WEre it not that Mr. Bee had received the Character of Mr. Poole, to be a confident and rest­less man in his way, he should have very much wondred to have found him publishing a new Vindication of his Design, &c. for Mr. Bee really believed the strength and reason of his former Paper, in Answer to what Mr. Poole and all his Friends were able before to say, would have satisfied, and once more silenced him, and saved both parties the farther trouble of multiplying Replies upon the present Difference. But since Mr. Poole has again gone a­bout to abuse the World with a second Paper, which he calls by the same name as he did his former, (and well he may so doe, since it consists in so great measure of mere vain and needless Repetitions of what he had formerly written, and what Mr. Bee had formerly as fully answered; the rest of it being made up of notorious Falsities, Mistakes wilfull or of Ignorance, something of Absurditie, an impertinent Flash or two of Wit, and Confidence more then sufficient through the whole) Mr. Bee is re­solved not to be behind-hand with him in justifying his Right and Propriety, and therefore to Mr. Poole's Se­cond Vindication returns this Answer, (if at least any Sense and Reason will pass with Mr. Poole for an Answer.)

1. For his first Clause, of consulting with able Lawyers, and receiving their Judgement in favour of his De­sign; Mr. Bee thinks he hath sufficiently answered that already; that one Story may be good till another be heard, that he hath also the Judgement of very able Lawyers against the Design, and that if Mr. Bee himself were fairly and fully to state the Case to those very Gentlemen named by Mr. Poole, he nothing doubts but, upon a clear sight of the Pretensions and Grounds on both sides, they would be ready to entertain favourable thoughts to his Right in the Business controverted.

2. For Mr. Poole's Offer to refer all to Arbitration, &c. and Mr. Bee's Refusall; Mr. Bee has confessed it, and given a Reason for it sufficiently good to satisfie any Rational man. For the grand Absurdity Mr. Bee is guilty of, neither Mr. Bee nor any body else can tell where it lies. Mr. Poole saies, It was not to be referr'd whether the CRITICI SACRI were Mr. Bee's; but what Right Mr. Bee had in Mr. Poole's Collections out of them and many others. Mr. Bee answers, that Mr. Poole's Collections out of the CRITICKS were Mr. Bee's just Right, as being his Authours in part; and for his many others, they could be no ground of any Reference, since he never laid Claim to them, nor had any thing to say to them. So that Mr. Bee's Authours in part (which Mr. Poole calls his Collections) were the thing to be referr'd, whether they were Mr. Poole's or Mr. Bee's Right. And where now lies the Absurdity? Whereas Mr. Poole saies he offered an Equivalent, a greater proportion of Materials, and I know not how much Care and Pains in contriving and digesting the whole: Mr. Bee answers; for his Pains he may thank himself, if he would be busier then he needed, and run his Plow into another man's Ground upon his own head. What his Care was, Mr. Bee knows not; but when Mr. Bee shall have knock'd off Mr. Poole's fingers from meddling at all with his CRITICKS, and Mr. Poole shall have given his Subscribers two or three more such Slurrs as he has done by quitting the Biblia Maxima, one of his best Materials, which he formerly promised to bring in, but [...]ow declares he will let alone, (so that they know not what they pay their Money for) Mr. Bee thinks by that time he may have his Labour for his Care and Pains. For the rest of his Materials Mr. Bee knows not what they are: but were they of never so much worth and credit, when Mr. Bee saies he'll have nothing to doe with them, and Mr. Poole's other colle­ctions are his own already, how can Mr. Bee or any man else look upon this as an Equivalent? So that Mr. Bee goes on to declare, that Mr. Poole may as well religiously Epitomize his Purse upon the High-way, as goe about by these crooked and sinister Artifices to extort his unquestionable Right out of his hands, and all (as he pre­tends) for the Glory of God. That Mr. Bee never chose above one person to any Meeting, and that one declar'd himself unsatisfied with Mr. Poole's Profer, Mr. Bee again affirms. And whereas Mr. Poole threatens never to offer the like Terms again; Mr. Bee cannot help it, but desires Mr. Poole not to trouble his head about that, till such time as he shall send to him, and beg such a Favour of him.

