(3)

INTRODUCTION

To the READER.

N the Reign of Queen ANNE (which, notwithftanding those happy Times which fucceeded,

every Englishman may remember) thou may't poffibly, gentle Reader, have feen a certain venerable Person who frequented the outfide of the Palace of St. James's, and who, by the Gravity of his Deportment and Habit, was generally taken for a decay'd Gentleman of Spain. His ftature was tall, his visage long, his complexion alive, his brows were black and even, his eyes hollow yet piercing, his nose inclined to aquiline, his beard neg. lected and mix'd with grey: All this contributed to spread a folemn Melancholy over his countenance. Pythagoras was not more filent, Pyrrho more motionless, nor Zeno more auftere. His Wig was as black and fmooth as the plumes of a Raven, and hung as ftrait as the hair of a River God rifing from the water. His Cloak fo compleatly covered his whole person, that whether or no he had any other cloaths (much lefs any linnen) under it, I fhall not fay; but his fword appear'd a full yard

behind him, and his manner of wearing it was fo ftiff, that it feemed grown to his Thigh. His whole figure was fo utterly unlike any thing of this world, that it was not natural for any man to quefion without blefling himfelf firft. Thofe who never faw a Jefuit, took him for one, and others believed him fome High Prief of the Jews.

ask him a

But under this macerated form was conceal'd a Mind replete with Science, burning with a zeal of benefiting his fellow-creatures, and filled with an honeft confcious pride, mixt with a fcorn of doing, or fuffering the leaft thing beneath the dignity of a Philofopher. Accordingly he had a foul that would not let him accept of any offers of Charity, at the fame time that his body feened but too much to re. quire it. His lodging was in a final chamber up four pair of ftairs, where he regularly payed for what he had when he eat or drank; and he was often obferved wholly to abflain from both. He declined fpeaking to any one, except the Queen, or her firft Minister, to whom he attempted to make fome applications; but his real bufinefs or intentions were utterly unknown to all men. Thus much is certain, that he was obnoxious to the Qucen's Miniftry; who, either out of Jealoufy or Envy, had him fpirited away, and carried abroad as a dangerous perfon, without any regard to the known Laws of the Kingdom.