PREFACE.

TH E Scope and intention of the following performance, is so fully fet forth in the Title and Dedication, that little more need be faid of it in the Preface. But I think it not amiss to inform the Reader, that this Dialogue, together with the Sale of Authors, and Some other imitations of Lucian, was composed about three years ago in one of our American Colonies, as is well known to many in that country. Some friends, and one gentleman in particular, to whom I lay under many other obligations, and perhaps owed both leisure and Spirits to refume fome long-interrupted and well-nigh forgotten studies, thought so well of the plan and approved of the intention fo much, that they attempted getting it printed at the time and place where_it was first written; and with this view, and at their request, I put it in the state it now is. How this attempt came not to fucceed, is immaterial, and I only mention it, because some things seem to have been

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been written for that time, and fome authors are taken notice of, who, though fince decd, were then at the height of their reputation.

I had alfo begun and made fome progress in a preface, wherein I endeavoured to account for the late manifest decline of taste and goodwriting among us, and to propose some remedies for the fame. But finding I had not lights fufficient to execute fuch a task as it ought to be, and that were it fo done, it would be much too large for the work it was intended to introduce into the world, I left it unfinished; and now find that what I had written is entirely loft, owing to some of those many accidents unavoidable in a wandering unsettled life. I wonder, indeed, the following papers escaped the fame fate, having been carelessly toft about, and altogether neglected by me for above two years past. I doubt not but Lexiphanes's janizaries and admirers may very wittily fuggeft, it would have been no damage if they had; be this however as it may, on revising them now for the press, I chose to let them go as I found them, with the addition of only a few notes. Not that I would hereby infinuate, I think them faultless; on the contrary, I am afraid the Rhapsody is rather too long,

long, and even, that it is not so highly finished as it ought to be, that is to say, it is not fufficiently Lexiphanick, if I may use the expreffion. There are, moreover, a few loose paffages in it, which I am forry may be thought to require an apology. But they are wrapt up in fuch a mist of hard words, that to underftand them, requires a clofer intimacy with Lexiphanes, than methinks any fine lady ought to have. Besides, the original is infinitely more licentious than the copy. This naturally led me into them at first, but the true reason why, on a revisal, Iretained them, is what follows. I really thought the applying those cant words and affected phrases, in that fense, was the best way of ridiculing and expofing them, and should this Dialogue ever become any way popular, it would most effectually banish them out of good company and polite writing. I own, likewise, that the references are neither fo numerous, nor perbaps jo accurate as they might have been. This is owing to my having lost fome scattered loofe papers, wherein, with a great deal of pains and labour, Ibad marked down, with their proper references of pages and numbers, most of the

abfurdities I met with on perusing Mr.

Fn's works, and some others of the like strain, and from thence had transferred them, as I thought they would come in beft, into the Rhapsody, and those other parts of the Dialogue where Lexiphanes is the speaker. There was no other way to remedy this lofs, if it really be one, than to go through the same most irkSome task over again. But I could not prevail on myself to do it. Truth was, I did not care to be raking any more among their filth and trash, for fear some of it might stick to myself. For in this work, I am no other than a literary Scavenger; a fort of gentry very necessary to the cleanliness of others, but by no means the cleanlieft folks in the world themselves.

As to the rest of the Dialogue, which is, indeed, the principal part, and wherein I have endeavoured to shew, as well as my poor abilities would permit me, both by precept and example, how to write better, I freely own, after a very careful examination, whether respecting its conduct, stile, or fentiments, I do not find any thing I can alter, at least, for the better: and I therefore abandon it as lawful booty to the Criticks to use it as they please. Should it be asked why I have published it, with the imperfections I confess it hath; I answer

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answer, that though this not designed for a temporary thing, but may last and even be useful when our Lexiphanefes are forgotton, yet it's fuccefs, and what is pretty odd, it's own reputation depends, in fome measure, on the greatness of those very reputations it is intended to demolish and overturn. Abad and a corrupt taste is ever fickle and changing. Some new Lexiphanefes may foon arife, who, Shooting a bolt beyond Mr. Jn, in his Ramblers, or Mr. Ak-de, in bis Pleasures of Imagination, may deprive them of that fame they certainly never deserved to enjoy, and at the fame time establish their own on the ruins. They may likewise write in a different manner, in a manner more difficult to bit, and confequently to ridicule and expose, in which cafe this performance, about which I confess to have taken a good deal of pains, would be, at the very first, no better than that waste-paper it may come to be at last. I am afraid it hath loft fome of it's force and propriety already, and the longer it is delayed, must lose the more. Besides, expecting, at least hoping soon to leave this country, to which I may never return, the present might be the only opportunity I should ever have of printing

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