46 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



freedom — it appeared that the fo highly vaunt* 

 ed Stable Directory, inflead of being a varia- 

 tion from, or an improvement of the pre- 

 tended obfolete and dangerous practice of 

 Gibfon, Bracken, Bartlet, and Ofmer, was 

 merely a compilation from it; the matter 

 varied indeed with confiderable art in fome 

 places, in others copied in the mod barefaced 

 manner; and the whole fyftem of plagiarifm 

 attempted to be concealed under the cloak 

 fometimes of downright ribaldry, at others of 

 pretended experience, or affected invective. 

 So far was this work from exhibiting any thing 

 new to public attention, a regard for truth 

 obliges me to declare, that after a number of 

 diligent perufals, I have fcarce difcovered a 

 fingle idea, on the fubjefts of either medicine 

 or management, which is not to be found in 

 the original authors above- cited. I mull be 

 underftood here to mean, rational and valuable 

 ideas ; becaufe there are fome others of a diffe- 

 rent character in the Stable Directory (it is 

 true they are thinly fown) which are moll 

 certainly not to be found in Gibfon or Bracken. 

 As to the flyle of Mr. Taplin's books, none 

 will quellion its originality, few perhaps will 

 envy it. For examples of one fpecies of the 

 fublime, of pompous phrafeology, not always 

 encumbered with meaning, and (lately circum- 

 locution, they may undoubtedly vie with any 



compofitions 



