Jesuitical journalist to flame forth with the true spirit of
a popish inquisitor, is, the publication of proposals for
printing by subscription, Essays on Crucifixion; Syncopes,
or Fainting-Fits; the uncertainty of the signs of Death, and
the real nature and frequency of those Accidents which have
been called Resurrections from the Dead; and on Miracles,
their Nature, and the Evidence for them. There is surely
nothing, either in this title or the proposals themselves,
which appears to have a pernicious tendency against any
religious establishment whatsoever; and he, surely, must be
endued with a wonderful penetration, who can discover any
thing like it in them. They seem only to promise medical and
philosophical enquiries into medical and philosophical
subjects. Why may not an essay on Crucifixion be as harmless
as a dissertation on Tar-Water? and what destructive
consequences can attend a treatise on Fainting-Fits and
counterfeited Death, more than a treatise on broken heads or
bloody noses? They are all physical subjects, and fall
within the province of a medical writer, which it is to be
supposed the author of the proposals is, otherwise he cannot
be equal to the task he has undertaken. But our admirable
and sagacious inspector thus addresses the public, _'Tis
palpable, 'tis evident_, says he, _that this man means to
tell you, the Saviour of the world did not die upon the
cross; that he did not rise from the dead; that he did not
work miracles._ I shall only observe, that the words Jesus,
Christianity, or even Religion, are not so much as once
mentioned in these proposals, and probably may not be found
in the work itself, when it appears. Hence we may reasonably
infer, that the world is indebted for these discoveries to
the wonderful acuteness of the Inspectorial nostrils, which
can smell out irreligion and infidelity, where no such
things are intended, or even dreamt of. If such, indeed, are
the intentions of this proposer, he is, doubtless, greatly
obliged to his good friend, the Inspector, or rather the
would-be inquisitor, for discovering to the public what it
seems he himself either would not, or durst not, so much as
hint at. But 'tis malice, 'tis fiction all, and 'tis most
probable, the author himself never had any such things in
his thoughts.
But to be serious, for the subject requires it; too much
detestation, too much abhorrence, can never be shewn for the
principles and practices of this journalist, and they can
never be sufficiently exposed and exploded. If he is not
sincere, if he makes religion only a stalking horse, to
gratify his passions, his pride, his vanity, his ambition,
or his interest, there never was a character more infamous,
more detestable. If he is sincere, his principles are
equally destructive, equally pernicious, to all the most
valuable interests of civil government and social life.
I would incline to the more favourable interpretation; but,
without any breach of charity, it may be said, that his
dirty interest is one of his great motives for such a
conduct. In a late famous letter of his, where, in so many
words, he affirms, that _no other, unless he be conjured
from the dead, is qualified to be Keeper of Sir Hans
Sloane's Museum, except himself_, he thus addresses the
Chancellor: _My Lord, I shall conclude with saying that, to
his grace of Canterbury, I hope that respect I have, in all
my writings, shewn to the religion of my country, will prove
some recommendation._ Here the cloven foot manifestly
appears; and, do doubt, he greedily laid hold of these
proposals, to display, at this seasonable juncture, that
_recommending_ respect to the religion of his country, which
he imagined, though perhaps erroneously, was intended to be
attacked.
_FINIS._
* * * * *
* * * *
_The Editors of THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY_
_are pleased to announce that_
THE WILLIAM ANDREWS CLARK MEMORIAL LIBRARY
_of The University of California, Los Angeles_
will become the publisher of the Augustan Reprints in May, 1949. The
editorial policy of the Society will continue unchanged. As in the past,
the editors will strive to furnish members inexpensive reprints of rare
seventeenth and eighteenth century works.
All correspondence concerning subscriptions in the United States and
Canada should be addressed to the William Andrews Clark Memorial
Library, 2205 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles 7, California.
Correspondence concerning editorial matters may be addressed to any of
the general editors. Membership fee continues $2.50 per year ($2.75 in
Great Britain and the continent). British and European subscribers
should address B. H. Blackwell, Broad Street, Oxford, England.
Publications for the fourth year (1949-1950)
(_At least six items will be printed in the main from the following
list_)
[Where available, Project Gutenberg e-text numbers are shown in
brackets. The numbering system using "Series I-VI" was abandoned
after Year 3, and earlier publications were retroactively renumbered.]
SERIES IV: MEN, MANNERS, AND CRITICS
John Dryden, _His Majesties Declaration Defended_ (1681) [15074]
Daniel Defoe (?), _Vindication of the Press_ (1718) [14084 (year 5)]
_Critical Remarks on Sir Charles Grandison, Clarissa, and Pamela_ (1754)
[_present text_]
SERIES V: DRAMA
Thomas Southerne, _Oroonoko_ (1696) [_not published_]
Mrs. Centlivre, _The Busie Body_ (1709) [16740]
Charles Johnson, _Caelia_ (1733) [_not published_]
Charles Macklin, _Man of the World_ (1781) [14463 (year 5)]
SERIES VI: POETRY AND LANGUAGE
Andre Dacier, _Essay on Lyric Poetry_ [_not published_]
_Poems_ by Thomas Sprat [_not published_]
_Poems_ by the Earl of Dorset [_not published_]
Samuel Johnson, _Vanity of Human Wishes_ (1749), and one of the 1750
_Rambler_ papers. [13350]
EXTRA SERIES:
Lewis Theobald, _Preface to Shakespeare's Works_ (1733) [16346]
A few copies of the early publications of the Society are still
available at the original rate.
