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« dek; whereas, there was the ftrongest reafon for Melchizedek thus to "fhew his gratitude to Abraham," p. 13. What? did not Abraham form a confederacy, and come from Mamre, arm'd Cap-a-per, on purpofe to fight for Melchizedek? Did he not risk his life to procure afety to him and the people of Salim? Verily one would have thought this was or had been the case, or Mr Chubb, a man of great reafon! had not wrote this differtation.

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He proceeds," nor, fecondly, had he (Abraham) any thing in the valley of Shaveh, of his own, to make a prefent with, or to give "tythes of," p. 14. Granting that Abraham and his fervants took nothing with them but their weapons of war, and what was necessary to annoy the enemy; and that all the goods taken in battle, that were or had been the property of Bera the king of Sodom and his people, he generously returned to them: had Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, Tidal king of nations, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellafar, who form'd a powerful league, and held the balance for 12 years fucceffively; and their courtiers or favourites who attended them, and the generals and captains of their armies; had thefe, I fay, no valuable effects in their train? No rich equipages? No peculiar badges or ornaments of diftin&tion ?— If any fuch were found in their camp or upon them, Civilians would, perhaps, adjudge them to Abraham, as bis legal prize and property. But nothing like this must be allow'd of; no, the wife differtator hath provided against it in the margin, p. 15. "It is not to be fuppofed that they needlessly incumbred themselves "with goods and riches, thereby to lay a foundation of Spoil for their "enemies:" tho' it's well known fome eaftern nations carry, in policy, their best effects with them to battle. But it is not to be fuppofed of thefe Affyrian princes. Why? What is the matter? Were they not like ambitious princes of later days, and animated with like paflions? This we allow, (p. 5, 6.) but if the above fuppofition be admitted, Abraham will have materials to make a prefent of the tythe to Melchizedek, and you, who contemplate truth, will be in danger of being led by the author of the epiftle to the Hebrews (fee p. 16, 23.) "who was liable "to err, and did err in this inftance, faying, unto Melchizedek, even "the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoil, chap. vii. 4." and by other feripture writers.

It may here be noted, That the construction the author of the epiftle to the Hebrews hath put on this paffage in the Jewish history, (fuppofing him un-infpired) determining the be who gave tythes to be Abrabam (tho', true it is, he only argues from their own received principles concerning it) is fufficiently warranted by the pious practice of warriors in ancient times, the victors ufually giving gifts, and making fome prefents of the spoil to the gods, and to their friends.

If the remarks above made are juft, it follows: the differtator hath not read the story with due care and attention; hath forfeited the character of a fair and impartial writer; and is not to be trufted in his evidence of or concerning fcripture authors.

St Clement's, Mar. 26, 1746.

M****.

ExtraB

Extrait of a Letter to a Gentleman relating to Mr GumSAGE's Criticism, in the Mifc. Corr. No. V. p. 238.

Oxon, 26. Νου. 1745.

W

--

ERE I blefs'd with the fagacious judgment of Mr Gumfage, I might make a figure in lefs time, and at lefs expenfe. As that gentleman has difplay'd much learning, and (undeniably) great penetration in fhowing that lighten upon is different from enlightening; I imagine (in cafe he is willing to pursue such severe ftudies) that it would oblige the world, fhould he beftow fome of his thoughts on two more paffages of Scripture: one in Pfalm xv. 4. [in the Pfalter] and inform us (from the Vulgate, Septuagint and Hebrew) whether or no He that fetteth not by himself be not to be understood as He that fitteth not by himself.' The other, I Cor. xv. 37. where he might likewife afcertain the meaning of bare grain, viz. whether bare be an adnoun, or the verb BEAR, according to fome ancient orthography?

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Your humble Servant, PHAETHON.

The Gentleman's Answer.

H

mtb. 3 fan. 1746.

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Take notice of your arch feverity on Mr Gumfage; and, for

ty) enjoin you a differtation on With my body I thee WORSHIP.

SOLON.

Of the Words With my Body I thee Worship; in a Letter to a Friend.

Dear Sir,

-IN

N regard to the fubject of the Differtation which you enjoin me: as I am pretty-well aflur'd you requir'd it of me, not to have other people's thoughts, but my own; I fhall freely let you know in what fenfe I understood this Expreffion, before ever my attention was particularly invited to confider it. The Words immediately preceding [viz. with this Ring I thee aved] I eafily enough conceiv'd to mean that the Ring was given as a Token or Pledge of having mutually plighted their Faiths in the Agreement of Marriage. The following Sentences I look'd upon only as explanatory of the former, and a kind of virtual Recapitulation of the Engagement.

