i By Mr POPE and Mr G A Y. Dr Robert Norris's narrative of the ftrange and de- An account of the poifoning of Edmund Curll, 308 318 A further account of the condition of Edmund Curll 323 331 336 MEMOIRS of the extraordinary Life, Works, and Discoveries of MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS. INTRODUCTION to the READER. N the reign of Queen ANNE, (which, notwithstanding thofe happy times which fucceeded, every Englishman may remember) thou mayft poffibly, gentle reader, have feen a certain venerable perfon who frequented the outfide of the palace of St. James's, and who, by the gravity of his deportment and habit, was generally taken for a decayed gentleman of Spain. His ftature was tall, his vifage long, his complexion olive, his brows were black and even, his eyes hollow yet piercing, his nose inclined to aquiline, his beard neglected and mixed with grey. All this contributed to fpread a folemn melancholy over his countenance. Pythagoras was not more filent, Pyrrho more motionless, nor Zeno more auftere. His wig was as black and smooth as the plumes of a raven, and hung as ftrait as the hair of a river-god rising from the water. His cloak fo completely covered his whole person, that whether or no he had any other cloaths (much less any linen) under it, I fhall not fay; but his sword appear. ed a full yard behind him, and his manner of wearing it was fo ftiff, that it seemed grown to his thigh. His whole figure was fo utterly unlike any thing of this world, that it was not natural for any man to afk him a question without bleffing himself firft. Thofe who never faw a Jefuite, took him for one, and others believed him some High-Prieft of the Jews. But under this macerated form was concealed a mind replete with fcience, burning with a zeal of benefiting his fellow-creatures, and filled with an honeft confcious pride, mixed with a fcorn of doing, or fuffering, the leat thing beneath the dignity of a philofopher. Accordingly he had a foul that would not let him accept of any offers of chaVOL. VIII. A rity, rity, at the fame time that his body feemed but too much to require it. His lodging was in a small chamber up four pair of stairs, where he regularly paid for what he had when he eat or drank; and he was often obferved wholly to abstain from both. He declined speaking to any one, except the Queen, or her first Minifter, to whom he attempted to make fome applications ; but his real business or intentions were utterly unknown to all men. Thus much is certain, that he was obnoxious to the Queen's miniftry; who, either out of jealoufy or envy, had him fpirited away, and carried abroad as a dangerous perfon, without any regard to the known laws of the kingdom. ONE day, as this gentleman was walking about dinnertime alone in the Mall, it happened that a manufcript dropt from under his cloak, which my fervant picked up, and brought to me. It was written in the Latin tongue, and contained many molt profound fecrets, in an unusual turn of reasoning and ftile. The first leaf was inscribed with thefe words, Codicillus, feu Liber Memorialis, Martini Scribleri. The book was of fo wonderful a nature, that it is incredible what a defire I conceived that moment to be acquainted with the author, who I clearly perceived was fome great philofopher in difguife. I feveral times. endeavoured to speak to him, which he as often industrioufly avoided. At length I found an opportunity (as he ftood under the Piazza by the dancing-room in St. James's) to acquaint him in the Latin tongue, that his manufcript was fallen into my hands; and faying this, I prefented it to him, with great encomiums on the learned author. Hereupon he took me afide, furveyed me over with a fixed attention, and opening the clafps of the parchment cover, fpoke (to my great furprize) in English, as follows. "COURTEOUS ftranger, whoever thou art, I embrace "thee as my best friend; for either the stars and my art are deceitful, or the deftined time is come which is to "manifeft Martinus Scriblerus to the world, and thou the perfon chofen by fate for this task. What thou feeft "in me is a body exhaufted by the labours of the mind. "I have found in Dame nature not indeed an unkind, "but a very coy miftrefs. Watchful nights, anxious days, flender meals, and endless labours, must be the "lot "lot of all who purfue her, through her labyrinths and "mæanders. My first vital air I drew in this ifland (a "foil fruitful of philofophers), but my complexion is be"come aduft, and my body arid by vifiting lands, (as "the poet has it) alio fub fole calentes. I have, ་ ་་ 66 through my whole life, paffed under feveral disguises "and unknown names, to screen my self from the envy "and malice which mankind exprefs against those who are poffeffed of the Arcanum Magnum. But at pre"fent I am forced to take fanctuary in the British court, to avoid the revenge of a cruel Spaniard, who has "pursued me almoft through the whole terraqueous globe. Being, about four years ago, in the city of Madrid, in "queft of natural knowledge, I was informed of a lady "who was marked with a pomegranate upon the infide of "her right thigh, which bloffomed, and, as it were, "feemed to ripen in the due feafon. Forthwith was I poffeffed with an infatiable curiofity to view this won"derful phænomenon. I felt the ardour of my paffion "increase as the feafon advanced, till, in the month of July, I could no longer contain. I bribed her duenna, was admitted to the bath, saw her undressed, and the "wonder displayed. This was foon after discovered by "the husband, who finding fome letters I had writ to the "duenna, containing expreffions of a doubtful meaning, fufpected me of a crime moft alien from the purity of my thoughts. Incontinently I left Madrid by the ad"vice of friends; have been purfued, dogged, and way-laid through feveral nations, and even now fcarce "think myself secure within the facred walls of this pa"lace. It has been my good fortune to have seen all "the grand phænomena of nature, excepting an earthquake, which I waited for in Naples three years in "vain; and now, by means of fome British fhip, (whofe "colours no Spaniard dare approach *) I impatiently ex"pect a fafe paffage to Jamaica, for that benefit. "thee, my friend, whom fate has marked for my hiftoriographer, I leave these my Commentaries, and others "of my works. No more--be faithful and impartial.” 66 • This marks the time when the introduction was written. To HE foon after performed his promife, and left me the Commentaries, giving me alfo further lights by many conferences when he was unfortunately fnatched away, as Í before related, by the jealoufy of the Queen's ministry. THOUGH I was thus, to my eternal grief. deprived of his converfation, he, for fome years, continued his correfpondence, and communicated to me many of his projects for the benefit of mankind. He fent me fome of his writings, and recommended to my care the recovery of others, ftraggling about the world, and aflumed by other men. The last time I heard from him, was on occafion of his strictures on the Dunciad: fince when, several years being elapfed, I have reafon to believe this excellent perfon is either dead, or carried, by his vehement thirft of knowledge, into fome remote, or perhaps undif covered region of the world. In either cafe, I think it a debt no longer to be delayed, to reveal what I know of this prodigy of fcience, and to give the hiftory of his life, and of his extenfive merits, to mankind; in which I dare promise the reader, that, whenever he begins to think any one chapter dull, the ftile will be immediately changed in the next. MEMOIRS |