GENERAL EDITORS
H. RICHARD ARCHER, Clark Memorial Library
RICHARD C. BOYS, University of Michigan
EDWARD NILES HOOKER, University of California, Los Angeles
H. T. SWEDENBERG JR., University of California, Los Angeles
------------------------------------------------------------
TO THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY
_William Andrews Clark Memorial Library_
_2205 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles 7, California_
AS MEMBERSHIP FEE I enclose for:
_Name_ ___________________________________________
_Address_ ________________________________________
{ The fourth year $2.50
{ The third and fourth year 5.00
{ The second, third and fourth year 7.50
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{ [Add $.25 for each year if ordering from Great Britain
{ or the continent]
Make check or money order payable to THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA.
_Note: All income of the Society is devoted to defraying cost of
printing and mailing._
PUBLICATIONS OF THE AUGUSTAN REPRINT SOCIETY
[All titles from the first three years are available from Project
Gutenberg; e-text numbers are given in brackets.]
First Year (1946-1947)
1. Richard Blackmore's _Essay upon Wit_ (1716), and Addison's _Freehold_
No. 45 (1716). (I, 1) [13484]
2. Samuel Cobb's _Of Poetry_ and _Discourse on Criticism_ (1707).
(II, 1) [14937]
3. _Letter to A. H. Esq.; concerning the Stage_ (1698), and Richard
Willis' _Occasional Paper No. IX_ (1698). (III, 1) [14047]
4. _Essay on Wit_ (1748), together with Characters by Flecknoe, and
Joseph Warton's _Adventurer_ Nos. 127 and 133. (I, 2) [14528]
5. Samuel Wesley's _Epistle to a Friend Concerning Poetry_ (1700) and
_Essay on Heroic Poetry_ (1693). (II, 2) [16506]
6. _Representation of the Impiety and Immorality of the Stage_ (1704)
and _Some Thoughts Concerning the Stage_ (1704). (III, 2) [15656]
Second Year (1947-1948)
7. John Gay's _The Present State of Wit_ (1711); and a section on Wit
from _The English Theophrastus_ (1702). (I, 3) [14800]
8. Rapin's _De Carmine Pastorali_, translated by Creech (1684). (II, 3)
[14495]
9. T. Hanmer's (?) _Some Remarks on the Tragedy of Hamlet_ (1736).
(III, 3) [14899]
10. Corbyn Morris' _Essay towards Fixing the True Standards of Wit,
etc._ (1744). (I, 4) [16233]
11. Thomas Purney's _Discourse on the Pastoral_ (1717). (II, 4) [15313]
12. Essays on the Stage, selected, with an Introduction by Joseph Wood
Krutch. (III, 4) [16335]
Third Year (1948-1949)
13. Sir John Falstaff (pseud.), _The Theatre_ (1720). (IV, 1) [15999]
14. Edward Moore's _The Gamester_ (1753). (V, 1) [16267]
15. John Oldmixon's _Reflections on Dr. Swift's Letter to Harley_
(1712); and Arthur Mainwaring's _The British Academy_ (1712). (VI, 1)
[25091]
16. Nevil Payne's _Fatal Jealousy_ (1673). (V, 2) [16916]
17. Nicholas Rowe's _Some Account of the Life of Mr. William Shakespear_
(1709). (Extra Series, I) [16275]
18. Aaron Hill's Preface to _The Creation_; and Thomas Brereton's
Preface to _Esther_. (IV, 2) [15870]
* * * * *
* * * *
Errors and Inconsistencies
In the body text, variable spellings such as "villany" : "villainy" and
"intire" : "entire" are unchanged. Unless otherwise noted, all spelling,
punctuation and capitalization are as printed.
Introduction:
"... an ordinary Share of Virtue" (p. 24) [(p.24)]
Critical Remarks:
there never can be any thing but a perpetual jarring discord
[pertpeual]
limited state of the human understanding [understandng]
according to his particular temper or circumstances [cricumstances]
How to reconcile to probability
[_printed "proba-/bability" at line break_]
But as these precepts and examples are now applied
[_"a" in "and" printed upside-down_]
and by the serpent, lust or pleasure. This allegory [pleasure,]
just as she was setting out [just us]
paint a Chloe or a Sachurissa [_unchanged: error for "Sacharissa"?_]
Ben Johnson replied, he wished [_spelling unchanged_]
any difference in opinions, merely speculative [opinions.]
the Detestation of all Mankind [_first "l" in "all" invisible_]