the prefent Pofture of Affairs a Thousand Years bence i By a Sparkib Pamphleteer of Button's Coffee-boufe 119 The Congress of Bees: Or, Political Remarks on the Bees Swarming at St. James's; with a Prognoftication on that Occafion, from the Smyrna Coffee-boufe. Wherein are contain'd, 1. A furprifing Story of a Swarm of Bees, taken from a Manufcript in Gresham-College, and Suppos'd to be wrote by Sir John Mandeville. 2. A po- litical Defcription of Hornets and Wafps; tranflated from the Works of that famous Roman Satyrift Petroni- Kifs my A is no Treafon: Or, an Hißorical and Cri- tical Differtation upon the Art of Selling Bargains 156 A Sermon preach'd to the People at the Mercat-Cross of Edinburgh, on the Subject of the Union in 1706, while the Ad for Uniting the Two Kingdoms was depending before the Parliament there: With a Preface by the Editor, fetting forth the Advantages which have, in An Examination of Dr. Woodward's Account of the De luge, &c. With a Comparison of Steno's Philofophy and THE MASQUERADE. A POEM. INSCRIB'D TO C----T H----D----G----R. Velut ægri fomnia, vana. Species Hor. Art. Poet. By LEMUEL GULLIVER, Poet Laureat to the King of LILLIPUT. I THE DEDICATION. SIR, Believe no one will difpute your Right to this little Poem, any more than your prefiding over that Diverfion it celebrates; therefore I shall, without Excufe, lay it at your Feet. The Flattery of Dedications has been often explod ed: to avoid the most diftant Imputation of which I fhall omit feveral Things that (perhaps) might not be justly fo called: And that the more readily, A 3 fince fince your Merit is fo well known, it wou'd be only publishing what is in every one's Mouth. I cannot however help congratulating you on that Gift of Nature, by which you seem so adapted to the Poft you enjoy. I mean that natural Mafque, which is too vifible a Perfection to be here infifted on and, I am fure, never fails of making an Impreffion on the most indifferent Beholder. Another Gift of Nature, which you seem to enjoy in no fmall Degree, is that modeft Confidence fupporting you in every Act of your Life. Certainly, a great Bleffing! For I always have obferv'd, that Brass in the Forehead draws Gold into the Pocket. As for what Mankind calls Virtues, I shall not compliment you on them: Since you are so wife to keep them fecret from the World, far be it from me to publish them; efpecially fince they are Things which lie out of the Way of your Calling. Here I beg Leave to contradict two fcandalous Afperfions which have been spread against you. Firft, That you are a Bd. Secondly, A Conjurer. Whoever has feen you at a M-fq--r-de, cannot believe the first and you have given feveral Inftances at White's, that you are not the other. But what fignifies attempting to confute what needs no Confutation? Befides, you have fo great a Soul, that you defpife all Scandal and live in the World with the fame Indifference, that People have at a Masquerade where they are not known. Smile then (if you can fmile) on my Endeavours, and this little Poem, with Candour for which the Author defires no more Gratuity than a Ticket for your next Ball, and is, SIR, From my Garret in Grub-Street. Your moft Obedient, Humble Servant, Lemuel Gulliver." LIBRARY MARGATE MASQUERADE, &c. S OME call Curiofity an Evil, And fay 'twas that, by which the Devil To tafte the dear forbidden Fruit. Others, (allowing this) yet wou'd To this, how juftly are attributed What Wftn, Hy, have exhibited! This Paffion dictated that Voyage, A 4 'Tis 'Tis this, which fends the Brittish Fair And, to confefs the Truth, 'twas this, Or Parents ftrict, or jealous Spouses, Plain as th' Adventures in my Travels. My fhabby Coat you might have known Were new in Queen Eliza's Days; And to inforce our Faith, we're told |