with bitterns, herons, cranes, and peacocks? But it is vain for us to complain of the faults and errors of the world, unless we lend our helping-hand to retrieve them. To conclude, our greatest Author of Dramatic Poetry, Mr. Dryden, has made ufe of the mysteries of this Art in the Prologues to two of his Plays, one a Tragedy, the other a Comedy; in which he has fhewn his greatest art, and proved moft fuccefsful. I had not feen the Play for fome years, before I hit upon almoft the fame words that he has in the following Prologue to "All for Love:” "Fops may have leave to level all they can, As Pigmies would be glad to top a man. Half-wits are fleas, fo little and fo light, "We fcarce could know they live, but that they bite. "But, as the rich, when tir'd with daily feasts, "For change, become their next poor tenant's guests, "Drink hearty draughts of Ale from plain brown bowls, "And fnatch the homely Rasher from the coals; So you, retiring from much better cheer, For once may venture to do penance here; "And, fince that plenteous Autumn now is paft, "Whofe grapes and peaches have indulg'd your taste, Take in good part from our poor Poet's board Such fhriveled fruit as Winter can afford." How fops and fleas thould come together, I cannot eafily account for; but I doubt not but his ale, rasher, grapes, peaches, and shriveled apples, might "Pit, "Box, and Gallery,” it well enough. His Prologue to "Sir Martin Mar-all" is fuch an exquifite Poem, taken from the fame Art, that I could with it tranflated into Latin, to be prefixed to Dr. Lifter's Work. The whole is as follows: PROLOGUE. "Fools, which each man meets in his dish each day, + Are yet the great regalia of a play; In which to poets you but just appear, To prize that highest which coft them fo dear. "One ftory makes a ftatutable afs: “But such in Plays must be much thicker sown, "Like yolks of eggs, a dozen beat to one. 66 Obferving Poets all their walks invade, "As men watch woodcocks gliding through a glade; "And, when they have enough for Comedy, They 'ftow their feveral bodies in a pye. "The Poet's but the Cook to fafhion it, For, Gallants, you yourfelves have found the wit. To bid you welcome, would your bounty wrong: "None welcome thofe who bring their cheer * along." The image (which is the great perfection of a Poet) is fo extremely lively, and well painted, that methinks I fee the whole audience with a difh of buttered eggs in one hand, and a woodcock-pye in the other. I hope I *Some Criticks read it Chair. KING. may may be excufed, after fo great an example; for I declare I have no defign but to encourage Learning, and am very far from any defigns against it. And therefore I hope the worthy gentleman, who faid that the "Journey to London” ought to be burnt by the common hangman, as a Book, that, if received, would difcourage ingenuity, would be pleafed not to make his bonfire at the upper end of Ludgate-street, for fear of endangering the Bookfellers' fhops and the Cathedral. I have abundance more to fay upon thefe fubjects; but I am afraid my firft courfe is fo tedious, that you will excufe me both the fecond courfe and the deffert, and call for pipes and a candle. But confider, the Papers come from an old Friend; and fpare them out ef compaflion to, SIR, &c. LETTER VII. SIR, To Mr. AM no great lover of writing more than I am forced to, and therefore have not troubled you with my Letters to congratulate your good fortune in London, er to bemoan our unhappinefs in the lofs of you here. The occafion of this is, to defire your affiftance in a matter that I am fallen into by the advice of fome friends; but, unless they help me, it will be impoffible for me to get out of it. I have had the misfortune to to write; but, what is worfe, I have never confidered whether any one would read. Nay, I have been fo very bad as to defign to print; but then a wicked thought came acrofs me with "Who will "buy?" For, if I tell you the title, you will be of my mind, that the very name will deftroy it: "The Art "of Cookery, in Imitation of Horace's Art of Poetry; with fome familiar Letters to Dr. Lifter and others, "occafioned principally by the title of a Book, pub, "lished by the Doctor, concerning the Soups and "Sauces of the Ancients." To this a Beau will cry, "Phough! what have I'to do with Kitchen-stuff?" To which I anfwer, "Buy it, and give it to your "Servants." For I hope to live to fee the day when every Mistress of a family, and every Steward, fhall call up their children and fervants with, "Come Mifs Betty, how much have you got of your Art of "Cookery ?" "Where did you leave off, Mifs Isabel" "Mifs Kitty, are you no farther than King Henry "and the Miller ?". Yes, Madam; I am come to His name fhall be enroll'd "In Eftcourt's Book, whofe gridiron 's fram'd of gold." Pray, Mother, is that our Master Eftcourt?" "Well, child, if you mind this, you fhall not be put to your 66 Affembly Catechifm next Saturday." What a glorious fight it will be, and how becoming a great family, to fee the Butler out-learning the Steward, and the painful Scullery-maid exerting her memory far beyond the mumping Houfe-keeper! I am told that, if a Book is any thing useful, the Printers have a way of pirating on en one another, and printing other perfons' copies; which is very barbarous. And then fhall I be forced to come out with, "The True Art of Cookery is only 66 to be had at Mr. Pindar's, a Patten-maker's, under "St. Dunfian's Church, with the Author's Seal at the "Title-page, being Three Sauce-pans, in a Bend "Proper, on a Cook's Apron, Argent. Beware of "Counterfeits." And be forced to put out Advertisements, with "Strops for Razors, and the best Spectacles, "are to be had only at the Archimedes, &c." I defign proposals, which I muft get delivered to the Cooks' Company, for the making an order that every apprentice fhall have the "Art of Cookery" when he is bound, which he fhall fay by heart before he is made free; and then he fhall have Dr. Lifter's Book of Soups and Sauces" delivered to him for his future practice. But you know better what I am to do than I. For the kindness you may fhew me, I fhall always endeavour to make what returns lay in my power. I am yours, &c. 66 LETTER To Mr. VIII. DEAR SIR, I CANNOT but recommend to your perufal a late exquifite Comedy, called "The Lawyer's Fortune; or, Love in a hollow tree;" which piece has its peculiar emblishments, and is a Poem carefully framed -66 |