excellent poets and in fhort they have paffed through the whole circle of literature with the fame agility and fuccefs, with which a tumbler at SADLER'S WELLS (pardon the meannefs of the comparison) paffes through his hoops. Their reputation is now perfectly established, and they are in no want either of foreign or domestic affistance; fo that it cannot reasonably be expected, they fhould allow any fhare of fame or merit to the labourer, who does not enter himfelf among them until the laft hour. A lawyer, who fpeaks after five or fix of his brethren, will feldom be heard with attention, unless he has fomething new to offer, or can keep the court awake by the beauty of his action, or the harmony of his voice of which it would be difficult to produce more than two or three examples

examples fince the NORMAN Conquest. Notwithstanding these difcouragements I am fetting out in the quality of an author for fome important reasons, which I will disclose hereafter; if the fagacity of my reader in turning over this first volume fhould not discover them. But to prevent, as far as I am able, all imputations of plagiarism, or a fervile imitation, I am determined to avoid that smooth and broad way, where all my learned brethren are to be found, and to trace out for my felf a path, which has never

been trod before----Nullius ante----Trita folo. To fpeak without a metaphor, and conform to the title, which I have affumed, I propofe to recount my dreams, and in a plain and unaffected style, such as becomes an hiftorian, to relate fome extraordinary adventures, in which I have B 2

been