the back of his title to be his bayl and surety, that he is no idiot, or seducer; it cannot be but a dishonor and derogation to the Author, to the Book, to the priviledge and dignity of Learning, And what if the Author shall be one so copious of fancie, as to have many things well worth the adding, come into his mind after Licencing, while the Book is yet under the Presse, which not seldom happ'ns to the best and diligentest writers; and that perhaps a dozen times in one Book. The Printer dares not go beyond his licenc't copy; so often then must the Author trudge to his leav-giver, that those his new insertions may be viewd; and many a jaunt will be made, ere that Licencer, for it must "modern politician, how to qualifie, and mould the sufferance "and subjection of the People to the length of that foot that is "to tread on their necks, how rapine may serve it selfe with the "faire, and honourable pretences of publick good, how the puny "Law may be brought under the wardship and control of lust [pleasure], and will."-Of Reformation, &c. p. 43. 4to. 1641.

This word affords one proof, and others occur, of our Lexicographer, having occasionally inverted the right order, and shaped his explanation to make it square with the example he furnished to his valued Dictionary. The sole sense Johnson gives under PUNY, as a Substantive, is quite inferential, and widely stretched from its primary and literal signification; for it is "A young unexperienced unseasoned wretch," which is a constructive explication of the passage he adduces from South's Sermons: "Tenderness of heart makes a Man but a Puny in "this Sin; it spoils the growth, and cramps the crowning "exploits of this vice."-A puny once signified a youngster. Thus Ben Jonson in a copy of verses addressed to Donne: "Those that for claps doe write,

"Let punees, porters, players praise delight."

be the same man, can either be found, or found at leisure; mean while either the Presse must stand still, which is no small damage,

or the Author

loose his accuratest thoughts, and send the Book forth wors then he had made it, which to a diligent writer is the greatest melancholy and vexation that can befall'. And how can a man teach with autority, which is the life of teaching; how can he be a Doctor in his Book as he ought to be, or else had better be silent, whenas all he teaches, all he

'The greatest melancholy and veration that can befall.] By Melancholy he meant mortification, not depression of spirits: so Hall, in his Chronicle, of Stanley's disgust and discontent after having so largely contributed toward raising Henry VII to the throne: "Thys poynte argueth and proveth him at that tyme, beynge moved with melancholy to beare no great good-will to "kynge Henry."

Again; Burnet; Hist. of Reformation; I. 131. fol. 1715. "Kearne on his way met the Bishop of Paris, coming back with "his melancholick account of his unprosperous negotiation. "When the King understood that he was used with so much scorn and contempt at Rome, being also the more vexed, &c.” So likewise, in the Memoirs of Col. Hutchinson; "At the reading of his Commission Col. Thornhagh shewed much discon"tent and was melancholy after it.” p. 171. 4to.

Something like this must be the sense of this word in the succeeding verse of Hoccleve:

"Malencolie engendryth werre and stryf."

Poems; p. 48. 4to. 1796.

Notwithstanding his Editor, the late Mr. G. Mason, interpreted it to bear the modern meaning; see his Glossary to this Publication.

2 How can he be a Doctor in his Book as he ought to be, or else had better be silent, whenas all he teaches, &c.] " A Doctor,"

delivers, is but under the tuition, under the correction of his patriarchal Licencer3, to blot or alter

i. e. a Teacher: "For the ancient Doctors, he shewed, that in "the fourth Century, St. Ambrose, Jerome, and St. Austin, the "three great Doctors of that age, did not believe it." Burnet; Hist. of the Reform. I. 155. fol. 1715.

Whenas-we have dropped the as, which though heretofore a common suffix was merely an expletive. Where and There had the same adjunct, and this redundancy is by many still retained in as yet, and as how.

