tion, is faid, at the end, to be printed at Greenwich, by the permiffion of the Lord of Hofts.

In the time of king Edward the Sixth, the preffes were employed in favour of the reformed religion, and fmall tracts were difperfed over the nation, to reconcile them to the new forms of worship. In this reign, likewife, political pamphlets may be faid to have been begun, by the addrefs of the rebels of Devonshire; all which means of propagating the fentiments of the people fo difturbed the court, that no fooner was queen Mary refolved to reduce her fubjects to the Romish fuperftition, but the artfully, by a charter,* granted to certain freemen of London, in whofe fidelity no doubt, fhe confided, intirely prohibited all preffes, but what should be licenfed by them; which charter is that by which the corporation of Stationers in London is at this time incorporated.

Under the reign of queen Elizabeth, when liberty again began to flourish, the practice of writing pamphlets became more general; preffes were multiplied, and books were difperfed; and, I believe, it may properly be faid, that the trade of writing began at that time, and that it has ever fince gradually increased in the number, though, perhaps, not in the style of those that followed it.

In this reign was erected the firft fecret prefs against the church as now eftablifhed, of which I have found any certain account. It was employed by the Puri

Which begins thus, Know ye, that We, confidering and manifeftly perceiving, that feveral feditious and heretical books or tracts-againft the faith and found catholick doctrine of holy 'mother, the church,' &c.

tans,

tans, and conveyed from one part of the nation to another, by them, as they found themfelves in danger of discovery. From this prefs iffued most of the pamphlets against Whitgift and his affociates, in the ecclefiaftical government; and, when it was at laft feized at Manchester, it was employed upon a pamphlet called More Work for a Cooper.

In the peaceable reign of king James, thofe minds which might, perhaps, with lefs difturbance of the world, have been engroffed by war, were employed in controversy; and writings of all kinds were multiplied among us. The prefs, however, was not wholly engaged in polemical performances, for more innocent fubjects were fometimes treated; and it deferves to be remarked, because it is not generally known, that the treatifes of Husbandry and Agriculture, which were publifhed about that time, are fo numerous, that it can fcarcely be imagined by whom they were written, or to whom they were fold.

The next reign is too well known to have been a time of confufion, and difturbance, and difputes of every kind; and the writings which were produced, bear a natural proportion to the number of questions that were difcuffed at that time; each party had its authors and its preffes, and no endeavours were omitted to gain profelytes to every opinion. I know not whether this may not properly be called, The Age of Pamphlets; for, though they, perhaps, may not arife to fuch multitudes as Mr. Rawlinfon imagined, they were, undoubtedly, more numerous than can be conceived by any who have not had an opportunity of examining them.

After

After the Restoration, the fame differences, in religious opinions, are well known to have subsisted, and the fame political struggles to have been frequently renewed; and, therefore a great number of pens were employed, on different occafions, till, at length, all other difputes were abforbed in the popish controverfy.

From the pamphlets which thefe different periods of time produced, it is propofed, that this Mifcellany fhall be compiled; for which it cannot be fuppofed that materials will be wanting; and, therefore, the only difficulty will be in what manner to dispose them.

Those who have gone before us, in undertakings of this kind, have ranged the pamphlets, which chance threw into their hands, without any regard either to the subject on which they treated, or the time in which they were written; a practice in no wife to be imitated by us, who want for no materials; of which we fhall choose those we think beft for the particular circumftances of times and things, and moft inftructing and entertaining to the reader.

Of the different methods which present themselves, upon the first view of the great heaps of pamphlets which the Harleian library exhibits, the two which merit mofl attention are, to diftribute the treatifes according to their fubjects, or their dates; but neither of these ways can be conveniently followed. By ranging our collection in order of time, we muft neceffarily publifh thofe pieces firft, which leaft engage the curiofity of the bulk of mankind; and our design must fall to the ground, for want of encouragement, before it can be fo far advanced as to obtain general regard :

by

by confining ourselves for any long time to any fingle fubject, we shall reduce our readers to one clafs; and, as we shall lose all the grace of variety, shall disgust all those who read chiefly to be diverted. There is likewise one objection of equal force, against both these methods, that we fhall preclude ourselves from the advantage of any future discoveries; and we cannot hope to affemble at once all the pamphlets which have been written in any age, or on any subject.

It may be added, in vindication of our intended practice, that it is the fame with that of Photius, whose collections are no lefs mifcellaneous than ours; and who declares, that he leaves it to his reader, to reduce his extracts under their proper heads.

Most of the pieces which fhall be offered in this collection to the publick, will be introduced by short prefaces, in which will be given fome account of the reasons for which they are inferted; notes will be fometimes adjoined, for the explanation of obfcure paffages, or obfolete expreffions; and care will be taken to mingle use and pleasure through the whole collection. Notwithstanding every fubject may not be relished by every reader; yet the buyer may be affured that each number will repay his generous fubfcription.

VOL. II.

SOME

ACCOUNT

OF A BOOK, CALLED

THE LIFE OF

BENVENUTO CELLIN I.

THE original of this celebrated performance lay

in manufcript above a century and a half. Though it was read with the greatest pleasure by the learned of Italy, no man was hardy enough, during fo long a period, to introduce to the world a book in which the fucceffors of St. Peter were handled fo roughly a narrative, where artifts and fovereign princes, cardinals and courtezans, minifters of state and mechanics, are treated with equal impartiality.

At length, in the year 1730, an enterprizing Neapolitan, encouraged by Dr. Antonio Cocchi, one of the politeft fcholars in Europe, publifhed this fo-much defired work in one volume Quarto. The Doctor gave the editor an excellent preface, which, with very flight alteration, is judiciously preferved by the tranflator, Dr. Nugent: the book is, notwithstanding, very scarce in Italy: the clergy of Naples are very powerful; and

though