the fize of this work, you will perhaps let me ftand next in the rank. You fee I would fain be famous for fomething.

Should the infignificance of my Life induce any perfon better qualified to present the world with bis, big with interefting events, my difpofing of feveral large editions of that performance will afford me more folid fatisfaction as a bookfeller, than any fuccefs or emolument which can poffibly arife from this my first, and most probably last, cffay as an author.

If, unfortunately, any of my kind readers should find the book fo horridly dull and ftupid, that they cannot get through it, or if they do, and with not to travel the fame road again, I here declare my perfect readiness to fupply them with abundance of books, much more witty, much more whatever they pleafe, they never fhall want books while L. is able to affift them; and whether they prefer one of his writing, or that of any other author, he protests he will not be in the fmallest degree offended: let every author make the fame declaration if he can.

Should my Memoirs be attended with no other benefit to fociety, they will at least tend to fhew what may be effected by a perfevering habit of industry, and an upright confcientious demeanor in trade towards the Public, and probably infpire fome one of perhaps fuperior abilities, with a laudable ambition, to emerge from obfcurity, by a proper application of those talents with which Providence has favoured him, to his own credit and emolument, as well as the benefit of the community. To fuch an one I ever have, and ever fhall with every poffible fuccess, as it has uniformly been my opinion, that whatever is thus acquired, is more honourable to the parties than the poffeffion of wealth obtained without any intrinfic merit or exertion, and which is too frequently confumed with rapidity, in the purfuit of vice and diffipation.

One word to my old friends the Bookfellers under No. III. of my Dedication. This publication, it is be expected, will tend to excite fome degree of hem. Confcious that I have often been nintentional on my part) of ex

mirth in
the cause (however.

M

citing

citing lefs pleafing fenfations in them, I will readily
allow them full fcope. However, according to the
well-known adage, "Let them laugh who win."
A wit has faid,

Learn the better art-to please,

None laugh fincere but those who're at their ease.

MILLER.

I hope they will indulge me in the fame propenfity of laughing, if not at them, at least with them. -Such the vanity of great and fmall,

Contempt goes round, and all men laugh at all. YOUNG. As a proof of my friendly difpofition, I fhall here add a piece of advice, which I do not hesitate to pronounce will, if attended to, entitle them to promotion amongst my First Clafs of Bookfellers, and eventually prove more beneficial than a conftant perfeverance in the mode of conduct they have hitherto purfued; and those who have children will, I hope, fee the propriety of inculcating the fame doctrine to them for their future benefit: and I flatter myfelf my advice will prove equally productive of benefit to a great number of the community at large, as well as to bookfellers. It is this:

If they obferve any perfon by industry and application endeavouring to obtain an honeft livelihood in that line for which his talents or difpofition have qualified him, never to attempt, by dark inuendoes, fly hints, and false afperfions, to injure him, as, if he happens to be a man of becoming fpirit, fuch conduct will only tend to increase his exertions, and render him still more cautious to obtain a good character; in so doing their weapons will recoil on themfelves, and they will have the mortification to fee him flourish, whilft they become objects of contempt in the cyes of the Public, and will of courfe be avoided by them. Here, perhaps, it will be remarked that I have even prefumed to differ in opinion from the great Lord Bacon. That philofophical luminary thought that the eye of an envious perfon darts a peculiar virulence, which wounds its objects; and thus he accounts for a perfon in a triumph, or any exalted profperity, being more liable to be hurt by it than

BAS

others.

others. But on this head I think the poet, in the following lines, has faid more to the purpose than the philofopher :

Your altitude offends the eyes

Of thofe, who want the power to rife.

Their utmoft malice cannot make
Your head, or tooth, or finger ache,
Nor fpoil your shape, diftort your face,
Or put one feature out of place.

The most effectual way to baulk

Their malice, is to let them talk.

SWIFT.

But I forget myself-from debating whether a preface was really neceffary or not, if I proceed thus, I fhall produce one as long as my book, as indeed fome of my feniors in authorship have done before me, though not altogether confiftent with propriety. As it reminds one of the philofopher, who, on obferving a little city with very large gates, called to the citizens, and defired them to take great care that the city did not run out through the gates.