3 Under the correction of his patriarchal Licencer.] Lord Herbert of Cherbury in the Life and Reign of Henry VIII records (p. 386. fol. 1682,) that the King sent the Duke of Norfolk to Francis" offering aid for a war in Piedmont, if he would suffer "no more monies to go out of his Realm to Rome, and instead "of the Pope to erect a Patriarch, which it seems was one of the "private Articles treated betwixt them at the interview," that had previously taken place between the two Monarchs. Baffled in his aim at the papal Tiara, that Wolsey should resolve by artful policy to effectuate a grand and rival separation from the supremacy of the Roman Pontiff, of which independent Communion he might set himself at the head, comports well with his aspiring character and habitudes of intrigue. To this end, he might project to institute among the western Christians the title and office of the Patriarchs in the eastern Church. Laud, if fortune had proved so propitious that his restless ambition could have mounted to its topmost pitch, was accused of having speculated like the Cardinal-Minister, and, instead of remaining the Primate of all England, to have sighed for the dignity of Patriarch of our national Church. We therefore find it, in " a "true Delineation, or rather Parallel, between Cardinal Wolsey, "Arch-bishop of York, and Wm. Laud, Arch-bishop of Canter"bury," first printed in 1641, to be alleged that "They both "favored the See of Rome and respected his holinesse in it: "the Cardinal did professe it publickly, the Arch-bishop did "professe it privately. The Cardinal's ambition was to be "Pope: the Arch-bishop strove to be Patriarch: they both bid

what precisely accords not with the hidebound humor which he calls his judgement? When every acute Reader upon the first sight of a pedantick Licence, will be ready with these like words to ding the Book a coits distance from him, I hate a

fairly for it; yet lost their aime: and far easier is it for Men "to descend than to ascend." Somers's Tracts; IV. 434. Scott's edit. Again; in the title-page to a copy of satirical Verses called Lambeth Faire written in 1641:

"These tricks and whimseys have been long conceal'd, "But now the pack's laid open, al's reveal'd,

"The little Patriarcke frets and fumes to heare "How cheap his knacks are sold in Lambeth Faire." Our Authour has more allusions to Laud's design. Among others, in his Tract, Of Reformation, &c. " whenever the Pope "shall fall, if his Ruine bee not like the sudden down-come of a "Towre, the Bishops, when they see him tottering, will leave "him, and fall to scrambling, catch who may, hee a Patriarch"dome, and another what comes next hand; as the French "Cardinal [Richlieu] of late, and the See of Canterbury, hath "plainly affected." p. 9. 4to. 1641.

The Archbishop, moreover, was by far the most effective member of the Star-chamber when the Decree of that Court was issued to subject all Publications to an Imprimatur, and the Chaplains at Lambeth-House, with those at the west end of Paul's, were nominated among the Licensers.

Without the aid of the above historical illustration the text must be "dark and silent," and the sense lost to many Readers. While some might erroneously conjecture, that in the epithet patriarchal there was involved a latent reference to Patriarchal Government, as our Authour's antagonist Sir Robt. Filmer, or more correctly Sir Robt. Holborne under Filmer's name, denominated the divine Right to the Crown, which these zealots for uncontrolled Prerogative contended, by analogy to the natural privileges of paternal authority, to belong indefeasibly to the reigning Family,

pupil teacher, I endure not an instructor that comes to me under the wardship of an overseeing fist. I know nothing of the Licencer, but that I have his own hand here for his arrogance; who shall warrant me his judgement? The State Sir, replies the Stationer; but has a quick return, the State shall be my Governours, but not my Criticks; they may be mistak'n in the choice of a Licencer, as easily as this Licencer may be mistak'n in an Author: this is some common stuffe; and he might adde from Sir Francis Bacon, That such authoriz'd Books are but the language of the times*.

He might add from Sir Francis Bacon, that such authoriz'd Books are but the language of the times.] Where is it that Bacon has said this? or that which our Authour presently cites from him? I am not unread in Bacon's Writings: I have also requested some literary Friends to bear these two quotations in mind, but neither of them has come within our observation. If they should not be in his collected Works, as I am much inclined to believe is the case, they perhaps are to be found in a Tract on Libels by Lord Bacon, mentioned in the Memoirs of T. Hollis (p. 169.) My enquiries after this posthumous Publication have likewise been fruitless; and if any Gentleman having it in his possession would favour me with a sight of it, I should esteem the loan a peculiar obligation.

In an Apology for Smectymnuus he again says, "the testimony " of Sir Francis Bacon was not misalledged, complaining that "Libels on the Bishop's part were uttered openly." p. 27. 4to. first edit. And the very able and argumentative Writer of "another "Letter to Mr. Almon in matter of Libel," quotes in his second Postscript (p. 12. 8vo. 1770.) to that Pamphlet, the following passage from Lord Bacon's Letters in opposition to Coke's doctrine: "the position that it is not material whether the Libel be true