LYDI A.

CHA P. XXVII.

A new Comparison between Army-Taylors, and Authors of true Hiftory.

T

HE many Comparisons which Authors have already drawn of themfelves, one would imagine, fhould have utterly exhaufted all Similies on that Subject; and, yet it ap pears to us that there remains one behind, which, with refpect to the Similitude between Writers of true Hiftory, fuch as this we are inditing for Pofterity, is more apt, than any that has hitherto been thought

of.

We believe alfo, that the Refemblance may be rendered yet more ftriking, by certain Methods which have been pursued by fome late Hiftorians in this Way.

IN this Place, however, we do not mean to speak of any Thing but Likenefs in one particular Circumftance, which is in Relation to the Characters in our Works.

IN fhort, we cannot help obferving, that there is a very ftrict Analogy between an Army-Taylor and a Writer of true Hiftory. First then, in fetting out ag a Taylor to clothe a Regiment, every one knows he makes his Cloaths of almoft all Sizes without meafuring one Man, ftill with the Idea of Man in the Abstract in his Head, according to the Metaphyfici

H 4

ans

ans Phrafe; which faid Suits of Cloaths are difplayed on the Ground, to be taken by Tom, Dick, and Harry ; and here by Tom's being too tall, and Dick's being too fhort, the Cloaths are all out of fitting at first, till changing round, every Man in the Regiment fettles into the Coat that fuits him.

In this place, we cannot avoid obferving, notwithftanding it may feem fomewhat paradoxical, that tho' the Taylor makes the Cloaths and fits the whole Regiment, yet, he does not make any fingle Suit for any one Man, or fit on any one of them: The fitting then arifes from those who chufe and put on the Suits, and that makes each Man's his own. In like Manner in writing true Hiftory, when we have gotten together our Materials, and like the aforefaid Army-Taylors, we have cut them out into Characters, and fpread them upon the Ground, we let People chufe for themfelves till they are fitted.

HOWEVER, in this Inftance of Authority, as in the other of tayloring, we neither make or adapt Characters to any one Perfon; we have taken Measure of no Individual, but have cut out according to certain Proportions in the Human Being; and therefore it must be remembered, if the Characters happen to be well cut, fit free and eafy on the Wearers, that it is really no Merit in us, but in the Perfons or their Friends who have chofen from the Heap; and we here very modeftly refign all Pretenfions to that Applaufe, being in Fact an Hiftorian of a fuperior Nature to thofe who paint particular Characters, draw Plans of Battles, cite and explain Things as they think they have paft; we choose the Principles in Nature which are eternally exifting, and combining them and their Confequences, form Characters and Events, which are for

ever true.

THUS, then as an Hiftorian refembles an ArmyTaylor, fo are his Characters like Suits of Cloaths for a Regiment, which tho' he cuts them out, the Men that put them on adapt to themselves, and make their own.

FOR this Reason, the Character of the Honourable Captain Charles Bounce, whoever fees it in the Par

cel,

cel, and taking it up amongst the reft, fhould first put in one Arm and then another, and buttoning it fast, find it fit him exactly, we confess that we have no particular Merit in this fitting, we made it for the Legion.

In like Manner, if one Friend puts a Suit of Character on the Back of another, the fitting is to him alfo, and not to us.

WHENEVER then, the Character which belongs to the Captain is put on, or Mac Valor's, or his Coufin Phelim's, Lieutenant Probit's, Mifs Lydia's, Mrs. Rachael's, or any other refpectable Character of this true Hiftory, is placed on the Perfon whom it fits, let it be remembered, that as Mifers heap up Riches, and cannot tell who fhall gather them; fo the ArmyTaylor cutteth out Cloaths, and cannot tell who shall wear them, and the Author of true Hiftory maketh Characters and knoweth not whom they will fit; wherefore, here we renounce all kind of Reputation, which may be obtained by that particular Circumstance of fitting.