I will therefore conclude with a wifh that my readers may enjoy the feaft with the fame good humour with which I have prepared it; they will meet with fome folid, though not much courfe food, and the major part, I hope, light and, eafy of digeftion; thofe with keen appetites will partake of each difh, while others more delicate may felect fuch dishes as are more light, and better adapted to their palates; they are all genuine British fare. But left they should be at a lofs to know what the entertainment confifts of, I beg leave to inform them, that it contains Forty-fe ven Dishes of various fizes; which (if they calculate the expence of their admiffion tickets) they will find does not amount to two-pence per difh; and what I hope they will confider as immenfely valuable (in compliance with the precedent fet by Mr. Farley, a gen tleman eminent in the culinary fcience) a striking likeness of their cook into the bargain.

I have alfo prepared a bill of fare at the end of the volume. Ladies and gentlemen, pray be feated ; you are heartily welcome, and much good may it do

you.

PRE

1

PREFAC

PRE FAC E.

ΤΟ ΤΗΣ

SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT EDITIONS..

'Tis nothing new, I'm fure you know,
For those who write, their works to fhew;
And if their prais'd,, or render'd vain,
'Tis ten to one they write again :
And then they read it-o'er with care,
Correcting here, and adding there.

Ye grumbling curs, I'd have you know,.
This work was not compil'd for you::
The herd of fnarlers I defy.-

stuff;

THE

Mrs. SAVAGE.

J. Moxon.

HE first edition of my Memoirs was no fooner published, than

my old envious friends, mentioned in the Third Clafs
of my Dedication, found out that it was "d-n'd
d-n'd low!" the production of a cobler, and ?
only fit to amufe that honourable fraternity; or to
line their garrets and stalls.

Pray, how fhould he obtain
The charms of learning, or of science,.
To fet his neighbours at defiance !
We know his narrow education
Was fuited to his humble ftation.
Hence we proclaim he little know'th,
Nor will believe, although he show'th,
Some proofs of skill, of tafte, of spirit,
Determin'd to deny bim merit.

ELIZ. GILDING.

Many gentlemen, who are my customers, have informed me, that when they asked for them at feveral fhops, they received for anfwer, that they had already too much wafte paper, and would not increase it by keeping Lackington's Memoirs; and fome kindly.

B. 6

added,

added, "You need not be in hafte to purchase, as in the course of the Christmas holidays, Mr. Birch, in Cornhill, will wrap up all his mince-pies with them, and diftribute them through the town for the public good." Lord Bacon remarks, "that it was well faid, that Envy has no holidays." And thus,

"With all the eunuch's melancholy fpite,

"They growl at you, becaufe they cannot write;
"A gloomy filence Envy's pang imparts,

"Or fome cold hint betrays their canker'd hearts."

But the rapid fale of this Life foon caused them to alter their ftories; and I was very much furprised to hear that several of thofe gentlemen, who had fcarce done exclaiming, "Vile trafh! beneath all criticifm !" &c. began to praife the compofition; and, on looking into the English Review, I found that the editors had filled feven pages in reviewing these Memoirs, and had bestowed much praise on the author. I was then ready to conclude, that their generous and manly impartiality had, in a miraculous manner, effected the converfion of others. But I was foon convinced, that meannefs can never be exchanged for generofity; and that thofe that had been "unclean were unclean ftill;" as Churchill fays,

"That envy, which was woven in the frame

"At first, will to the laft remain the fame.
"Reason may drown, may die, but Envy's rage,

"Improves with time, and gathers ftrength from age. It feems that feveral of thofe liberal-minded men, being prodigioufly mortified at the increafing fale of my Life, applied to different authors in order to get one of them to father my book: but thofe authors, either from principle, or from knowing that my manufcript was kept in my fhop for the infpection of the Public, or from fome other motive, refused to adopt the poor bantling: and not only fo, but laughed at, and expofed the mean contrivance, to the very great difappointment of those kind and honeft hearted frien's of mine.

'Tis hard to fay, what mysteries of fate,
What turns of fortune, on poor writers wait;

The