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By the Rev. Sir Archibald Mac Sarcasm, Bart.

"If there's a sin more deeply black than others,
"Distinguish'd from the list of common crimes,
"A legion in itself, and doubly dear

"To the dark Prince of Hell, it is-Hypocrisy."

Oh! the curst ungodliness of zeal.

H. MORE'S PERCY.

YOUNG.

Now, I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions
and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and
avoid them. ROM. xvi. 17.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR T. HURST;

AND SOLD BY EMERY AND ADAMS, BRISTOL; BARRATT,
AND BALLY, BATH; AND EVILL, WELLS.

Emery and Adams, Printers,

BRISTOL.

1802.

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PREFACE.

IMPELLED by the curiosity natural to the mind of man, I have diverted myself in reading the pamphlets, that rose like mushrooms, on the theatre. of the Blagdon war, during the last two years.This amusement has been strongly recommended to me by the faculty, having received benefit from the waters; for my constitution has sustained much injury in the wars of all sorts, and with all weapons, the pen, words, and the sword, in all climates, among all nations, people, kindreds, and languages, in which I myself, as well as my ancestors, for at least five thousand years, have, with various success, been engaged.

In this atrabilarious contest, the blood that has been shed is of the blackest kind, and indicates great rancour, melancholy, spleen, malice, hatred, and revenge, with a total absence of the milk of human kindness, love, forgiveness, charity, and a mutual

desire of peace. The powers at war all profess to contend for order and an established religion, yet I have never heard that they have at any time publicly in the churches put up a prayer, or set apart a day for humiliation and fasting, for a restoration of tranquility. It is not to be supposed but that from the particular attention I have paid, in my perusal of the rescripts and manifestos of the parties at war, and which employment, I own, has expedited my recovery in some degree, so far as to be able to walk abroad again, and, like the Swiss, shew myself ready for the service of the poorest as well as the richest exchequer, I must have discovered the true cause of, and which was the aggressor in, this already too long protracted warfare.

Her Holiness, the elect Queen of the Non-descripts, having subsidized a considerable number of troops, already arrived and come to action, from the territories of the Princes CLAMOR, RIXA, Joci, MENDACIA, FURTA, CACHINNI, con-. trary to all the laws of all nations in dialectical wars, against the descendant of Cadwalladar, who has been basely deserted by all the neighbouring Princes, excepting Ap Gwyr, and Ap Styffnig; recollecting the good understanding and friendship subsisting between the houses of these renowned Princes and the Chief of the most ancient house of the Mac Sarcasms, I have determined, without further manifesto, to join, with my whole force, to bring on a general action with her HOLINESS, to

fight, not " ampoisi rapsors," but gladiis comminus, i. e. in plain English, not " on our tiptoes," but foot to foot, sword to sword, hand to hand, with fixed bayonets, and so put an end to the further effusion of atramentuous blood, for which worthy action I hope to receive the thanks of all friends to order, subordination, regular government, hierarchy in the church, and royalty in the state; for having perused the archives of my dynasty, for above five thousand years back, I have discovered my family has been invariably attached to these principles, and that, from the beginning, government has almost always consisted of KING and PRIEST.

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Dropping, however, all metaphor and allusion, I thought it reasonable and expedient to enquire into the real merit of the parties at difference; and considering that as the name of H. More has made some noise in this country, to read her works attentively, and according to the just rules of criticism endeavour to appreciate her talents and genius as a literary person, and her true, genuine, mental character as a woman. This, I myself am of opinion, I have done; and in this small volume compressed more than all the learning contained in Mrs. More's works, consisting of eight, and, therefore, have saved the reader much labour and expence in winnowing a little wheat from much chaff.

Ample specimens of her Poetry and Prose are presented to the reader, the most creditable to the author I could find; her doctrines, principles and

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