ONLY, indeed, we referve one Thing to ourselves; which is, that after our Work fhall be large enough to collect from them Sinilies, Apophthegins, moral Sentences, Proverbs, Maxims, and choice Sayings, fufficient for a whole Suit, that then we may be allowed to rip thefe Parts like Lace from an old Garment, and make one Vestment which is to be all pure Gold, and which we modeftly fuppofe, from the fmall Opinion we have of our own Capacity, and the great one of thofe of other People, were originally overlooked in the whole Suits; thefe therefore fhall be united together, with public Affurance that it is defigned to mend the Morals, and correct the Vices of Mankind: With a. Preface by a Friend, hinting, that we rather exceed Socrates in Wisdom and Writing; and yet, that Men are wickeder at prefent than in his Time, notwithftanding our Works and the Chriftian Religion; which laft Sentence, perhaps, may be imagined to convey fomething not very full of Honour to the prefent Age, prefent Writers, and prefent Divines; but this in Imitation of our Betters. CHA P..

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CHA P. XXVIII.

Indian Obfervations on a certain Species of free Britons. Parfon Pugh and Popkins the Excifeman's friendly Rencounter. Cannaflatego, the Indian Chief, taken for the Pretender's Son. Mr. Popkins difpofes of the Reward for apprehending him before he receives it. The Caufe of Loyalty in the Excifeman and moft Whigs. The Welch Way of nurfing Chil dren, and the Beginning of Mr. Popkins's Journey to London.

THE

HE Ship **** being arrived in Milford Haven, Cannaffatego was very impatient to fee the Country which he had heard fo much of, and that People fo brave and valiant, such strict Observers of Truth and Justice.

THE Man of War being moored, the Chaplain was to go on Shore with Cannaffatego: At landing, the Indian was terribly difappointed; inftead of Pomp and Splendor, vaft Palaces and magnificent Temples, which he had before heard of, he faw Dwellings little better than the Huts of Indians, and a Parcel of People with their Faces blacker than his own; these were the Colliers juft come from the Mines: He could not reconcile what kind of Beings they were, till having their Employment defcribed, as being engaged in digging that which was burning in the Chimney, many Fathom under-ground; he was aftonished, and asked if all the English dug Coals, then fays he, I can account for their leaving this Country in fearch of ours.

Ir being then explained to him that only the Poor were employed in this Occupation, he asked if England was not a free Country, where all were deftined to the fame Employment, or if the great Spirit had made two Species of Men, one inferior to another, and the leffer deftined to the Service of the greater, without this, fays he, how is this a Land of Freedom, or how is it reconcilable in Juftice, that Creatures born in the fame Land, of the fame Form, and endowed

with the fame Faculties, fhauld be doomed to this inhuman Labour, whilst others live at Ease?

On this Occafion Parfon Pugh endeavoured to explain to him the Ufe and Influence of Money; but as he ftill entertained his heathenish Notions of Liberty, and did not understand the Virtues of Gold, the Divine did not make any great Impreffion upon him; and indeed he almoft repented his Voyage, concluding that the Town of Pembroke in Wales was a juft Reprefentation of London; and the Mayor and Corporation, of the ** great ** and the Ministry.

THIS Notion we have known entertained by more than one English Traveller, as well as the Indian Chief; and a whole Nation, in Manners, Splendor, Arts and Sciences, taken from a Town much farther from the Capital, than Pembroke from London; and this by the Writer of a late Voyage round the World, who concludes on what is to be feen at Pekin, from what he faw at Canton.

AND here, as this Obfervation in the Indian fhews that it is natural for Men to make fuch Remarks, it excuses the Writer of that Hiftory, as it does the Indian alfo.

As these two, the Indian Chief and the Chaplain, were one Day on Shore, whom fhould Parfon Pugh meet but his old Acquaintance Mr. Popkins, the Excifeman, with whom he had formerly taken many a Tankard of Ale, and lived in great Intimacy, as we have already related.

THIS accidental Meeting was the Caufe of no fmall · Joy to this Pair of old Friends; the Parfon fhook the Excifeman by the Hand, and the diligent Surveyor of the King's Revenue returned the Compliment with no lefs Energy; but yet the Divine felt foine Touches of Sorrow at hearing his old Friend the Juftice, of whom we have made Honourable Mention, was no more; however, much alleviated by his Family being in good Health. Compliments being paft, the King's Officer afked what that Stranger was, which was with him clad in Furs? The Parfon answered, A Prince, aye· in Wales too by Cot.' He then introduced him to

the