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The excerpt represents the core issue or deciding factor on which you must meditate, and is drawn from The Bickerstaff-Partridge Papers by Jonathan Swift: think. As to the tradition of these lines having been writ in the
original by Merlin, I confess I lay not much weight upon it: But
it is enough to justify their authority, that the book from
whence I have transcrib'd them, was printed 170 years ago, as
appears by the title-page. For the satisfaction of any gentleman,
who may be either doubtful of the truth, or curious to be
inform'd; I shall give order to have the very book sent to the
printer of this paper, with directions to let anybody see it that
pleases, because I believe it is pretty scarce.
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[Dr. John Arbuthnot and Alexander Pope]
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