. But when I say that I have verfified you, I take a pride in boasting, that I am not your mere verfifier. I take a pleasure too in owning, that you yourself led me to attempt a nobler fpecies of compofition. I had read, fome years ago, your very delectable Eclogue of The 'Squire and the Parfon, written on occafion of that glorious peace, the honour of making which, is to be inscribed one day (may it be a late one!) on the mausoleum of the Earl of Bute. This, Sir, led me to think of giving my prefent performance a dramatic caft, fo far as an Eclogue can poffefs that title. On this idea, having refolved to make you my TITYRUS, I had not far to feek for a MELIBOEUS. A brother writer, who has of late endeavoured to diffeminate prin ciples, fimilar to fome of yours, with unnufual, though abortive industry, immediately occured to my imagination. And as immediately I resolved to read his more elaborate treatise, in order to enable me to execute my plan with greater exactitude, and better preservation of fentiment and character.

Although I must own, that this exercitation of my patience coft me many a yawn, yet I found, to my great fatisfaction, that this writer allowed for true, what you hold to be false, those two first principles of Mr. Locke, that men are equal, and D 2

that

that men are free*. I concluded, therefore, that he was a very proper person to dispute those points with you. Accordingly, without farther ceremonial, I fet you both down, not indeed fub tegmine fagi, but, for the fake of the coftume, in a fnug town coffee-house, and there entered you fairly into debate.

If, on your part, Sir, I have ever done more than elucidated any of thofe affertions, which you call arguments, I humbly ask your pardon: and on the Dean's, if I have made him a little too lively and spiritual, I as humbly afk his. I know nothing does fo much harm to an ecclefiaftic, in the road of preferment, as the bare fufpicion of being witty. But, as the Divine in question has long been a dean, and has fworn that he will never be a bishop, I hope no great harm is done.

That you may long remain on the illuftrious Lift of Penfioners, even after the ufeful Board, from which you derive that right, shall be no more; that, having changed from Tory to Whig in the ministry of the Duke of Newcastle, from Whig to Tory under thofe, or rather that of Lords Bute and North, you may now again change from Tory to Whig

See Tucker on Government, ch. ft.

under

under the New Administration :—and (fince we have it on very eloquent evidence, that it is now the fashion for perfons of the greatest confequence to be no longer in fhackles) that you may foon cease to be encumbered with your prefent flavish prin ciples, is the fincere and fervent with of,

THE

DEAN AND THE 'S QUIRE.

IN Coffee houfe of good account,

Not far from Bond-street, call'd The Mount,
Soame Jenyns met the Dean of Gloucester ;
And, as they fate in lounging posture,
Each on his bench, and face to face,
The Dean began in tone of bass :
While Jenyns, in his treble key,
Replied with much alacrity.

Repeat, my mufe, th' alternate ftrains,

That flow'd from thefe Arcadian fwains,
Who both were equally alert

10

Or to deny, or to affert.

DEAN.

'Squire Jenyns, fince with like intent,
We both have writ on Government,
And both ftand stubborn as a rock
Against the principles of Locke,
Let us, like brother meeting brother,
Compare our notes with one another.
'Tis true, I've not had time to look,
Tho' much I wifh'd it, in your book.

Et cantare pares, & refpondere parati.—VIRG.

'SQUIRE.

'S QUIRE.

Doctor, my book is quickly read.

DEAN.

I'd other crotchets in my head.
But you, I guefs, have studied mine.

'S QUIRE.

No, to my thame, not evʼn a line.

DEAN.

That's fomething strange-yet fortunate;

For now on par we shall debate.

'S QUIRE.

True. Who to play at whift regards,
When he, that deals, has seen the cards ?

DEAN.

Well put. First then, 'tis fit, I deem,
You tell me how you treat your theme.

'S QUIRE.

I controvert those five pofitions,

Which Whigs pretend are the conditions

25

30

Ver. 22.] The Dean had been employed in writing his Cui Bono? to Monf. Neckar, which is faid, by perfons who have read it, to contain many curious crotchets. Cui Bono ?