Page:The Hind and Panther transvers'd to the story of the country mouse and the city mouse (1709).djvu/11

The PREFACE. What relation has the Hind'' to our Saviour? or what Notion have we of a Panther's Bible? If you say he means the Church, how does the Church feed on Lawns, or range in the Forest? Let it be always a Church, or always the cloven-footed Beast, for we cannot bear his shifting the Scene every Line. If it is absurd in Comedies to make a Peasant talk in the Strain of a Hero, or a Country Wench use the Language of the Court; how monstrous is it to make a Priest of a Hind, and a Parson of a Panther? To bring 'em in disputing with all the Formalities and Terms of the School? Though as to the Arguments themselves, those, we confess, are suited to the Capacity of the Beasts, and if we would suppose a Hind expressing her self about these Matters, she would talk at that Rate.''

As to the Absurdity of his Expressions, there is nothing wrested to make 'em ridiculous, the Terms are sometimes alter'd to make the Blunder more visible; Knowledge misunderstood is not at all better Sense than Understanding misunderstood, though 'tis confest the Author can play with words so well, that this and twenty such will pass off at a slight reading.

There are other Mistakes which could not be brought in, for they were too gross for