The Battel of the Books

Summary

THE BOOKSELLER TO THE READER

The following Discourse, as it is unquestionably of the same Author, so it seems to have been written about the same time with the former, I mean, the Year 1697. when the famous Dispute was on Foot, about Antient and Modern Learning. The Controversy took its Rise from an Essay of Sir William Temple’s, upon that Subject; which was answer’d by W. Wotton, B.D. with an Appendix by Dr. Bently, endeavouring to destroy the Credit of Æsop and Phalaris, for Authors, whom Sir William Temple had in the Essay before-mentioned, highly commended. In that Appendix, the Doctor falls hard upon a new Edition of Phalaris, put out by the Honourable Charles Boyle (now Earl of Orrery) to which, Mr. Boyle replyed at large, with great Learning and Wit; and the Doctor, voluminously, rejoyned. In this Dispute, the Town highly resented to see a Person of Sir William Temple's Character and Merits, roughly used by the two Reverend Gentlemen aforesaid, and without any manner of Provocation. At length, there appearing no End of theQuarrel, ourAuthor tells us, that the BOOKS in St. James's Library,3 looking upon themselves as Parties principally concerned, took up the Controversie, and came to a decisive Battel; But, theManuscript, by the Injury of Fortune, or Weather, being in several Places imperfect, we cannot learn to which side the Victory fell.

I must warn the Reader, to beware of applying to Persons what is here meant, only of Books in the most literal Sense. So, when Virgil is mentioned, we are not to understand the Person of a famous Poet, call’d by that Name, but only certain Sheets of Paper, bound up in Leather, containing in Print, theWorks of the said Poet, and so of the rest.

THE PREFACE OF THE AUTHOR

Satyr is a sort of Glass, wherein Beholders do generally discover every body's Face but their Own; which is the chief Reason for that kind of Reception it meets in the World, and that so very few are offended with it.