Thus pilf'rers pass with undistinguish'd names,
And a -in for others goods amidst the flames,
While the poor sufferers their engines turn
To quench the fire that in their houses burn.
All hands are busied to direct its course,
And bou-es are blown up to stop its force,
When, at the last, in poverish'd by their stealth,
They save their dwellings, but they lose their wealth.

Paris.

I see too plainly that your thoughts are true, And our old enmiues break out-anew; Like wounds skinn’d o'er, a-fresh they rage and bleed, And the most skiiful artists councils need, Who timely can the patients lives insure, And by incision make a perfect cure. Since war's the gen’ral cry, let war be chose, My sons were never us’d io fly their foes; Fearless in fight, they cannot fights refuse, Aud us'd 10 gain, they know not how to lose; Witness when Europe all contending strove, Ljke giants in a league to conquer Jove. Troops join'd with troops, and states with states combin'd, To bring down Lewis his exalted mind; When ev'ry nation found it to its cost, That in ten years he ne'er one battle lost. The same success will still his arms attend, And fortune must of course be now his friend, Since kingdoms, when divided, needs must fall, And he must conquer part that conquer'd all. Go let your prince recal his subjects hence, And M- shew manners like his sense, Let Pousin * be return'd us back again, With all the marks of hate, and cold disdain, The times may come, you may this action rue; And wish for peace with me, as I with you, Since wounds and death are still the gains of war, And you can be at last but wbat you are.

London.

To be but what he is, is all the claim,
My prince does make from empire and from fame;
Grief swells his breast to think of subjects wounds,
But France must be withheld within its bounds,
And her false king, who thinks no crimes amiss,
Be made what he is not from what he is,

• The French Ambassador,

Look on thy sons, so daring and so brave,
And see th’* Italians climb once more their grave :
Thro’rocks of stone the German passage makes,
Levels the mountains, and dries пр

the lakes;
From hill to hill the pond'rous cannon flings,
And climb's imperious cliffs with eagle's wings.
As Eugene acts the + Carthagia'an's part,
Shewing much more of industry and art,
And cuts out roads, where nature did intend
Nothing, almost, like human should ascend;
While adverse troops, astonishi'd at the sight,
Leave floods unguarded to avoid the fight.
These are the champions which thy cause maintain,
And vindicate a base inglor'ous reign,
That plead prescription from their father's pride,
• To lord it over all the world beside.'
Nothing like this is by my prince | design'd,

Just are his thoughts, and right'ous is his mind;'
He fears no danger, and he seeks no war,
Tho'it appears to gather from a-far:
Fleets he provides, and armies be prepares,
To calm our troubles, and remove our fears.
• Grant, that he ne'er increase his large demains,'
And by his conquest no new kingdoms gains,'
That Mexico, tho'sav'd from Gallick hands,
Be none of his, nor rich Perur'an lands,
Ease and content would fill the monarch's breast,
Were not his rivals of their wealth possess'd :
So the fierce bull that has in battle strove
For the reward of empire and of love,
Weary'd with fight, his head declining lays,
Joyful to see the prize at distance graze,
While his tir'd foe alike contented lies,
And views, what he can't seize, with longing eyes,
Paid fully for the dangers he has run,
Since neither does possess what neither won.

• As before at the battle of Pavia, where Francis the First was taken prisoner. Hannibal, that melted the Alps with vinegar, according to Livy's account. | The King of Great-Britain.

France and Spain,

SOME OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

USE AND ORIGINAL

OP

THE NOBLE ART OF PRINTING.

BY P. BURGES, NORWICH *.

The Author of this little Piece was Mr. Francis Burges, a Printer, who first carried

that Art and Mystery to Norwich. But, meeting with small Encouragement, and great Opposition, as if he had brought an additional Expenie to the City, he published this, by way of Apology : In the first Place, shewing, that he broke not in upon any other Persons Property, that his Trade was of great Use in a trading Place, a great Means to promote Piety, and a certain Method to do Good to several other Trades; because, under the Printer, the Bookselier, Bookbinder, Joiner, Smith, &c. may hope to reap Advantage.

Concerning the Usefulness of Printing. WHIS (says a late author) is so plain to all discerning men, that

known to be the great propagator and diffuser of all useful knowledge. For, since the art of printing was found out, which is not yet three-hundred years, all sorts of learning have been more diffused and cultivated, than in a thousand years before. And what great advances, and mighty progress is daily made, in finding out abstruse secrets, and discovering the hidden mysteries of art and nature, those that are conversant among books do very well know. And all this is justly to be attributed to this incomparable art, which gives men such an advantage of communicating their thoughts to each other, in so plain and easy a manner, as the ages, before this invention, were ignorant of. And therefore erudition and learning, the improvement of all the works of nature, and the perfection of all arts and sciences, are the genuine effects of tbis noble mystery, and an evident demonstration of its usefulness, as well as its excellency.

