very coy miftrefs. Watchful nights, anxious "days, flender meals, and endless labours, must be the << lot "lot of all who pursue her through her labyrinths and "meanders. My firft vital air I drew in this island (+ “foil fruitful of philofophers), but my complexion is be come 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 fcreen myself from the envy and "inalice which mankind exprefs against thofe who are 66 poffeffed of the Arcanum Magnum. But at prefent I 66 am forced to take fanctuary in the British court, to a. "void the revenge of a cruel Spaniard, who has purfued me almoft through thewhole terraqueous globe. Being, "about four years ago, in the city of Madrid, in queft of "natural knowledge, I was informed of a lady, who was marked with a pomegranate upon the infide of her right thigh, which bloffomed, and, as it were, "feemed to ripen in the due season. Forthwith was I 66 66 poffeffed with an infatiable curiofity to view this won"derful phænomenon. I felt the ardour of my paffion "increase as the feafon advanced, till, in the month of "July, I could no longer contain. I bribed her duenna, 66 was admitted to the bath, faw her undreffed, and the "wonder difplayed. This was foon difcovered by the "hufband, who finding fome letters I had writ to the "duenna, containing expreffions of a doubtful meaning, "fulpected me of a crime moft alien from the purity of &6 my thoughts. Incontinently, I left Madrid by the ad"vice of friends; have been purfued, dogged, and way. "laid through feveral nations, and even now fcarce think "myself secure within the facred walls of this palace. It "has been my good fortune to have feen 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 fhip (whofe colours no Spa niard dare approach*), I impatiently expect a fafe paf"fage to Jamaica, for that benefit. To thee, my friend, "whom fate has marked for my historiographer, I leave thefe my Commentaries, and others of my works. "No more-be faithful and impartial." This marks the time when the Introduction was written. |