tinguished from the reft of Mankind; and from which we may one Day promife ourselves fuch a Superiority of Rank and Character, as is due to fuch fuperior Merit, and the Services, we are every Day doing to our native Country.

The Figure we made, and the Rank we fuftained, in the learned World, for above a thousand Years, is too well known to admit of a Difpute; our Enemies themselves confefs it, and, by a prepofterous Kind of Vanity, upbraid us with it. It is well known, that during that long Space of Time, we had. the intire Government and Direction of much the greater Part of the Universities, Churches, Schools, and learned Societies in Europe; and filled moft of the Profeffors Chairs in every Faculty. This is fo notorious, that we have ever fince, by univerfal Consent, obtained the distinguishing Title of the Schoolmen. And the Divinity and Philofophy of thofe Schools of ours, were the Light and Glory of those happy Ages. We were the fole Authors of those immense Treasures of Learning, which, fince the Invention of Printing, have made fuch a pompous and voluminous Appearance in the Libraries of the Learned, under the illuftrious Titles of Summa, Sententiæ, Loci Communes, Diatribe, Commentaria, Thefauri, Collectanea, Queftiones, &c. which, by the barbarous Pride and Ignorance of the Moderns, are brought into fo great Contempt, that nothing but public Libraries, fecured by Locks, and Bolts, and Chains, can preserve them from the worse than Gothic Fury of Pastry-cooks, Bandbox-makers, Grocers, and Chandlers. This was in a great measure owing to the malicious Oppofition we met with, about two CentuB 3

rics

ries ago, from that bitter Enemy to all profound Erudition, Erafmus; who, with fome other evilminded Perfons in that and our own Country, raised fuch a Cry and Perfecution against us, as had well nigh ended in the Deftruction of our whole Fainily; notwithstanding all which, though we were often obliged to fhift our Quarters, in order to escape the Fury of our Perfecutors, we still continued to hold up our Heads, and make a tolerable Figure in fome Parts of the World or other; from whence we have been able, from time to time, to fend Authors and Profeffors to fome of the most eminent Societies in Europe. And thefe are they that have enriched the learned World with many voluminous Inquiries, acute Conjectures, and profound Difcoveries, in every Branch of Science, and Article of Learning.

Very few of us indeed have pretended to be Authors of particular Syftems, founded upon Principles, and regularly digefted into Conclufions; yet have we not been wanting in our beft Endeavours, to improve and illustrate several Articles of Knowledge, which others have, through Pride or Ignorance, overlooked or defpifed. How many curious and learned Differtations, for inftance, have we published, De Nummulis, Veftibus, Vafibus, Fibulis, Cochlearibus, Salinis, Urnis, Balneis, Sepulchris, &c. Romanis, to the great Comfort and Edification of all true Lovers of Antiquity, and the clearer Elucidation of the most valuable Writers of that Age and Nation? and convinced the learned World, that the venerable Ruft of one of those precious Relics was of more Value to a true Virtuofo, than the moft exact Knowledge of

the

the Genius, Policy, and Actions of that mighty Nation. For how could we poffibly form an exact Notion (for inftance) of a Roman Feaft, and the luxurious Entertainments, fo frequently defcribed by the Satirifts and Hiftorians of thofe Times, without knowing the exact Form of the Tables, Dishes, Spoons, Salts, Cookery, and Sauces, that were used on thofe Occafions? What Idea could we have of the Beaux and Belles of antient Rome, when they made their grand Appearance at a Ball, in the Theatre, or at Court, unless we know exactly the Name, Shape, and Matter of every Piece and Article of their Dress, without which, many a fine Paffage in Petronius, Perfius, Juvenal, and Horace, would be perfectly unintelligible? It was this Sort of Knowledge, that enabled a certain great Genius of our own to write fuch excellent Notes upon Athenæus ; in order to which, he fpared no Coft nor Pains to procure the best Light he could from the Writings of the Antients, In the Course of his Inquiries, he had the good Fortune to find an excellent Receipt for a Pudding, in one of Ariftophanes's Plays. He alfo difcovered the true Way of making and frying the celebrated Alphiton, or Barley-meal Pancake, of the Spartans, and the black Broth of the Lacedæmonians; as alfo the Matter and Form of the famous Thericlean Cups, which were used in their most magnificent Entertainments; with many other important Discoveries in the Greek and Roman Cookery. By his profound and exact Knowledge of the Roman Coiffeure, he has given abundant Lights to many obfcure Paffages in the Roman Satirists; particularly that in Juvenal, which has fo much puzzled the antient Scholiafts Compagibus altis

B 4

ædificare

adificare caput, which in short was neither more nor lefs than dreffing a Commode. By these and other useful Labours of this Sort, we have contributed not a little to the Improvement of the Belles Lettres in all Parts of Europe, especially in Germany and Italy, as well as in our own Country. How many learned Editors, Tranflators, Commentators, Critics, and Grammarians have we produced? How many various Readings even of various Readings, how many Notes upon Annotations, Criticisms upon Critics, and Commentaries upon Commentators, have we published? How many elaborate Treatifes have we compofed upon such Subjects as never entered into any Heads, or employed any Pens but our own? How many useful and valuable Words, Letters, Commas, Colons, and Semicolons, and other Cements and Ornaments of good Writing, which, by the barbarous Ignorance, or unpardonable Negligence of Transcribers and Printers, have been mutilated, defaced, mifplaced, or loft, have we recovered and reftored to their proper Rank and Dignity in the Republic of Learning?

The Preference that has been given by a* Learned Writer to the Germans and Italians, in these Improvements and Refinements of Learning, is, in my Opinion, little less than a national Reflection upon our own Countrymen; and I verily believe was fo intended.

The Germans (fays he, p. 199.) have wrote GeneaJogies innumerable, and published fo many Diplomata, Acts, Rules, and Ufages, not only of every State and Province, but of every petty Seigniory, Diftri&t, Village, School,

A Defcription of Holland. London 1743.

Convent,

Convent, Univerfity, &c. enough, collected together, to compofe a Body of 5 or 600 Folio's, have, with infinite Pains, Paffion, and Prolixity, cleared up a remote Hint .of an antient Poet, about an old Medal, or the Situation of a Lake, as Matters of infinitely more Importance than to know the Hiftory of their Forefathers, and the Virtues of thofe Waters, Plants, Food, Fruit, and Air, so neceffary to their Country and themselves. Which to be fure was quite right. For, as for the Virtues of their Soil, Waters, Plants, Food, Fruit, and Air, in which the most illiterate Blockheads in the Country, and the Beasts themselves, had as great an Interest as the most learned Philofopher, they were proper Subjects of Inquiry for Physicians, Gardeners, Dairy-men, and Graziers; but were unworthy the particular Attention of Men of Science and profound Erudition: Whereas to a true Virtuofo, one Purfe of Brass or Silver Medals would be of more Value than 100 of Portuguese Gold; and the recovering the Situation of an old Lake, would be of more Confequence than recovering a good old Manfion-Houfe and 5000 Acres of dry Land to the Family,

He proceeds (p. 200.) The Learning and Inquiries » of Italy have been very well employed during the three laft Centuries. It is now found out, and demonstrated beyond the Poffibility of Contradiction, that the Corona radialis had twelve Rays in it, and not fix or eight, as was fondly believed before: That Juno Sofpita's Feet were always bare, though the Generality of Antiquaries and Sculptors have been fo ignorant as to wrap them up in Bufkins or Stockings. It is alfo fully made out, that the Tibia or Flagelet bad more Stops than it has hitherto been defcribed to have; and this, the laft Pope but one,

who