I-N. take thee, &c. Accordingly, With my Body 1 thee worhip,' feem'd to mean no more, than that by virtue of the above Contract the Woman fhou'd be entitled to Power over his Body, (1 Cor. vii. 4.) which, thereby being made fubject to her, might, not improperly, be faid to avorship, i. e. (in the common Acceptation of the Word) to pay Homage or Obedience in the Exercife of due Benevolence. Thefe were the Thoughts of my uninform'd Judgment, which as yet I perI have,

ceive no Reafon to alter.

I have, fince the Receipt of Yours, had recourfe to Wheatley on the Common Prayer, and Hooker's Ecclef. Polit. and had the Pleasure to find their Opinions not entirely different. I have learnt, from the former, &c. that' Worship' is of Saxon Original; and fignifies in that Language, as in ours, Dignifying, or Dignity, and (what there's no Danger of its being mistaken for, in the Place above cited) Adoring or Adoration: So that the Word Honour might be (and in King Charles the IId's Reign was promis'd to be) fubftituted in lieu of Worship'.The Reason of its not being done, tho' Mr Wheatley is at a Lofs for it, may poffibly have been, that, in the Days of fo great a Gallant as Charles, it was fear'd the Emendation wou'd difoblige the Ladies; who (ever conscious of their own Excellency) might have been apt to mistake the Meaning of the Expreffion: As denoting the Act of a Superior towards an Inferior,

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A LETTER to the Rev. Dr FREE; occafioned by his late ODE in Imitation of Horace.

A

Rev. Sir,

S I received no little pleafure in the perufal of your GUARDIAN, I have, out of a mere principle of gratitude, thought proper to inform you of it. But for fear you should think that my delight could arife only from my ignorance, I fhall make bold to trouble you with my fentiments on your performance; from whence, I hope, you'll be induced to conclude that my approbation is entirely confiftent with reafon.

I must indeed confefs that feveral eminent poets have obliged us with several IMITATIONS of Horace, which have been efteemed worthy of the Roman, and for the elegance of the expreflion, delicacy of thought, and true poetic fire, almoft equal to the original: but yet it must be acknowledged that they have produced nothing like your GUARDIAN; nor have been able to fink fo low-into their author's meaning. 'Tis in your incomparable piece, that we meet with none of that enthusiasm, for which fome famous authors have been fo notorious. All there is calm, and peaceable; 'tis there that you fhew us that you have all your paffions fubject to your reafon; and as you are in your own person convinced of the happiness of such a state, you have taken care not to roufe, but lay asleep the paffions of your readers. So anxiously have you trod the road which leads from imperfection, and carries you directly to the true PROFUND! For Longinus in his ESSAY informs us that a great fource of imperfection lies in that kind of writing which moves the paffions; that it is a fure fign of emptiness, and an undeniable token of drunkennefs. But hear him in his own words: for no one can fuppofe you to be an entire stranger to

them.

them. Τουτῷ παράκειται τρίτον τι κακίας εἶδα, ἐν τοῖς ΠΑΘΕΤΙΚΟΙΣ ΕΞ Ο ΠΑΘΟΣ άκαιρον καὶ κενὸν ̇ Πολλὰ γὰρ ὥσπερ ἐκ μέθης τινα παραφέρονται ПAOH. And indeed, Cecilius, who wrote a treatife on the fame fub-ject, has wholly omitted the pathetic, I fuppofe, as thinking it incompatible with the true PROFUND. And in this opinion he is defended by Longinus himself, who informs us, §. 8. p. 38. of the fame edition, that ΠΑΘΗ τινα διεσώτα ὕψως καὶ ταπεινὰ ἐυρίσκεται. Which, to fave you the trouble of confulting a lexicon, I tranflate thus; "That kind of writ"ing which is employed in moving the paffions, and the true fublime, "(or, if you please, profund) are a mile afunder, fo that wherever "we find the former, we must expect an entire absence of the latter.” Having vindicated you from any cenfure on this point, by so great an authority, I beg leave to proceed.

