IN PRAISE OF THE

UNIVERSITY.

OKOKOKOKO

My thanks, and the nation's, to the Doctors be given,

Those Guardians of Virtue, thofe Porters of Heaven,
For their timely wife care in fuppresfing the growth
Of praying, expounding, and hymn-finging youth.
Should praying be fuffer'd by our learned Sages,
(What has not been known in Ox-d for ages)
Inftead of gay parfons, with caffock and band,

There would be none but Puritans all o'er the land.
Expounding the scriptures! this ftill is more wicked,
Therefore from college be they inftantly kicked;
For fcripture and prieftcraft as diftant do dwell,

1

As fome Parfons from Virtue, or Heaven from Hell.

We'll fwear to the rubric, by this is our living;

(Some hundreds a twelve month is sure worth the having)
But we'll caft off our oaths as foon as they're fwallow'd,
For Perjury in gownsmen hath long fince been hallow'd.
Should we fuffer the doctrines to which we of yore,
Gave affent and confent, and folemnly swore

To preach, and defend them against oppofition,

We should throw ourselves wide from holy promotion. These youth with their strictness detect our loose living, Which, know to the world, would keep us from thriving; Religion's a mirror that fhews all profaneness,

Exclude it we therefore to hide our own vainness.

If drinking or whoring, or (fcripture 'reviling,
Had been reprefented as their daily failing,

(As often in others it certrinly might)

To wink at their foibles would then have been right.

Thus acting with candour and tender forbearance,

Till we had reclaim'd the them by patient endurance;' But praying and reading, those horrible evils,

Oblige us at once to devote them to Devils.

The method pursued by the Heads of Houses, for reclaiming Dr. Well ing from his infidelity and drunkenness; according to the Rev. Dr. Nowel, and, the Goliah Slayer,

NIS

G. Wilson, Printer, Leeds.

LIFE OF JOSEPH,

The Son of Israel.

IN EIGHT BOOKS.

CHIEFLY DESIGNED TO ALLURE YOUNG MINDS TO A LOVE OF THE SACRED SCRIPTURES.

BY JOHN MACGOWAN.

A New Edition, Corrected.

LEEDS:

PRINTED BY GEORGE WILSON,

FOR JONAS NIcholson, bookseller, HALIFAX,

PREFACE.

WHEN a new book is ushered into the world, if it has

*

the happiness either to please or displease, there is great enquiry made after the author: and as I think it would be a pity to forbid the world this pleasing itch of enquiry, I forbear putting my name to the Life of Joseph till such time as this curiosity hath in some measure spent itself. Yet not to leave the reader altogether in the dark about who and what the author is, I shall give him a negative or two.

1. He is not then a writer who cannot err, for he thinks it possible for him now and then to be guilty of mistakes in sentiment as well as literature. Consequently,

2. He is none of that class whose ispe dixit is the pure standard of orthodoxy. But he has one thing to say for himself, which will weigh a great deal with people of sense and candour, and that is, that the Life of Joseph is wrote as well as he could do it, for could he have done it better, he had never sent it into the world as it is: for it was not wrested from him by force; neither got out of his hands by clandestine means; by those who were eager to see it in print, before he had time to put the finishing hand to it, as has been the unhappiness of some other authors. He can assure the reader, that had his ability bore any tolerable proportion to his time and opportunity, the present production has been without a blemish.

But why did I choose any part of sacred history for my theme will be next asked? Did you not know that the Bible has been laid in a great measure aside for many years past? and that people of fashion will contemn it, if it was nothing else but being akin to scripture? Yes, I know it very well; but because I have not seen a better book substituted in its room, I would gladly have the use of the Bible revived again. If writers were all agreed to keep to Bible subjects, of course the readers must; for they can only ramble, as they are led by their author. The sacred volume is fertile of subjects, calculated both to please and instruct; when let down, by property elucidation, within the reach of

*The Author's Name was not prefixed to the First Edition.

young capacities. And rather than one class of readers. should want entertainment, let me tell them that the Bible contains many histories of love affairs. Perhaps this may tend more to recommend it to attention, then all besides, which I could say.

I have sometimes thought, that, if instead of useless controversies, upon points which the infinitely wise God never intended to be clearly understood in this life, gentlemen of sacred character were to employ their leisure hours in rendering some part of divine history pleasing, and easy to be understood by young ones, their lives would be spent to much greater advantage than they frequently are. Much time and pains have been taken, much zeal, as hot as a Smithfield fire, has discovered itself in defending that which never was revealed; and in explaining that which is inexplicable; and many a flaming curse has been thundered against those heretics, who would not believe but upon evidence given. Whether my writing The Life of Joseph is not a less abuse, both of the world and of my own precious time, I leave to the reader to determine.

Well, but what induced you to set about writing this same Life of Joseph? I tell you honestly then, that I wasnot prayed and intreated to do it, by people who thought me master of the subject, as has been the case with more respectable writers; for no one person ever hinted such an opinion of me. But I wrote it merely to please myself, as the first party concerned; and had fully gained my end, had I been as well pleased with my own performance as I was with the subject.

And pray what induced you to publish it; seeing the world is already burdened with more books than ever will be read? In this also I differ very widely from many of my brother authors, some of whom seem to be objects of our warmest pity. I have grieved, or might have grieved, at the heavy complaints of some authors, whose labours have been taken from them as it were by force of arms. Such was the importunity of friends, who had seen the manuscript, to have it published; that they could not possibly refuse to gratify them, however reluctant they were to appear in print in so discerning an age. But, alas! I cannot pay this compliment to the Life of Joseph; for to tell the truth, no one creature ever desired me to send it abroad, or so much as to read one page of it in manuscript. The whole affair was settled betwixt myself and honest, but since very unhappy bookseller*. Certainly those friends act in a very unfriendly manner, who oblige a modest author, contrary to his strong

* Mr. Joseph Johnson, whose house was lately burned to the ground in Pater-noster-Row, and uninsured.