ne day, as this Gentleman was walking about cinner-time alone in the Mall, it happened that a Manufcript dropt from under his cloak, which my fervant pick'd up, and brought to me. It was written in the Latin tongue, and contain'd many most profound fecrets, in an unusual turn of reafoning and ftyle. The first leaf was infcribed with thefe words Codicillus, feu Liber Memorialis, Martini Scribleri. The Book was of fo wonderful a nature, that it is incredible what a defire I conceived that moment to be acquainted with the Author, who I clearly perceived was fome great Philofopher in difguife. I feveral times endeavoured to speak to him, which he as often induftriously avoided. At length I found an opportunity (as he stood under the Piazza by the Dancing-room in St. James's) to acquaint him in the Latin tongue, that his Manufcript was fallen into my hands; and faying this, I prefented it to him, with great encomiums on the learned Author. Hereupon he took me afide, furvey'd me over with a fixt attention, and opening the clafps of the Parchment cover, spoke (to my great furprize) in English, as follows:

"Courteous ftranger, whoever thou art, I em"brace thee as my best friend; for either the Stars "and my Art are deceitful, or the destined time is "come which is to manifeft Martinus Scriblerus to

"the world, and thou the perfon chofen by fate for "this task. What thou feeft in me is a body ex"hausted by the labours of the mind. I have found "in Dame Nature not indeed an unkind, but a "very coy Mistress': Watchful nights, anxious days, "flender meals, and endless labours, must be the lot "of all who pursue her, through her labyrinths and "mæanders. My first vital air I drew in this island "(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

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difguifes and unknown names, to skreen myself "from the envy and malice which mankind exprefs 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 purfued me almost "through the whole terraqueous globe. Eeing about "four years ago in the City of Madrid in queft of "natural knowledge, I was informed of a Lady who

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was marked with a Pomegranate upon the in"fide of her right Thigh, which bloffom'd, and, as "it were, feem'd to ripen in the due feafon. Forth"with was I poffeffed with an infatiable curiofity to "view this wonderful Phænomenon. I felt the ar"dour of my paffion encrease as the feafon advanced, 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 dif

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played. This was foon after discovered by the husband, who finding fome letters I had writ to "the Duenna, containing 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 pur"fued, dogged, and way-laid through feveral na"tions, and even now scarce think myself secure "within the facred walls of this Palace. It has "been my good fortune to have seen 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 a) I impa

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tiently 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 faithful and impartial.”

He foon after performed his promife, 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 jealousy of the Queen's Ministry.

a This marks the time when the Introduction was written.

Tho' 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, feveral years being elapfed, I have reason to believe this excellent perfon is either dead, or carried by his vehement thirft of knowledge 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 ftyle 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.

N the City of Munfter in Germany, lived a grave

IN

and learned Gentleman, by Profeffion an Antiquary; who, among all his invaluable Curiofities,

Memoirs.] Mr. Pope, Dr. Arbuthnot and Dr. Swift projected to write a fatire in conjunction, on the abufes of human learning; and to make it the better received, they propofed to do it in the manner of Cervantes (the original author of this fpecies of fatire) under the history of fome feigned adventures. They had obferved thofe abuses ftill kept their ground against all that the ableft and graveft Authors could fay to difcredit them; they concluded therefore, the force of ridicule was wanting to quicken their difgrace; which was here in its place, when the abuses had been already detected by fober reasoning; and Truth in no danger to fuffer by the premature use of so powerful an inftrument. But the feparation of our Author's friends, which foon after happened, with the death of one, and the infirmities of the other, put a final ftop to their project, when they had only drawn out