TO THE READER.

I Am, by Profeſſion, no Poet, Yet, having a Son, of my own, at this Time, of no ſmall Hope, in one of our famous Univerſities; I cannot, therefore, be ſuppos'd to want Reverence for thoſe Seminaries of the Muſes: Upon this Account partly (for, of Itſelf, I have no great Opinion of Poetry) but, perceiving, at the Head of the Manuſcript, that it had been written by a Fellow of All-Souls; and chiefly, invited by ſome encour⯑aging Expreſſions, in the Beginning, alluding to a Chariot, that could carry a Man up to the Stars, I beſtow'd a ſerious Peruſal on the Ver⯑ſes, which I, herewith, publiſh; and which I found one rainy Day, at the Bottom of a [vi] Hackney-Coach; where, I ſuppoſe, they might have been dropt, by Somebody, who had been in Poſſeſſion of that Coach, before me.

But, I confeſs, the oftner I perus'd the Ma⯑nuſcript, the leſs I was able to comprehend of its Meaning; I had not, indeed, labour'd far in the Matter, before I diſcovered, that the Au⯑thor, notwithſtanding he has been pleaſed to make free with the Stars, is a Novice in our Science;— ſo that what he writes, con⯑cerning the Thinneſs of Heaven's Purlieus;—ſurmounting the Stars in a Chariot of Air, and ſuch like promiſing Conceptions, ought not (I believe) to be taken in the ſtrict Senſe of the Phraſe, but only for a Joke, or a Fancy;—However, ſome of my Profeſſion, to whom I ſhew'd it, agreed, that it was a dark Piece of Work, had more in it, than Satire; and, for any thing They, or I, knew to the contrary, might be Matter of Danger to the Government, and ought to be carried to the Secretary's Office.

By a Mind, laudably filled with a Zeal for his Country's Safety, every Hint, that infers its Danger, ſhould be thought of the utmoſt Importance; To the Secretary's Office, therefore, I went with it, and put it into the Hands of one, who appear'd to think Himſelf more conſi⯑derable, than any Body, I cou'd ſee about him; I begg'd the Favour, that he would look it over, and give me his Opinion, whether it was a treaſonable Libel: I would not, willingly, do [vii] Injuſtice to the Characters of Perſons, above my Station, (tho' it is well known, Phyſick, and Aſtrology, are conſider'd with Reſpect, among Liberal Sciences.) But, truly, be ſeem'd to me, to peruſe it, with leſs Seriouſneſs, than, I ſuppoſe, with all due Reverence to his Office, became the Truſt, that was lodg'd in him: For he laugh'd out, once, or twice; and, lifting his Eyes from the Paper, took upon him, to remark me, with a Countenance, which I thought too merry for the Occaſion: He was pleas'd, when he came to the following Lines, to read them aloud, to a Young Spark, in Red, and ask'd him, what He thought of the Mat⯑ter?—I confeſs, I was almoſt in a Paſſion, when this Feather-Brain made anſwer, that it was the livelieſt Satire in the World, upon a Bawdy-Houſe, of his Acquaintance, by the Bank Side, over the Water!—I cite the very Verſes, for the Reader's more effectual Amazement, at the Unaccountableneſs of the Young Fellows of this forward Generation!

I could not forbear telling this Story, with due Gravity, and Reſentment, to a certain [viii] Lawyer, of my Acquaintance, whom I met, juſt landed, at White-Hall Stairs: we walk'd together, a few Turns, in the Privy-Garden, and he open'd the Manuſcript, where it ſpeaks of Shapeleſs Bodies,

He read it, once and again, and was clear in his Opinion it meant the Maſquerade, in the Hay-market: He own'd, indeed, that, under proper Hands, it might be explain'd into ſomething more conſiderable—But we wave it, cry'd he, after reading it a little farther, we will wave the Point of Treaſon, in Exchange for Scandalum Magnatum! It follows here, as clear, as Sunſhine, upon a Miniſter of State, and a Privy-Counſellor: Then he read to me this ſlanderous Inuendo, of People, who coming within Reach of a dark, buſtling, Power, obſcurely ſeen,

He ask'd me, whether I did not plainly diſcern, what great Man, in a certain Aſſem⯑bly, was pointed at, under this Image of a dark, buſtling, Power, obſcurely ſeen; upon which, recollecting myſelf, as became me, and pondering the Words, to the beſt of my Capa⯑city, I reply'd, I thought it was the Devil.— He ſhook his Head, and inform'd me, civilly, that I was, a little, miſtaken; but perceiving me, in ſome meaſure abaſh'd, he aſſur'd me, it was ſo natural an Error, that any Body might have fallen into it, as well as I: Then proceeded to convince me, that ſhining Sand was a Cant-Word for Mo⯑ney Bags; that by the Boats ſaid to be diſtri⯑buted, at Random, by the Bounty of the blind Power, that was ſo buſy in Darkneſs, was to be underſtood, thoſe Gratifications, impudently call'd Penſions, by Perſons diſaffected to the Miniſtry; That, for Example, the largeſt of ſuch pretended Penſions were repreſented, under the Similitude of Boats which had Sails, and Oars, together:— Middling Penſions, were Boats with many Oars:— Smaller ſtill, were One-Oar'd Barks:— The leaſt of all, were Pole-men:— And as for the naked Waders, it was, by this Time, become [x] clear to my own unaſſiſted Capacity, that they could mean nothing, but thoſe poor Souls, who were neglected by the black Buſtler, and had no Penſions at all to take Boat with.

My ingenious Friend the Lawyer, advis'd me to write a Letter, to the Great Man, who had made ſo light of a good Subject's Informa⯑tion, and put him in Mind of the Fate of Philotas.— He added, that the Fears of Stateſmen would be more awake, for their Maſters, if leſs watchful for Themſelves: He was ſorry, he was, then, in Haſte, but invi⯑ted me next Morning to his Chambers, where he aſſured me, no Aſſiſtance, in his Power, ſhould be wanting, to make ſomething of the Matter, we had been conferring on.

How admirable is the Penetration of ſome Men's Spirits! and how powerful the good Influence of their Example!—I, who, before I had received this Light, could ſee no Tendency to ſuch ſeditious Purpoſe, in the Ma⯑nuſcript, ſo providentially decypher'd, could, now, in every Page of it, diſcover the cleareſt, and moſt viſible, Diſaffection: Nay, I have, ſince that Time, upon frequent Reviſal of the Libel, under Help of better Eyes, than my own, found Popery in it, as well as Jacobitiſm. Not to mention, that the Pope's Name, Itſelf, in great Letters, ſtands audaciouſly written at the End of it.

I ſent a Copy, with a Recital of all the foregoing Particulars, to my Boy, before-men⯑tion'd, [xi] who is, now, of three Years ſtanding, at the College; where, I fear, his Political Principles have been new-modell'd, ſince I ſaw him; for he ſeems a little Malepert, in a Let⯑ter, he return'd me, for Anſwer: which, however, in Juſtice to the good Parts of the Youth, I take Pleaſure in Publiſhing; not ſup⯑poſing, the Childiſh Miſtake, it turns upon, capable of making any Impreſſion, upon Readers, who know the World, and are acquainted with Men and Buſineſs.