A COLLECTION Of all the DIALOGUES Written by Mr. THOMAS BROWN: One of them Entituled, Democratici Vapulantes, BEING A Dialogue between Julian, and others, was never before Printed. To which are added, His Translations and Imitations of feveral Odes of Horace, of Martial's Epigrams, &c. LONDON: Printed and fold by John Nutt near Stationers- THE PREFACE I Have read fomewhere in Monfieur Rapin's Refle&tions Sur la Poetique, That a certain Venetian Nobleman, Andrea Naugeri by Name, was wont every Year to Sacrifice a Martial to the Manes Catullus: In Imitation of this Frolic, a Celebrated Poet, in the Preface before the Spanish Fryar, is pleafed to acquaint the World, That he has indignation enough to burn a Buffy Damboys annually to the Memory of Ben Johnson : Since the Modern Ceremony of offering up one Author at the Altar of another, is likely to advance into a Fashion, as having already the Authority of two fuch Great Men to recommend it, the Courteous Reader may be pleafed to take notice that the Author of this fellowing Dialogue is refolved (God willing) on the Festival of the Seven Sleepers, as long as he lives, to Sacrifice the Hind and Panther to the Memory of Mr. Quarles, and John Bunyan: Or, if a Writer that has notoriously contradicted bimfelf, and espoused the Quarrel of Two different Parties, may be confider d under Two Diftinct Characters, be defigns to deliver to deliver up the Author of the Hind and Panther, to be lafh'd feverely by, and to beg Pardon of the Worthy Gentleman that writ the Spanish Fryar, and the Religio Laici. It is not to be deny'd, but that a Poet is as unfit to manage the Serious Part of Controverfie, as an Irishman is to write the Miracle Part of Church Hiftory: For befides, that his Integrity is as much to be fufpected as his Judg ment, the leaft Thought, or extravagant Fancy, is apt to lead him a hundred Pages out of his way, and then 'tis Ten to One he'll lie you a Fortnight in the Advertisements of a Gazette before he recovers the Road. But then, on the other band, I think Mr. Bays ought to be Acquitted for Treating bis Subject in Rhyme, (which he very judiciously Somewhere calls the Vehicle of Nonfenfe) and I am clearly of Opinion, that the chief Points in agitation between the Church of Rome and Us, are fo eafie to be decided (if the Parties concerned could but once difingage themselves from Prejudice, Pride and Intereft) that they ought not to employ the Serious Part of Mankind, or put Chriftendom to the Expence of convening a Council, while a Synod of Poets may better difcufs and determine them at their own Coft and Charges. Why cannot Purgatory be as well raced out of that Famous Verfe in Virgil, 33 Infectum eluitur fcelus, aut exuritur igni, , as out of the Dreams of fome few Hypochondriac Authors and a poor fingle mifapplyed place of Scripture, that for fear of making a Blot, like a folitary Man at Bacgammon, wants the affiftance of another Text to help him? Or the Pope's Supremacy be made good from that Paffage, Imperiumque Pater Romanus habebit, as well as out of Pafce oves meas, and the Deiretal Epiftles? Virgil too may be confidered as a Perfon that lay under no Temptation at all of complementing the Chriftians, being himself of another Perfuafion; and fo whatever comes from him in favour of the Catholick Tenets, is to be look'd upon with extraordinary regard and veneration. And perhaps Mr. Bays, after he has for fome time confulted the Fragments of the Sibyls, and begun a little Acquaintance with Rabbi Galatinus, or any of his Relati– ons, may be able to prove that Virgil had his Notion of Purgatory, and the Pope's Supremacy, from the very fame Sybil that help'd him to the Prophecy of our Sa viour's viour's Incarnation in the fourth Eclogue. Certainly that good Eaftern Bishop, who at the fecond Council of Nice urged that Text in the First of Genefis, And God made Man after his own Image, in defence of Imageworship, was a very great Poet, though from fo long a Devolution of time we have loft that part of his Character; and might as well, when his hand was in, appear'd to have Man-Midwifery declar'd to be of Divine Right, becaufe Vulcan play'd the Midwife when his Old Father was Delivered of Minerva. I am beartily forry that this. judicious Prelate bad not the good Fortune to live in our Age, where he might have made a more confiderable Figure, and convers'd with Two able Difputants, exactly of his own Temper and Conftitution, the Oxford Editor, and the Worthy Convert at Putney. I obferve, that as there are two forts of Prologues in the Rehearsal, the one compofed in Terrorem, to frighten the Audience into Civility and good Manners, by Huffing and Railing at them; the other embellish'd with kind Language, and fome pretty furprizing Thought or other in order to steal and infinuate into their Favour: So likewife the Modern Polemics have pitch'd upon Two different Ways to reduce Us, for either we are accofted with fuch kind of Complements as thefe; Have a care what you do Gentlemen, you are got within the Territories of Herefie and Sacrilege, and you had as good ride your Horfes full Gallop in a Coney-Warren, as continue in a Country where nothing but utter Ruine and Defolation can attend you: Or elfe the Scene is alter'd, and fome bumble Accommodator bangs out the White Flag, and propofes milder Conditions; Well Countrymen, there have been ill Offices done on both fides; we have been mifreprefented to you, and you have laboured under as bad a Character amongst our Party; a little Chriftian compliance will fet all matters ftreight again. Your Authors and ours agreed well enough in the main, and therefore let us fa A 3 crifice |