the Window, where we ftood. Alexander was called up into the Room: It was with great Difficulty that I understood his Greek, and had but little of my own. He affured me upon his Honour, that he was not poisoned, but died of a Fever by exceffive Drinking.

NEXT I faw Hannibal paffing the Alps, who told me he had not a Drop of Vinegar in his Camp.

I SAW Cæfar and Pompey at the Head of their Troops juft ready to engage. I faw the former in his laft great Triumph. I defired that the Senate of Rome might appear before me in one large Chamber, and a modern Reprefentative, in Counterview, in another. The firft feemed to be an Affembly of Heroes and Demi-Gods; the other, a Knot of Pedlars, Pick-pockets, Highwaymen, and Bullies.

THE Governor, at my Request, gave the Sign for Cæfar and Brutus to advance towards us. I was ftruck with a profound Veneration at the Sight of Brutus; and could easily discover the moft confummate Virtue, the greatest Intrepidity, and Firmness of Mind, the trueft Love of his Country, and general Benevolence for Mankind, in every Lineament of his Countenance. I obferved with much Pleasure, that these two Perfons were in good Intelligence with each other; and Cæfar freely confeffed to me, that the greatest Actions of his own Life were not equal by many Degrees to the Glory of taking it away. I had the Honour to have much Converfation with Brutus ; and was told, that his Ancestor Junius, Socrates, Epaminondas, Cato the Younger, Sir Thomas Moore, and himself, were perpetually together: A Sextumvirate to which all the Ages of the World cannot add a Seventh.

IT

IT would be tedious to trouble the Reader with relating what vaft Numbers of illuftrious Perfons were called up, to gratify that infatiable Defire I had to see the World in every Feriod of Antiquity placed before me. I chiefly fed mine Eyes with beholding the Destroyers of Tyrants and Ufurpers, and the Reftorers of Liberty to oppreffed and injured Nations. But, it is impoffible to exprefs the Satisfaction I received in my own Mind, after fuch a Manner as to make it a fuitable Entertainment to the Reader.

CHAP.

CHA P. VIII.

A further Account of GLUBBDUBDRIB. Antient and Modern History corrected.

WAVING a Defire to see thofe An

H

tients, who were most renowned for Wit and Learning, I fet apart one Day on Purpose. I proposed that Homer and Ariftotle might appear at the Head of all their Commentators; but these were fo numerous, that fome Hundreds were forced to attend in the Court and outward Rooms of the Palace. I knew, and could diftinguish thofe two Heroes at first Sight, not only from the Crowd, but from each other. Homer was the taller and comelier Person of the two, walked very erect for one of his Age, and his Eyes were the moft quick and piercing I ever beheld. Ariftotle stooped much, and made Use of a Staff. His Vifage was meagre, his Hair lank and thin, and his Voice hollow. I foon discovered, that both of them were perfect Strangers to the reft of the Company, and had never feen or heard of them before. And I had a Whisper from a Ghost who fhall be namelefs, that these Commentators always kept in the most distant Quarters from their Principals in the

lower

lower World, through a Consciousness of Shame and Guilt, because they had fo horribly mifreprefented the Meaning of thofe Authors to Pofterity. I introduced Dydimus and Euftathius to Homer, and prevailed on him to treat them better than perhaps they deferved; for he foon found they wanted a Genius to enter into the Spirit of a Poet. But Ariftotle was out of all Patience with the Account I gave him of Scotus and Ramus, as I prefented them to him; and he asked them whether the reft of the Tribe were as great Dunces as themselves.

I THEN defired the Governor to call up Defcartes and Gaffendi, with whom I prevailed to explain their Systems to Ariftotle. This great Philofopher freely acknowledged his own Mistakes in Natural Philofophy, because he proceeded in many Things upon Conjecture, as all Men muft do; and he found, that Gaffendi, who had made the Doctrine of Epicurus as palatable as he could, and the Vortices of Defcartes, were equally exploded.

He predicted the fame Fate to Attraction, whereof the prefent Learned are fuch zealous Afferters. He faid, that new Syftems of Nature were but new Fashions, which would vary in every Age; and even those who pretend to demonftrate them from Mathematical Principles, would flourish but a fhort Period of Time, and be out of Vogue when that was determined.

I SPENT five Days in converfing with many others of the antient Learned. I faw most of the firft Roman Emperors. I prevailed on the Governor to call up Eliogabalus's Cooks to drefs us a Dinner; but they could not fhew us much of their Skill, for want of Materials. A Helot of Agefilaus made us a Dish of Spartan Broth, but I was not able to get down a fecond Spoonful.

THE

THE two Gentlemen who conducted me to the Inland were preffed by their private Affairs to return in three Days, which I employed in seeing fome of the modern Dead, who had made the greatest Figure for two or three hundred Years paft in our own and other Countries of Europe; and having been always a great Admirer of old illuftrious Families, I desired the Governor would call up a Dozen or two of Kings with their Ancestors in order for eight or nine Generations. But my Difappointment was grievous and unexpected. For, instead of a long Train with Royal Diadems, I faw in one Family two Fidlers, three spruce Courtiers, and an Italian Prelate. In another, a Barber, an Abbot, and two Cardinals. I have too great a Veneration for crowned Heads to dwell any longer on fo nice a Subject: But as to Counts, Marqueffes, Dukes, Earls, and the like, I was not fo fcrupulous. And, I confefs, it was not without fome Pleafure that I found my felf able to trace the particular Features, by which certain Families are diftinguished up to their Originals. I could plainly dif cover from whence one Family derives a long Chin; why a fecond hath abounded with Knaves for two Generations, and Fools for two more; why a Third happened to be crack-brained; and a Fourth, to be Sharpers. Whence it came, that Polydore Virgil fays of a certain great House, Nec_Vir fortis, nec Femina Cafta. How Cruelty, Falfhood, and Cowardice grew to be Characteristicks, by which certain Families are diftinguished as much as by their Coat of Arms. Who first brought the Pox into a noble House, which hath lineally defcended in fcrophulous Tumours to their Pofterity. Neither could I wonder at all this, when faw fuch an Interruption of Lineages by Pages, Lacqueys, Valets, Coachmen,