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"mæanders. My first vital air I drew in this "ifland (a foil fruitful of Philofophers) but my complexion is become 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 unknown "names, to fcreen myfelf from the envy and ma"lice which mankind express against those who "are poffeffed of the Arcanum Magnum. But "at prefent I am forced to take Sanctuary in "the British Court, to avoid the Revenge of a "cruel Spaniard, who has pursued me almost through the whole 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 Pomegra"nate upon the infide of her right Thigh, "which bloffomed, and, as it were, feemed "to ripen in the due feafon. Forthwith was I

poffeffed with an insatiable curiofity to view "this wonderful Phaenomenon. I felt the ar"dor of my paffion increase as the season ad"vanced, till, in the month of July, I could "no longer contain. I bribed her Duenna, was "admitted to the Bath, faw her undrefs'd, and "the wonder difplayed. This was foon after "difcovered by the husband, who finding fome "letters I had writ to the Duenna, containing

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expreffions of a doubtful meaning, fufpected "me of a crime most alien from the Purity of my Thoughts. Incontinently I left Madrid by the advice of friends, have been purfued, dogged, and way-laid through feveral Nations,

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"and even now scarce think myself secure with"in 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 ship (whofe Colours no Spaniard dare approach *) I impatiently expect a fafe paffage "to Jamaica, for that benefit. To thee, my "Friend, whom Fate has marked for my Hiftoriographer, I leave these my Commentaries, "and others of my works. No more-be faith"ful and impartial."

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He foon after performed his promise, and left me the Commentaries, giving me alfo further lights by many Conferences; when he was unfortunately fnatched away (as I before related) by the jealoufy of the Queen's Ministry.

Though I was thus to my eternal grief deprived of his converfation, he for fome years continued his Correfpondence, and communicated to me many of his Projects for the benefit of mankind. He fent me fome of his Writings, and recommended to my care the recovery of others, ftraggling about the world, and affumed by other men. The last time I heard from him

was on occafion of his Strictures on the Dunciad: fince when, several years being elapfed, I have reason to believe this excellent perfon is either dead, or carried by his vehement thirst of know

This marks the time when the Introduction was written.

ledge into fome remote, or perhaps undiscovered Region of the world. In either cafe, I think it a debt no longer to be delayed, to reveal what I know of this Prodigy of Science, and to give the history of his life, and of his extenfive merits to mankind; in which I dare promise the Reader, that whenever he begins to think any one Chapter dull, the style will be immediately changed

in the next.

MEMOIRS

O F

MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS.

BOOK I. CHAP. I.

Of the Parentage and Family of Scriblerus, how he was begot, what Care was taken of him before he was born, and what Prodigies attended his birth.

IN

N the City of Munfter in Germany, lived a grave and learned Gentleman, by Profession an Antiquary; who, among all his invaluable Curiofities, efteemed none more highly, than a Skin

Memoirs.] Mr. Pope, Dr. Arbuthnot, and Dr. Swift, in conjunction, formed the project of a fatire on the abufes of human learning; and to make it the better received, propofed to execute it in the manner of Cervantes (the original author of this fpecies of fatire) under a continued narrative of feigned adventures. They had obferved that thofe abufes ftill kept their ground againft all that the ableft and gravest Authors could fay to difcredit them; they concluded therefore, the force of ridicule was wanting to quicken their difgrace; and ridicule was here in its place, when the abufes had been already detected by fober reafoning; and Truth in no danger to fuffer by the premature ufe of fo powerful an inftrument, VOL. VI.

I

of the true Pergamenian Parchment, which hung at the upper end of his hall. On this was curiously traced the ancient Pedigree of the Scribleri, with all their Alliances and collateral Relations, (among which were reckoned Albertus Magnus, Paracelfus Bombaftus, and the famous Scaligers, in old time Princes of Verona) and deduced even from the Times of the Elder Pliny to Cornelius Scriblerus: for fuch was the name of this venerable Perfonage; whofe glory it was, that, by the fingular Virtue of the Women, not one had a Head of a different Caft from his family.

His wife was a Lady of fingular beauty, whom not for that reason only he efpoused, but because she was undoubted daughter either of the great Scriverius, or of Gafpar Barthius. It happened on a time, the said Gasper made a visit to Scriverius at Harlem, taking with him a comely Lady of his acquaintance, who was fkilful in the Greek Tongue, of whom the learned Scriverius

But the feparation of our Author and his friends, which foon after happened, with the death of one, and the infirmities of the other, put a final period to their defign, when they had only drawn out an imperfect effay towards it, under the title of the First book of the Memoirs of Scriblerus.

Moral fatire never loft more than in the defeat of this project, in which, each of this illuftrious triumvirate would have found exercife for his own peculiar talent; besides conftant employment for that they all had in common. Dr. Arbuthnot was skilled in every thing which related to science; Mr. Pope was a master in the fine arts; and Dr. Swift excelled in the knowledge of the world. WIT they had all in equal meafure, and in a measure fo large, that no age perhaps ever produced three men, to whom Nure had more bountifully bestowed it, or in whom Art had brought it to higher perfection.