It is by the art of printing, that we come to know the lives and actions of the renowned worthies of the first ages of the world; whereby those things that were transacted some thousand years ago, are as familiar to us, as if they had been done but yesterday. It is printing that does immortalise the memory of ancient and modern heroes, and transmits their worthy deeds and actions to the end of time.

. This was the first book that ever was printed at Norwich, which was published on the 27th of September, 1701. Octavo, containing seventeen pages.

And it is in respect of its usefulness, that Polydore Virgil stiles it, * A divine benefit afforded to mankind; and therefore Cardan tell us, that it is an art inferior to none, either for usefulness or wit; far out-doing the most dextrous writer, both for neatness and expedition : For one press can dispatch more business in one day, than the swiftest writer can transcribe in a year or two. On this account also, Petrus Scriverius calls it, Palladium, præsidium, & tutelam musarum, & omnis doctrinæ; that is, the fortress, garison, and defence, not only of the muses, but of all literature whatsoever.'

This noble mystery has illustriously shewn its usefulness in the assistance it bas given to the propagation of the true religion ; having banished that Cimmerian darkness that had overspread the face of the earth, and caused the glorious light of the gospel to shine forth with a resplendent lustre, by the printing that incomparable treasure of a Christian · The Holy Scriptures.' Before the finding out of this illustrious art, the Epistle of St. James was thought a mighty penny-worth, when purchased for a load of hay; whereas now, both the Old and New Testament may be bought for five shillings.

But it is not by printing of the Holy Bible only, that this noble art and mystery (for so it was stiled by Queen Elisabeth, when she did it the honour to go and see it) has been serviceable to religion, but also by emitting many other good books and useful tracts into the world, whereby the errors of Popery have been discovered and confuted, and the way of truth made known. Hence says N. Bilo lingsley, in his Brachy-Martyrologia.

• The gospel-light appear'd not very clear,
• Until the fourteen-hundred fiftieth year,
• Wherein God pleased to unbosom night,
"The art of printing being brought to light.'

And another ingenious author to the same purpose says:

• The noble art of printing found
* No sooner, but it Rome did wound;
• And ever since, with nimble ray,
Spreads knowledge to a perfect day.'

Lastly, this art of printing was first brought into England by Simon Islip, in the year 1471, at the charge of King Henry VI. Whence printing was for may years accounted the King's prerogative as much as coining: But in process of time it became a free trade. The first printing-press, in England, was set up by the fore-named Simon Islip, in Westminster-Abbey, London; and printing first used there by William Caxton. And its being first set up in a church, occasioned all printing-houses in England to be called chapelo which name they retain to this day.

Concerning the Original of Printing. IT would certainly redound very much to the dishonour of printers, if the original of this noble art should not be transmitted io posterity: Since it is by printing alone, that the earliest actions of antiquity are brought down to the present age. For this art, by multiplying books, hath multiplied knowledge, and brought to our cognisance both persons and things vastly remote from us, and long before our time; which otherwise had perished in oblivion, and been as things which never had a being.

I have therefore endeavoured, in this short essay, to rescue from the iron-teeth of time, the original of that noble mystery, which gives immortality even to learning itself, and is the great conservator of all arts and sciences.

And yet, to whom the world is indebted, for this excellent invention, we do not certainly know. This being one of the inventa adespota of the masterless inventions, of which the only reason, that can be assigned, is,

Laus veterum est meruisse onnis præconia famæ,
Et sprevisse simul
Brave men more studious were, in former days,

Of doing good, than of obtaining praise.
That it is a Teutonick invention, is agreed upon by most voices.
From bence the poet sings,

O Germanica! muneris repertrix,
Quo nihil utilius dedit vetustas ;

Libros scribere, quæ doces premendo.
Which may thus be paraphrased,

O noble German ! author of this gift,
(Which ev'n to heav'n itself thy fame does lift)
Antiquity ne'er yet divulg'd that thing
Which did more profit unto mankind bring;
Or unto learned labours more incite,

Since, by the press, thou dost large volumes write. But, whether Higher or Lower Germany shall have the honour of it is yet a controversy undecided : And in the Upper Germany, whether Mentz or Basil, or Strasburg,' for all these do not only challenge it, but contend no less for the birth-place of this noble mystery, than the Grecian cities did for the cradle of Homer. Which, by the way, is no small indication of the just value which the world has of it, since there is such striving for the honour of its original. The general voice is for Mentz, and that one John Guttemberg (or Fust, or Faustemberg, as others term him) a knight and citizen of that city, was the true father and inventer of this