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public, by discontinuing my endeavours to please; and was bravely resolved, like Raleigh, to vex them by burning my manuscript in a passion. Upon re collection, however, I considered what set or body of people would be displeased at my rashness. The sun, after so sad an accident, might shine next morning as bright as usual; men might laugh and sing the next day, and transact business as before, and not a single creature feel any regret but myself.

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I reflected upon the story of a minister, who in the reign of Charles II. upon a certain occasion, re signed all his posts, and retired into the country in a fit of resentment. But as he had not given the world entirely up with his ambition, he sent a messenger to town, to see how the courtiers would bear his resignation. Upon the messenger's return, he was asked whether there appeared any commotion at court? To which he replied, There were very great ones. "Ay," says the minister, "I knew my friends "would make a bustle; all petitioning the king for my restoration, I presume." "No, Sir," replied the messenger, "they are only petitioning his ma jesty to be put in your place." In the same man. ner, should I retire in indignation, instead of hav ing Apollo in mourning, or the Muses in a fit of the spleen; instead of having the learned world apostrophising at my untimely decease, perhaps all Grubstreet might laugh at my fall, and self-approving dignity might never be able to shield me from ridi cule. In short, I am resolved to write on, if it were only to spite them. If the present generation will not hear my voice, hearken, O posterity! to you I call, and from you I expect redress! What rapture will it not give to have the Scaligers, Daciers, and Warburtons of future times commenting with admiration upon every linel nowwrite, working away those ignorant creatures, who offer to arraign my merit,

with all the virulence of learned reproach. Ay, my friends, let them feel it; call names, never spare them; they deserve it all, and ten times more. I have been told of a critic, who was crucified at the command of another to the reputation of Homer. That, no doubt, was more than poetical justice, and I shall be perfectly content if those, who criticise me, are only clapped in the pillory, kept fifteen days upon bread and water, and obliged to run the gantlope through Paternoster-row. The truth is, I can expect happiness from posterity either way. If I write ill, happy in being forgotten; if well, happy in being remembered with respect.

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Yet, considering things in a prudential light, perhaps I was mistaken in designing my paper as, an agreeable relaxation to the studious, or an help to conversation among the gay; instead of addressing it to such, I should have written down to the taste and apprehension of the many, and sought for reputation on the broad road. Literary fame I now find like religious, generally begins among the vulgar. As for the polite, they are so very polite, as never to applaud upon any account. One of these, with a face screwed up into affectation, tells you, that fools may admire, but men of sense only approve. Thus, lest he should rise in rapture at any thing new, he keeps down every passion but pride and self-importance; approves with phlegm, and the poor author is damned in the taking a pinch of snuff. Another has written a book himself, and being con. demned for a dunce, he turns a sort of king's evidence in criticism, and now becomes the terror of every offender. A third, possessed of full grown reputation, shades off every beam of favour from those who endeavour to grow beneath him, and keeps down that merit, which, but for his influence, might rise into equal eminence. While others, still

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worse, peruse old books for their amusement, and new books only to condemn; so that the public seem heartily sick of all but the business of the day, and read every thing now with as little attention as they examine the faces of the passing crowd.

From these considerations I was once determined to throw off all connections with taste, and fairly address my countrymen in the same engaging style and manner with other periodical pamphlets, much more in vogue than probably mine shall ever be. To effect this, I had thoughts of changing the title into that of the ROYAL BEE, the ANTIGALLICAn Bee, or the BEE'S MAGAZINE. I had laid in a proper stock of popular topics, such as encomiums on the king of Prussia, invectives against the queen of Hun. gary and the French, the necessity of a militia, our undoubted sovereignty of the seas, reflections upon the present state of affairs, a dissertation upon liberty, some seasonable thoughts upon the intended bridge of Black-friars, and an address to Britons. The his tory of an old woman, whose teeth grew three inches long, an ode upon our victories, a rebus, an acrostic upon Miss Peggy P. and a journal of the weather. All this, together with four extraordinary pages of letter press, a beautiful map of England, and two prints curiously coloured from Nature, I fancied might touch their very souls. I was actually beginning an address to the people, when my pride at last overcame my prudence, and determined me to endeavour to please by the goodness of my entertainment, rather than by the magnificence of my sign.

The Spectator, and many succeeding essayists, frequently inform us of the numerous compliments paid them in the course of their lucubrations; of the frequent encouragements they met to inspire them with ardour, and encrease their eagerness to please. I have received my letters as well as they; but alas!

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not congratulatory ones; not assuring me of success and favour; but pregnant with bodings that might shake even fortitude itself.

One gentleman assures me, he intends to throw away no more three-pences in purchasing the BEE, and what is still more dismal, he will not recom mend me as a poor author wanting encouragement to his neighbourhood, which it seems is very numerous. Were my soul set upon three-pences, what anxiety might not such a denunciation produce! But such does not happen to be the present motive of publication; I write partly to shew my good-nature, and partly to shew my vanity; nor will I lay down the pen till I am satisfied, one way or another.

Others have disliked the title and the motto of my paper, point out a mistake in the one, and assure me the other has been consigned to dulness by anticipation. All this may be true; but what is that to me? Titles and mottos to books are like escutcheons and dignities in the hands of a king. The wise sometimes condescend to accept of them; but none but a fool would imagine them of any real importance. We ought to depend upon intrinsic merit, and not the slender helps of title. Nam qua non fecimus ipsi, vix ea nostra voco.,

For my part, I am ever ready to mistrust a promising title, and have, at some expence, been instructed not to hearken to the voice of an advertisement, let it plead never so loudly, or never so long. A countryman coming one day to Smithfield, in or der to take a slice of bartholomew-fair, found a perfect shew before every booth. The drummer, the fire-eater, the wire-walker, and the salt-box were all employed to invite him in. "Just a going; the "court of the king of Prussia in all his glory; pray, "gentlemen, walk in and see." From people who generously gave so much away, the clown expected

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á monstrous bargain for his money when he got in, He steps up, pays his sixpence, the curtain is drawn, when, too late, he finds that he had the best part of the shew for nothing at the door.

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EVERY country has its traditions, which either too minute, or not sufficiently authentic to receive historical sanction, are handed down among the vul, gar, and serve at once to instruct and amuse them. Of this number the adventures of Robin Hood, the hunting of Chevy-chace, and the bravery of Johnny Armstrong among the English; of Kaul Dereg among the Irish; and Creigton among the Scots are instances. Of all the traditions, however, I remember to have heard, I do not recollect any more remarkable than one still current in Flanders; a story generally the first the peasants tell their chil dren, when they bid them behave like Bidderman the wise. It is by no means, however, a model to be set before a polite people for imitation; since if on the one hand we perceive in it the steady influence of patriotism; we on the other find as strong a desire of revenge. But, to wave introduction, let us to the story..

When the Saracens over-ran Europe with their armies, and penetrated as far even as Antwerp, Bidderman was lord of a city, which time has since swept into destruction. As the inhabitants of this country were divided under separate leaders, the Sa racens found an easy conquest, and the city of Bidderman among the rest became a prey to the victors.

Thus

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