the archbishop, by a public festivity, on the surrender of Dunkirk to Hill; an event with which Tenison's political bigotry did not suffer him to be delighted. King was resolved to counteract his sullenness, and at the expense of a few barrels of ale filled the neighbourhood with honest merriment.

In the autumn of 1712, his health declined; he grew weaker by degrees, and died on Christmas-day. Though his life had not been without irregularity, his principles were pure and orthodox, and his death was pious.

After this relation, it will be naturally supposed, that his poems were rather the amusements of idleness than efforts of study; that he endeavoured rather to divert than astonish; that his thoughts seldom aspired to sublimity; and that, if his verse was easy and his images familiar, he attained what he desired. His purpose is to be merry; but, perhaps, to enjoy his mirth, it may be sometimes necessary to think well of his opinions3.

Dr. Johnson appears to have made but little use of the Life of Dr. King, prefixed to his Works, in 3 vols. 1776, to which it may not be impertinent to refer the reader. His talent for humour ought to be praised in the highest terms. In that at least he yielded to none of his contemporaries.

C.

THE

ART OF COOKERY;

IN IMITATION OF

HORACE'S ART OF POETRY.

WITH

SOME LETTERS TO DR. LISTER' AND OTHERS,

OCCASIONED PRINCIPALLY BY

The Title of a Book published by the Doctor, being the Works of EPICIUS
COELIUS, concerning

THE SOUPS AND SAUCES OF THE ANCIENTS.

WITH

An Extract of the greatest Curiosities contained in that Book.

HUMBLY INSCRIBED TO

THE HONOURABLE BEEF-STEAK CLUB.

FIRST PRINTED IN 1708.

'Of Dr. Lister's book only 120 copies were printed in 1705. It was reprinted at Amsterdam, in 1709, by Theod. Jans. Almeloveen, under the title of Apicii Cœlii de Opsoniis & Condimentis, sive Arte Coquinaria, Libri Decem. Cum Annotationibus Martini Lister, è Medicis Domesticis Serenissimæ Majestatis Reginæ Annæ, & Notis selectioribus, variisque Lectionibus integris, Humelbergii, Barthii, Rerensi, A Van der Linden, & aliorum, ut & variarum Lectionum Libello. Editio Secunda. Dr. Askew had a copy of each edition. N.

1

THE PUBLISHER TO THE READER.

IT is now-a-days the hard fate of such as pretend to be authors, that they are not permitted to be masters of their own works; for, if such papers (however imperfect) as may be called a copy of them, either by a servant or any other means, come to the hands of a bookseller, he never considers whether it be for the person's reputation to come into the world, whether it is agreeable to his sentiments, whether to his style or correctness, or whether he has for some time looked over it; nor doth he care what name or character he puts to it, so he imagines he may get by it.

It was the fate of the following poem to be so used, and printed with as much imperfection and as many mistakes, as a bookseller that has common sense could imagine should pass upon the town, especially in an age so polite and critical as the present.

These following letters and poem were at the press some time before the other paper pretending to the same title was crept out; and they had else, as the learned say, groaned under the press till such time as the sheets had one by one been perused and corrected, not only by the author, but his friends; whose judgment, as he is sensible he wants, so is he proud to own that they sometimes condescend to afford him.

For many faults, that at first seem small, yet create unpardonable errours. The number of the verse turns upon the harshness of a syllable; and the laying a stress upon improper words will make the most correct piece ridiculous. False concord, tenses, and grammar, nonsense, impropriety, and confusion, may go down with some persons; but it should not be in the power of a bookseller to lampoon an author, and tell him, "You did write all this: I have got it; and you shall stand to the scandal, and I will have the benefit." Yet this is the present case, notwithstanding there are above threescore faults of this nature; verses transposed, some added, others altered, or rather that should have been altered, and near forty omitted. The author does not value himself upon the whole; but, if he shows his esteem for Horace, and can by any means provoke persons to read so useful a treatise, if he shows his aversion to the introduction of luxury, which may tend to the corruption of manners, and declares his love to the old British hospitality, charity, and valour, when the arms of the family, the old pikes, muskets, and halberts, hung up in the hall over the long table, and the marrow-bones lay on the floor, and Chevy Chace and The old Courtier of the Queen's were placed over the carved mantle-piece, and the beef and brown bread were carried every day to the poor; he desires little farther, than that the reader would for the future give all such booksellers as are before spoken of no manner of encouragement.