he
first _Canto_, which treats of our Hero's Birth and Parentage, and
Education, with some other Circumstances which you'll find are carry'd
on in a manner not very inelegant, _and cannot fail to please those who
are not Judges of Language, or those who notwithstanding they are Judges
of Language, have a genuine and unprejudic'd Tast of Nature_.

In _Arthur's_ Court _Tom Thumb_ did live;
A Man of mickle Might,
The best of all the Table round,
And eke a doubty Knight,
In Stature but an Inch in Height,
Or quarter of a Span;
Then think you not this worthy Knight
Was prov'd a valiant Man.

This Beginning is agreeable to the best of the Greek and Latin Poets;
_Homer_ and _Virgil_ give an Idea of the whole Poem in a few of the
first Lines, and here our Author draws the Character of his Hero, and
shews what you may expect from a Person so well qualify'd for the
greatest Undertakings.

In the Description of him, which is very fine, he insinuates, that tho'
perhaps his Person may appear despicable and little, yet you'll find him
an Hero of the most consummate Bravery and Conduct, and is almost the
same Account _Statius_ gives of _Tydeus_.

--------Totos infusa per artus,
Major in exiguo regnabat corpore virtus.

If any suppose the Notion of such an Hero improbable, they'll find the
Character _Virgil_ gives _Camilla_ to be as far stretch'd:

Illa vel Intactae segetis per summa volaret
Gramina, nec teneras cursu laesisset Aristas:
Vel mare per medium, fluctu suspensa tumenti
Ferret Iter: celeres nec tingeret aequore plantas.

But to proceed,

His Father was a Plowman plain,
His Mother milk'd the Cow,
And yet a Way to get a Son
This Couple knew not how,
Until such time the good old Man
To learned _Merlin_ goes,
And there to him in deep Distress
In secret Manner shows,
How in his Heart he wish'd to have,
A Child in time to come,
To be his Heir, tho' it might be
No bigger than his Thumb.
Of which old _Merlin_ was foretold,
That he his Wish should have,
And so a Son of Stature small
The Charmer to him gave.

There is nothing more common throughout the Poets of the finest Taste,
than to give an Account of the Pedigree of their Hero. So _Virgil_,

----AEneas quem Dardanio Anchisae
Alma Venus Phrygii genuit Simoentis ad undas.

And the Manner of the Countryman's going to consult _Merlin_, is like
that of _AEneas_'s approaching the Oracle of _Delpho