Why d----e what would you be at?
_I writ below myself_, you sot!
Avoiding figures, tropes, what not;
For fear I should my fancy _raise
Above the level of thy plays_!"
[25] "_Athenae Britannicae_, or a Critical History of the Oxford and
Cambridge Writers and Writings, with those of the Dissenters
and Romanists, as well as other Authors and Worthies, both
Domestic and Foreign, both Ancient and Modern. Together with
an occasional freedom of thought, in criticising and comparing
the parallel qualifications of the most eminent authors and
their performances, both in MS. and print, both at home and
abroad. By M. D. London, 1716." On the first volume of this
series, Dr. Farmer, a bloodhound of unfailing scent in curious
and obscure English books, has written on the leaf "This is
the only copy I have met with." Even the great bibliographer,
Baker, of Cambridge, never met but with three volumes (the
edition at the British Museum is in seven), sent him as a
great curiosity by the Earl of Oxford, and now deposited in
his collection at St. John's College. Baker has written this
memorandum in the first volume: "Few copies were printed, so
the work has become scarce, and for that reason will be
valued. The book in the greatest part is borrowed from modern
historians, but yet contains some things more uncommon, and
not easily to be met with." How superlatively rare must be the
English volumes which the eyes of Farmer and Baker never
lighted on!
[26] These clubs are described in Macky's "Journey through England,"
1724. He says they were formed to uphold the Royalist party
on the accession of King George I. "This induced a set of
gentlemen to establish _Mughouses_ in all the corners of
this great city, for well-affected tradesmen to meet and keep
up the spirit of loyalty to the Protestant succession," and
to be ready to join their forces for the suppression of the
other party. "Many an encounter they had, till at last the
Parliament was obliged by a law to put an end to this city
strife, which had this good effect, that upon the pulling
down of the Mughouse in Salisbury Court, for which some boys
were hanged on this act, the city has not been troubled with
them since." It was the custom in these houses to allow no
other drink but ale to be consumed, which was brought in mugs
of earthenware; a chairman was elected, and he called on the
members of the company for songs, which were generally party
ballads of a strongly-worded kind, as may be seen in the
small collection printed in 1716, entitled "A Collection of
State Songs, Poems, &c., published since the Rebellion, and
sung in the several Mughouses in the cities of London and
Westminster."--ED.