3. For Mr. Bee's Ʋnrighteousness, and his bringing down the Prices of Books to the loss and prejudice of many Scholars, (if there be any so prejudiced) there needs no new Answer. But whereas Mr. Poole saies, If these Losses and Injuries be expiated by the Serviceableness of Mr. Bee's Design to the publick good, why may not he have the benefit of the same Plea? Mr. Bee answers, Because Mr. Poole has not that true and just Title to the Copies he pretends to as himself had. For Mr. Bee meddled with no Authours that any English­man could claim a Right in, without first making them Satisfaction: But Mr. Poole declares to take his princi­pal Materials out of those Authours that Mr. Bee has made himself a Legal Title in, and that without his Leave or Consent, or any Consideration for them. Let Mr. Poole but keep his own ground, and not trespass upon the CRITICKS, and let his Epitomizing bring down the prices of what Authours he will.

4. To his fourth Clause, (which is most of it Crambe) concerning one man's Epitomizing anothe [...] Copy without being question'd for it, (as Mr. Poole saies) Mr. Bee gives his former Answer, That Mr. Poole will find no Book in England, of one sort or other, (before the Parliament 1642) printed either in whole or part, but either by the right Owner, or with his Consent and Approbation; and the like in any forein settled Kingdome, State, or Principality. What things have been here since done to the contrary, have been done beside Law [Page 2] and Reason. And if some men in those Arbitrary and Licencious times have not been able to help themselves against Ʋsurpers, their case was to be pitied, rather then drawn into Example. But if any true Proprietors will in these daies either wink at other men while they pick their Pockets, or be negligent of their own Interests, when they have the Law open to defend and justifie them, or think it not worth their while to sue a Beggar and catch Vermine, or it may be have taken Composition under-hand, (all which are at least tacit Consents) why should this sway any thing with Mr. Bee, who never made over the least of his Right, nor any way allow'd another to meddle with it, but is resolved (by God's assistence) to try what the Law will doe for him, which as it is the great Discerner, so the Securer of all mens Proprieties? For Marlorat's Epitome, Mr. Bee again averrs, that it was printed at the Charge of the same Booksellers that had the Propriety in the Authours he Epitomized, and printed by the very same Printer. Mr. Poole saies, he that looks on the Title-pages of those Authours will find this a mere Fiction of Mr. Bee. But let Mr. Poole look on the Title-pages of the first Im­pressions of those Authours, (not those after-Impressions in other Countries which lay out of the bounds of their Privileges, and could no way be prevented, as Mr. Bee cannot prevent a Discourtesie of that nature to him­self in Forein parts, and therefore had need to be secured by his Grant at home) Let Mr. Poole look on these, and he will soon find Mr. Bee's Tale true, and the Fiction to lie at his own door. By that time Mr. Poole has served an Apprenticeship to the Trade (as every Bookseller should) he will learn to make this distinction: but at present he is but raw and green in the way. That the Law-Patent-Case was determined by the Lord Keeper the last Term, (by which Mr. Poole must mean Hilary Term, for this is but the same Ʋntruth repeated, which he formerly printed in his first Paper a little after that Term) Mr. Bee wonders with what face Mr. Poole can persist in so gross and palpable a Falsity; when 'tis notoriously known that in that last Term (as he calls it) there was nothing like a Determination, but it was onely referr'd to a future Hearing the ensuing Easter term, that in that Term it was again heard, and again put off, and at this present Term continues undecided. This all the Town can tell him. Now what eminent Lawyer it was that should so abuse Mr. Poole, (if Mr. Poole does not rather abuse his Lawyer) as to assure him he was present, and heard the Lord Keeper determine the Case, Mr. Bee cannot imagine, but takes the whole Story for a Castle built in the Air of Mr. Poole's Fancy, as most of what he saies besides seems to have had its first hatching and production there.

5. Mr. Poole saies, he does not pretend to Epitomize the whole CRITICKS. Nor does Mr. Bee know how it can be done: for can a man Epitomize, and yet take the whole? can he take but parts of a thing, and yet have all? However (as Mr. Bee said formerly) he takes all that he judges the best, and makes most for his purpose; he takes the Kernell, and leaves the Shell to Mr. Bee for his Fifteen thousand pound. No, saies Mr. Poole, there are many material things in them not belonging to Exposition of Scripture, which are valu­able another way. But what if Mr. Poole should fall upon another Design hereafter, and then Collect out of them all that he now leaves behind, by the same Law and Reason that he now thinks to run away with so considerable a part of them? Mr. Bee remembers the Apologue of the old Fox and the young one. A sorry Fox Epitomized a Flock of Geese, and brought home a couple of the fattest. The young ones laugh'd. At dinner saies one of them, Mother, they are excellent meat; but why did you bring no more of them? Peace, you fool, saies the old one, I have brought you home two of the best, and when occasion serves I know where to find the rest of them. So that Mr. Bee has no Security for the Remainder, and all that he has to thank Mr. Poole for is, his Reprieving the residue of his CRITICKS till his Lust and Stomach be as ready for them as his Consci­ence is.

