— 4] 
[Aug. I, 
- SCARCE TRACTS, WITH EXTRACTS-AND ANALYSES OF 
SCARCE BOOKS. — 
It is proposed in future to devote a few Pages of the 
Monthly Magazine to the 
Insertion of such Scarce Tracts as are of an interesting Nature, with the Use 
of which we may be favoured by our Correspondents; and under the same Head to 
introduce also the Analyses of Scarce and:Curious Books. 
& Table-Talk: being the Discourses of 
John Selden, esy. or his 
warious Matters of Weight and high 
Consequence; reluting especially to 
Religon and State. * Distingue Lem- 
ora’ The third Edition. iundon, 
1716.” 8vo. ° pat, 
NHE nave of Selden has been so uni- 
versally and so: long known, that hit- 
tle of introductory remark can here beneed- 
ed. One observation, however, we shall 
premise, from the epistle dedicatory pre- 
fixed to the work by Richard Milward. 
«‘ Tn reading, be, pleased to distinguish 
times, and in your fancy carry along with 
‘ou the when and the why many of 
these things were spoken; this will give 
them the more life and“the smarter 
relish.” ; 
The observations are- alphabetically 
arranged, as will appear from. the follow- 
ing selections. Ket 
Churches.—“ The way coming into 
our great churches was antiently at the 
west door, that men might see the altar 
and ali the church before them; the other 
doors were but posterns.” ee 
Language.—“1. To a-living tongue 
new words may be added, but not toa 
dead tongue, as Latin, Greek, Hebrew, 
&c. ot hy yin 
6¢g. Latimer, is the corruption of 
Latiner; it signifies, he that interprets 
Latin, and though he interpreted French, 
Spanish, or Italian, he was called the 
king’s latiner, that 1s, the king’s inter- 
reter. 
«<3. If you look upon the Janguage 
spoken in the Saxon time, and the lan- 
guage spoken now, you will find the dif- 
ference to he just a8 i a man had a 
cloak that he wore plain in queen Eliga- 
beth’s days; and since, here has put ma 
piece of red, and there a piece of blue, 
and bere a piece of green, and there a 
iece of orange-tawny. We borrow 
words from the French, Italian, Latin, 
as every pedantick man pleases. 
«4, We have more words than no- 
tions, half a dozen words for the same 
thing, Sometimes we put a new sigii- 
fication to an old word, as when we call 
@ piece, Agun. The word gun was in 
vse in England for an engine to cast a 
Sense of : 
thing from aman, long before there was 
any gun-powder found-out, 
“5. Words must be fitted to a man’s 
mouth; it was well said of the fellow that. 
was to make a sveech for my lord mayor, 
he desired to take measure of his lords 
ship’s mouth.” 
. Libels —“ 1. Though some make 
slight of libels, yet you may see by them 
how. the wind sits: as take a straw and 
throw it up into the air, you ‘shall see by 
that which way the wind is, which you 
shall not do by «casting up a stone, 
More solid things do not shew the com- 
plexion of the times so well as ballads 
and libels.” 
Proverbs.—“ 1. The proverbs of seves 
ral nationswere much studied by hisnop 
Andrews, and the reason he gave was, 
because by them he knew the minds of 
several nations, which is a brave thing ; 
as we count him a wise man that knows 
the minds and insides of men, which is 
done by knowing what is habitual to 
them. Proverbs are habitual to a 
nation, being transmitted from father to 
son.” 
Truth.—‘* The Aristotelians. say, all 
truth is contained in. Aristotle in one 
place or another. Galilao makes Sim- 
plicius say so, hut shows the absurdity 
of that speech, by answering, all truth is 
contained in a lesser compass, viz. in 
the alphabet: Aristotle 1s not blamed for. 
mistaking sometimes; but Aristotelians 
for maintaining those mistakes. They 
should acknowledge the good they have 
from him, and leave him when he js in 
the wrong, 
“Ze Prince d'Amour, or the Prince of 
Love: with a Collection of several inge- 
nious Poems and Songs, by the Wits of 
the Age.” Lond. 1660. 8vo. : 
Among the poems and songs are seve- 
ral which bishop Perey printed in his 
Reliques. The two following are selects 
ed as specimens ef the better sort: 
THE FRUIT$ OF A GOOD CONSCIENEE, 
*¢ To shine in silk and glister all in gold, 
To flow in wealth, and feed on dainty 
fare, oh 
To build up houses stately to behold, 
5 gt . 
The 
