ance about that time, who, being big with Whig, was so alarmed at the rising of the mob, that she had like to have miscarried upon it; for the logical jade presently concluded (and the inference was natural enough) that, if they began with pulling down meeting-houses, it might end in demolishing those houses of pleasure where she constantly paid her devotion; and, indeed, there seems a close connection between extempore prayer and extempore love. I doubt not, if this disaster had reached your lordship before, you would have found some room in that moving parenthesis, to have expressed your concern for it. I come now to that last stroke of your lordship's almighty pen; I mean that expressive dash which you give when you come to the new ministry, where you break off with an artful aposiopesis, and, by refusing to say any thing of them yourself, leave your readers to think the worst they possibly can. Here your lordship shows yourself a most consummate orator, when even your very silence is thus eloquent.

Before I take my leave, I cannot but congratulate your lordship upon that distinguishing mark of honour which the House of Commons has done your preface, by ordering it to be burnt.* This

*The prelate received this affront with great indifference, as appears from his letter to Bishop Burnet, 17th June 1712:

"I received the favour of your lordship's letter, and took it, as I know it was intended, very kindly. The manner of my receiving the indignity put upon my preface, was neither like a christian nor philosopher, but like a very worldly man. I knew the whole process; I knew it to be a piece of revenge taken by a wicked party, that found themselves sorely stung, and it affected me accordingly, i. e. very little. I am not one that love to be

will add a never-failing lustre to your character, when future ages shall read, how a few pages of your lordship's could alarm the representative body of the nation. I know your lordship had rather live in a blaze, than lie buried in obscurity; and would at any rate purchase immortality, though it be in flames. Fire, being a mounting element, is a proper emblem of your lordship's aspiring genius,

I shall detain your lordship no longer; but, according to your example, conclude with a short prayer (though praying, I confess, is not my talent)-May you never want opportunities of thus signalizing yourself; but be "transmitted to posterity," under the character of one who dares sacrifice every thing that is most dear to you (even your own darling labours) to promote the inte

the talk of the town; and in this part I confess I was uneasy, although, I think, the talk was very much in my favour. The complaint was made by Hungerford, and seconded by Manley, people that should indeed have been ordered to have burnt it, and thirded by what we call the Court, and carried by numbers without a wise word said against it. Sir Peter King, Sir Joseph Jekyll, Mr Lechmere, and others of the robe, were very strenuous advocates in its behalf, but to no purpose, for the court divided one hundred and nineteen, and my friends but fifty-four. If their design was to intimidate me, they have lost it utterly; or if to suppress the book, it happens much otherwise; for every body's curiosity is awakened by this usage, and the bookseller finds his account in it above any one else. The Spectator has conveyed above fourteen thousand of them into other people's hands, that would otherwise have never seen or heard of it. In a word, my lord, when I consider that these gentlemen have used me worse than I think they have used their own country, the Emperor, the States, the House of Hanover, and all our allies abroad, as well as all the bravest, wisest, and honestest men we have at home, I am more inclined to become vain, than any ways depressed at what has befallen me, and intend to set up for a man of merit upon this very stock."

rest of our party; and stand sainted in the Whig calendar, as a martyr for the cause! This is the sincere wish of the greatest (next yourself) of your lordship's admirers,

WHARTON.

THE Bishop of St Asaph's famous Preface having been so much buffeted of late between advocates and opposers, I had a curiosity to inspect some of his other works. I sent to the booksellers in Duck-lane and Little Britain, who returned me several of the sermons which belonged to that preface; among others, I took notice of that upon the death of the duke of Gloucester, which had a little preface of its own, and was omitted, upon mature deliberation, when those sermons were gathered up into a volume; though, considering the bulk, it could hardly be spared. It was a great masterpiece of art in this admirable author, to write such a sermon, as, by help of a preface, would pass for a Tory discourse in one reign, and, by omitting that preface, would deno

* This second attack on the Bishop appeared in the 2d volume of the Examiner.

minate him a Whig in another: thus, by changing the position, the picture represents either the pope or the devil, the cardinal or the fool. I I confess it was malicious in me, and what few others would have done, to rescue those sermons out of their dust and oblivion; without which, if the author had so pleased, they might have passed for new preached, as well as new printed: neither would the former preface have risen up in judgment to confound the latter. But, upon second thoughts, I cannot tell why this wilfullyforgotten preface may not do the reverend author some service. It is to be presumed, that the Spectator published the last with that intent: why, therefore, should not my publishing the first be for the same end? and I dare be confident, that the part I have chosen will do his lordship much more service; for here it will be found, that this prelate did, once in his life, think and write as became him; and that while he was a private clergyman, he could print a preface without fear of the hangman. I have chosen to set it at length, to prevent what might be objected against me, as an unfair representer, should I reserve any part of this admirable discourse, as well as to imitate the judicious Spectator;* though I fear I shall not have so good contributions from our party, as that author is said to have from another, upon the like

*Who is said in the bishop's letter, above quoted, to have circulated fourteen thousand copies of the Number containing the preface. The hour of publishing the Spectator was postponed till twelve o'clock upon the day that No. 384 was published. The reason was, that it was always presented with Queen Anne's breakfast, and Steele was determined to leave no time for examining its particular contents upon that occasion.