6. His last Clause divides the Hoof, splits into two parts, and behold there come forth Twins. The first part consists of a Tale of a Tub, the second, with the Bottom out.

To the first Mr. Bee saies, that he understands not what Mr. Poole means, when he saies his Design can be no Loss of any present or certain Benefit to Mr. Bee. 'Tis true, what is certain and present Mr. Bee is sure of. But this is certain at present, that the noise of Mr. Poole's Project (with divers that did not well understand the true state of Businesses) has done him some manifest Disservice abroad, which Mr. Bee must bear as well as he can. And whereas Mr. Poole is so rashly confident as to publish in print now a second time that several of Mr. Bee's Partners declare they will not joyn with him in a second Impression: why should they declare so, when Mr. Bee had never proposed the thing to them? But to stop Mr. Poole's mouth for this matter, and to spoil his game here, let him but reade the following few words as they voluntarily came from Mr. Bee's Partners (now living) subscribed with their own hands.

The Original of this Mr. Bee keeps by him, to satisfie Mr. Poole upon occasion, or any of his scrupling Friends.

But [...]. Poole goes on, and says 'tis generally believed by Scholars and Booksellers, that it is not like to be printe [...] ▪ He neither tells their names, nor where they live. For the generality, Mr. Bee knows it to be false: and if there be any such that so believe, Mr. Bee would know whether ever they finger'd Joseph's Divination Cup, or how they came to dive to the bottom of his Thoughts and Intentions. And yet they are grossly [Page 3] wide in their Guesses, which are directly besides Mr. Bee's Resolution, (if God permit) to go on as vigorously as Mr. Poole, according to the Pattern exhibited to the World in his late Specimen. But Mr. Poole says this Undertaking of Mr. Bee is a work of time, charge, and uncertainty. For the Ʋncertainty, Mr. Poole's Design is equally subject to it; and more uncertain in this respect, that the Epitomizer himself seems to be so uncertain, as not yet to be well resolved what to take in to his Doing, and what to leave out; whereas Mr. Bee's whole Design is completed and digested. For Accidents and Casualties they are common to both. For the Charge of it, let it not trouble Mr. Poole, it shall never cost him a farthing. For the Time, Mr. Bee hopes to carry it on with that convenient expedition, that possibly it may prevent Mr. Poole's, and make a younger Brother of it, if it do not in the meanwhile prove Abortive, or stifled in the Wombe. And whereas Mr. Poole says he has a Privilege as well as Mr. Bee, and bears himself high upon that: Mr. Bee wonders upon the account of what Merit he procured it. But how-ever, he hopes Mr. Poole will consider he is his senior in Privilege eight years, and that the Scene lies not in Kent, but in Middlesex, where Gavel-kind-Law has no footing, but the Elder has the advantage and priority of the rest, that is, the Privilege. Both Mr. Bee and Mr. Poole can't have Right to the Estate. But if Mr. Bee's Privilege will not hold water, and secure him from any attempt Mr. Poole can make upon his Propriety, what does Mr. Poole think will become of his, if any man should go about in a mad humour to Epitomize part or whole (as he phrases it) of his Design? If Mr. Bee's Privilege will doe no good, why should Mr. Poole trouble himself to procure one, which may as well be undermined by another, and that by a third, and so Mr. Poole be reduced to the same condition as he endeavours to bring Mr. Bee into, smart by his own Rod, and be gull'd of his pretended Right after his own Example?

To the second part; Whereas Mr. Poole instances in several Authours Epitomized, as Baronius, Raleigh, &c. which yet bear good rates in the World, and therefore Mr. Bee's Clamours are groundless, &c. Mr. Bee an­swers, that there are Epitomes which have been undertaken with so little discretion and judgement in the Ma­nagery, that the Undertakers have been laugh'd at and hiss'd off the Stage: and no wonder if those Authours at large have kept their Advantage. But for others, Baronius for one, they have been manifestly obstructed in their sales and rates, says the old Book-seller, what-ever Mr. Poole, (who is yet but a Pretender to the Trade) may say to the contrary. But is there any Authour so martyred as Mr. Poole threatens to serve Mr. Bee's, and yet lives? He pretends to drain and suck all the marrow and heart-bloud out of the CRITICKS, all that tends any way to the understanding of difficult places of Scripture, which is the whole Design and Life of Mr. Bee's nine Volumes? Mr. Poole says, Mr. Bee did formerly declare that such a synopsis as Mr. Poole's would not prejudice his Work. If Mr. Poole means the Synopsis as he has now contriv'd it, to consist two Vo­lumes in three out of his Work, there's no man can believe Mr. Bee so sensless as to express himself to any such purpose. All that he said was, if Mr. Poole meddled not with his CRITICKS, or if his Design were as he first represented it to Mr. Bee, it would not be so prejudicial: but since he has declared to take one whole Volume, and another time no less then two, out of them, the case is alter'd, and Mr. Bee must not be understood to de­clare a thing so manifestly tending to his own ruine. Whereas Mr. Poole twits Mr. Bee with his conceit of ima­ginary Profit which may accrue to him, does not Mr. Poole expect the like in his Undertaking? and what may Mr. Bee think of him, who has the real profit and advantage of his subscription-money for some moneths at least, if his Design goes no farther on?

