sents Queen Elizabeth as "setting up a shop for those of her own
farm, well furnished with powders, plasters, salves, and all other drugs
necessary, all right and true, composed according to receipts made by
physicians and apothecaries of her own creating, which they extracted
out of Peter's, Martin's, and Jack's receipt books; and of this muddle
and hodge-podge made up a dispensary of their own--strictly forbidding
any other to be used, and particularly Peter's, from whom the greater
part of this new dispensatory was stolen."

At the conclusion of the "Tale of a Tub," he says, "Among a very polite
nation in Greece there were the same temples built and consecrated to
Sleep and the Muses, between which two deities they believed the
greatest friendship was established. He says he differs from other
writers in that he shall be too proud, if by all his labours he has any
ways contributed to the repose of mankind in times so turbulent and
unquiet."

It is evident from this work, as from the "Battle of the Books," "The
Spider and the Bee," and other of his writings, that Allegory was still
in high favour.

Swift first appeared as a professed author in 1708, when he wrote
against astrologers, and prophetic almanack-makers, called
philomaths--then numerous, but now only represented by Zadkiel. This
Essay was one of those, which gave rise to "The Tatler." He wrote about
the same time, "An argument against Christianity"--an ironical way of
rebuking the irreligion of the time--

"It is urged that there are by computation in this kingdom above
ten thousand persons, whose revenues added to those of my lords the
bishops, would suffice to maintain two hundred young gentlemen of
wit and pleasure, and freethinking,--enemies to priestcraft, narrow
principles, pedantry, and prejudices; who might be an ornament to
the court and town; and then again, so great a body of able
(bodied) divines might be a recruit to our fleet and armies."

"Another advantage proposed by the abolishing of Christianity is
the clear gain of one day in seven, which is now entirely lost, and
consequently the kingdom one seventh less in trade, business, and
pleasure; besides the loss to the public of so many stately
structures, now in the hands of the clergy, which might be
converted into play-houses, market-houses, exchanges, common
dormitories, and other public edifices. I hope I shall be fo