As for your flyle, it is fo fimple, so natural, and so plain, that on first reading one wou'd be at a ftand to determine whether it were verfe or profe. For as you have avoided spoiling the fenfe by too great an affectation of good rhime, fo likewife have you avoided fpoiling the rhime by too great an affectation of fenfe. So well have you difdained all appearance of art, which, as Seneca acquaints us, is an indication of a narrow mind, that most of my acquaintance are of opinion that you know none. When, on the contrary, they should, for that very reafon, look upon you as one of the most artful fellows in the world: for they must know, that artis eft CELARE artem: and I will defy them to produce any poet who has fhewn less.

Perfpicuity is undoubtedly the chief ornament, as to be understood, is the chief end, of writing. That you poffefs both these qualifications may be evinced from hence; that there is not one of the meanest capacity, but what underftands every word in your piece. And how could it be otherwife, when it is nothing but a copy of his daily difcourfe?

I have indeed heard fome, whom the world efteems for their learning and judgment, calling your piece a very low, mean and wretched performance; nay, the fimpleft piece of fluff they ever saw in their lives. But how justly they merit the esteem of the publick, I leave you to judge; for, is there one word in their invective, which is not a great recommendation to you, or what you do not really deferve? As for their objection to the piece, drawn from its lowness; I beg leave to inform thefe angry gentlemen, that it is a great fign of its folidity. Their objection drawn from its meanness, is, in part, aufwered already; but I fhall add, that it is as much a fign of its goodness, as a plain dress is of a true gentleman. The fimplicity of it cannot, furely, be blamed; when that was one of the nobleft characteristics of the golden age; an age, that always enjoyed the trueft wisdom. Befides, let me ask whether or no fimplicity be not a fign of innocence? And will they look upon innocence as criminal?

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'Tis the advice of a very great genius, that "imitators fhou'd copy the examples in their own way;" who tells us that, "divers have by this means attained to depths whereunto their own weight "cou'd never have carry'd them." And who fees not that you, by

Pearce's Longin. Ed. Tert, Lond. pag. 22.
Art of Sinking, chap. 9th..

imitating

imitating T. S. and 7. H. (who perhaps might have been of your own function) are become one of the deepest writers that ever wrote.-I could here cite several lines out of your inimitable ode, to illuftrate this truth, were it not to be seen in every line.

As I have ftudied your piece with no lefs induftry than admiration, examined its beauties, and made myself mafter of its particularities, I cou'd easily show upon what principle your imitation is founded; tho' fome are fo foolish as to think it founded on none. And as from hence I imagine that you defigned that they fhou'd be fecret, I promife you, I fhall never let any one know -that you ever made ufe, or have heard of the art of finking; no not even the ninth chapter, which treats of imitation.

But to conclude, which I believe you are defirous I fhou'd; there is fo great a resemblance in your expreffions with the tranflators of our pfalms; you have made Horace fo good a Chriftian; and have fhewn fo little ftudy, and fo much of nature throughout your ode, that it juftly deferves the

Mr URBAN,

TH

Sibi quivis fperet idem of HORACE.

I am, Sir, without flattery, your Admirer.

Oxon, Nov. 13, 1742.

HE Spectator, I think, fomewhere makes mention of a set of philofophers, who flourish'd in his time; and are not yet extinct, in our two famous univerfities; call'd by the name of LoUNGERS: (See Mag. Vol. XVI. p. 322) but, I do not remember that I have ever read, or heard of fuch a fect, as I have lately discover'd here; which, for diftinction's fake, I fhall call DORMERS.

You must not expect that I fhou'd give you a particular account of their tenets; let it fuffice to mention fome of the chiefeft of them.

The firft, taken from the wifeft of men, is; That in much learning there is forrow.-Accordingly, they are very cautious, not to run into any excess that way; they are fo temperate herein, that, whatever calls (publick or private) they may have to the contrary, they feldom take book in hand, unless it be to fave the expence of a foporific draught.

The next, and no lefs favourite maxim, is; to take no thought for the morrow; but, to let the morrow provide for itself. They heartily believe, that wine was made to rejoice the heart of man; and, that it is a treafure to be defir'd in the dwellings of the wife.-So that, one may fee those gentlemen, rifing from their beds about noon (often later) and enjoying themselves 'till one the next morning, over a bottle; at which time, like ghofts at the approach of day, they return to their dark abode, the bed-chamber.

It is held a heinous offence among them, to rife before eleven, upon any account, unless it be, that (having forgot to lock their door) they get up to turn the key, left they fhou'd be disturb'd, and immediately pop into bed again.

Their greatest enemy is Time, which, as it deftroys all things, they are bound (according to their principles) to deftroy, in their turn; and, NO VI.

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indeed,

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