Having gone thus far, Mr. Poole proposes two smart Cases, which if Mr. Bee thought it worth the while he would answer. To the first of them he says onely this, That if Mr. Poole will bring his imaginary Reve­rend and Learned Doctour out of the Clouds, where he supposes him to live, and procure a Meeting betwixt Mr. Bee and him, Mr. Bee will give him a satisfactory Answer to the wild Quere Mr. Poole makes on his be­half, (whether he may not print a Collection gathered out of several other as well as Mr. Bee's Authours be­fore he printed them, (divers of which latter neither Mr. Poole nor his learned Doctour had ever seen or heard of, had not they found them in the CRITICKS) print this Collection, I say, which he made for his own private use:) but till then Mr. Bee will give neither him nor Mr. Poole leave to tamper with any thing that has so im­mediate a relation to himself by way of Propriety.

The other, of Epitomizing Speed, &c. (which Mr. Poole saies is exactly his Case) is as shallow: But the main thing that Mr. Bee observes by Mr. Poole's ramble, from the CRITICKS, to Law-Books, from them to Dictionaries, to Historians, to one thing after another, is this, that Mr. Poole's aim is for the levelling of all Propriety in any sorts of Books whatsoever: and if he be not well observed in his present motion, he (or some other of his Friends that now lie fallow and have leisure enough) may ere long attempt farther in subjects of another nature, especially if he once finde himself of strength to deal with Mr. Bee in the present Dispute.

But the thing that does most of all sting and nettle Mr. Poole is Mr. Bee's challenging him of breach of Pro­mise before his going into Holland, which was, that he would desist in his Design till Mr. Bee's return from thence. Here Mr. Poole is sore and winces, and at last is so far carried as to say he is ready to contradict Mr. Bee with an Oath, (which it may be for all that he would not doe if he were put to it.) He says, had any such Promise been made, Mr. Bee would have put it in his First Paper. That Mr. Bee spared him then, was out of a respect he had to his Coat, (though Mr. Poole's were never perfectly black) and the hope he had he should have no occasion to urge it. But [...] nothing else would serve the turn, Mr. Bee thought it f [...] to dally no longer, but to let the world know how unworthily Mr. Poole had dealt by him. So that it was no afternoon-dream, as Mr. Poole waggishly suggests, but a real Truth of some weeks standing, though then first awak'd by Mr. Bee, to the confutation of Mr. Poole's boast of his great Sincerity and Candour in this whole Transaction. But let Mr. Poole have a care, that notwithstanding Mr. Bee's afternoon-dream, he be not up time enough in the morning to meet him in the first full career of his vigorous proceeding, and take the boldness to bid him Stand. For Mr. Bee's good invention, let any man judge where the Invention lies, and who has the best [Page 4] knack that way, by the several Weaknesses Mr. Poole has been trapp'd in through this whole Paper hitherto. When Mr. Poole cites 2 Kings 9. 11. Mr. Bee is afraid he is beside the Text, and had turned down the wrong leaf, or that he prick'd with a Pin for it, as Boys do in a Lottery-Book; otherwise Mr. Bee thinks he might have as well cited the first verse in Genesis as that, for any thing that either the one or the other concerns the present business. But though Mr. Poole be a little obscure here, yet by and by Mr. Bee questions not but to make the World know the man and his communication. How much more pertinent had it been for Mr. Poole to have turned to another Chapter? where he should have found Ahab, a branded man for notorious impie­ty, yet making Conscience in the case of another's Vineyard, which he would not seize upon either in whole or part without first profering an equivalent Compensation? But as to Mr. Poole's Promise in Jewin Street, Mr. Bee is ready to swear, that it was given, and for 3 months, with those circumstances which he has rela­ted in his former Paper. And though it had the fortune to be a private and unwitnessed Transaction, (as Mr. Poole saies, who has otherwhile told Mr. Bee, that if a third man should at any time come amongst them, he would hold no discourse of the business in difference betwixt them) yet Mr. Bee has sufficient witness, that after his Return from Holland, this Passage was betwixt Mr. Poole and him in his Shop. Mr. Bee there in dis­course taxed Mr. Poole with faileur in his Promise made before he went over. Mr. Poole then, as now, de­nied any such Promise. What was it then, Mr. Poole, said Mr. Bee, that you and I talked of so long together in Jewin street? Was it not about my business? And was there nothing of a Promise mention'd? Mr. Poole at last ingenuously confess'd he promised for three weeks. This was over-heard and ready to be attested by one then at a little distance from us. Now Mr. Bee leaves it to others to judge, the onely ground of the Pro­mise being his necessary occasion of absence in the Low-Countries about his Concerns, which he then told Mr. Poole would require three months time; whether it were to any purpose for Mr. Poole to promise, or Mr. Bee to accept the Promise for three weeks, which was all one as if there had been no Promise at all; and whether it be not probable (there being a Promise made) it was rather for the whole term Mr. Bee's Occa­sions required; who, had it not been that he had thought himself secure during his being abroad upon Mr. Poole's word passed, had at least deferr'd his Voiage till some time after. But Mr. Poole grows warm, and saies he is ready to make Oath before a Magistrate that he made no such Promise. Though Mr. Bee is not a little pleased to find Mr. Poole so far coming on, that at length he can persuade himself to be willing to take some kind of Oath upon some occasion; yet for him, who, after some boggling, at last refused and still stands out against a Subscription tendered from the great Authority of the Nation, tending so much to the preserva­tion of the quiet and peace of the Nation, for him to make his first Essay of Swearing in a Case tending to his own private profit and advantage, to the manifest Detriment of his neighbour, and where Mr. Bee is con­fident the Truth stands against him; Mr. Bee desires him to consider whether there be not something of his own Gnat and Camel in the case.

For Mr. Bee's spreading a Report, that Mr. Poole's Work was stopp'd; Mr. Bee gives this short Answer in Mr. Poole's ear: 'Tis false. But if any employ'd by Mr. Poole to disperse his Specimens should accidentally glean up such a story in the Coffee-house, Mr. Bee cannot help it, nor is he bound to answer what people say in that prattling School. How could Mr. Bee goe about to raise such a Report, when he knew in his Consci­ence he neve [...] had mov'd the least step towards the stopping of it? For as long as Mr. Poole was but onely words and Preparations, Mr. Bee never troubled himself to meddle with him, or by any Application extra­ordinary to disturb him; neit [...]er is he a man of that temper, to impound his neighbour's Cattel till he take them Damage-feasant. Now, is his time to stop him; and it may be Mr. Poole may soon find it more then a Report.

But in the mean while, who raised the Report both in the City and Universities, that Mr. Bee's friends need not make such a stir about Mr. Poole's unjust and hard dealing with Mr. Bee, for Mr. Bee was well satisfied by Mr. Poole in the business? Certainly this must be either Mr. Poole's doing, (the story is so false) or Mr. Bee knows not where to look the Authour; it being probable no uninterested person would concern himself to hammer out such a notorious invention. It must therefore be at least a Sharer in the Synopsis of Criticall and other Commentators that first contrived it, as Mr. Bee is well assured it was first published and maintained in the above-named talking Academy.

To conclude, let Mr. Poole rest content with what is his own, and leave Mr. Bee to dispose as he thinks good of what is his; let him leave out the Critical, and retain his other Commentators: if then Mr. Poole have oc­casion to cite here and there a passage out of Mr. Bee's Authours, (for confirmation of the Subject he treats on, as he may a Text of Scripture in a Sermon, according to the Judgement of one of his Lawyers) Mr. Bee shall not be against it, provided he do it civilly and modestly; for Mr. Bee does not love he should cite all his Book thus at a time. But if a Synopsis be a Beast of that nature, to hook and fang in all that lies within its reach for its Master's advantage, Mr. Bee thinks it not fit to be endured in a Commonwealth where Meum and Tuum are in fashion. It is yet in Mr. Poole's power for him and Mr. Bee to part friends, the fault is else at his door: but in case Mr. Poole proceeds in his perverse humour, Mr. Bee is resolved (with God's help) to make use of those Remedies which are proper for the Disease, and to endeavour by the best Art he can to put a stop to Mr. Poole in his unreasonable proceedings.

June 10. 1668.