us, from what we do at that feafon when we have leaft judgment to direct us. On the other hand, a good Poet no fooner communicates his works with the fame defire of information, but it is imagined he is a vain young creature given up to the ambition of fame; when perhaps the poor man is all the while trembling with the fear of being ridicu lous. If he is made to hope he may please the world, he falls under very unlucky circumftances for, from the moment he prints, he must expect to hear no more truth, than if he were a Prince, or a Beauty. If he has not very good fenfe (and indeed there are twenty men of wit, for one man of fenfe) his living thus in a course of flattery may put him in no final danger of becoming a Coxcomb: if he has, he will confequently have fo much diffidence as not to reap any great fatisfaction from his praife; fince, if it be given to his face, it can fearce be diftinguifh'd from flattery, and if in his abfence, it is hard to be certain of it. Were he fure to be commended by the best and most knowing, he is as fure of being envied by the worst and most ignorant, which are the majority; for it is with a fine Genius as with a fine fashion, all thofe are difpleafed at it who are not able to follow it and it is to be feared that esteem will seldom do any man fo much good, as ill-will does him harm. Then there is a third clafs of people who make the largest part of mankind, those of ordinary or indifferent capacities; and thefe (to a man) will hate, or fufpect him: a hundred honeft Gentlemen will dread him as a Wit, and a hundred innocent women as a Satirist. In a word, whatever be his fate in Poetry, it is ten to one but he must give up all the reafo nable aims of life for it. There are indeed some, advantages accruing from a Genius to Poetry, and they are all I can think of: the agreeable power of felf-amufement when a man is idle or alone; the privilege of being admitted into the best company; and the freedom of faying as many careless things as other people, without being fo feverely remarked upon. I believe, if any one, early in his life, should contemplate the dangerous fate of authors, he would fcarce be of their number on any confideration. The life of a Wit is a warfare upon earth; and the prefent fpirit of the learned world is fuch, that to attempt to ferve it (any way) one must have the conftancy of a martyr, and a refolution to fuffer for its fake. I could wifh people would believe, what I am pretty certain they will not, that I have been much lefs concerned about Fame than I durft declare till this occafion, when methinks I fhould find more credit than I could heretofore fince my writings have had their fate already, and it is too late to think of prepoffeffing the reader in their favour. I would plead it as fome merit in me, that the world has never been prepared for thefe Trifles by Prefaces, biaffed by recommendations, dazzled with the names of great Patrons, wheedled with fine reasons and pretences, or troubled with excufes. I confefs it was want of confideration that made me an author; I writ becaufe it amufed me; I corrected becaufe correct as to write; Το it was as pleasant to me to and I publifhed because I was told I might pleafe fuch as it was a credit to please. what degree I have done this, I am really ignorant; I had too much fondness for my productions to judge of them at firft, and too much judgment to be pleafed with them at last. But I have reafon to think they can have no reputation which will continue long, or which deferves to do fo: for they have always fallen fhort not only of what I read of others, but even of my own Ideas of Poetry. If any one fhould imagine I am not in earneft, I defire him to reflect, that the Ancients (to fay the leaft of them) had as much Genius as we and that to take more pains, and employ more time, cannot fail to produce more complete pieces. They conftantly apply'd themfelves not only to that art, but to that fingle branch of an art, to which their talent was most powerfully bent; and it was the business of their lives to correct and finifh their works for Pofterity. If we can pretend to have used the fame industry, let us expect the fame immortality Tho' if we took the fame care, we fhould ftill lie under a further misfortune: they writ in languages that became univerfal and everlasting, while ours are extremely limited both in extent and in duration. A mighty foundation for our pride! when the utmost we can hope, is but to be read in one Ifland, and to be thrown afide at the end of one Age. : All that is left us is to recommend our productions by the imitation of the Ancients: and it will be found true, that, in every age, the highest character for fenfe and learning has been obtain'd by thofe who have been moft indebted to them. For, to fay truth, whatever is very good fenfe, muft have been common sense in all times; and what we call Learning, is but the knowledge of the fenfe of our predeceffors. Therefore they who fay our thoughts are not our own, because they refemble the Ancients, may as well fay our faces are not our own, because they are like our Fathers: And indeed it is very unreafonable, that people fhould expect us to be Scholars, and yet be angry to find us fo. I fairly confefs that I have ferv'd myself all I could by reading; that I made ufe of the judgment of authors dead and living; that I omitted no means in my power to be inform'd of my errors, both by my friends and enemies: But the true reafon thefe pieces are not more correct, is owing to the confideration how fhort a time they, and I, have to live: One may be afhamed to confume half one's days in bringing fenfe and rhyme together; and what Critic can be fo unreasonable, as not to leave a man time enough for any more ferious employment, or more agreeable amufement? The only plea I fhall ufe for the favour of the public, is, that I have as great a respect for it, as moft authors have for themfelves; and that I have facrificed much of my own felf-love for its fake, in preventing not only many mean things from feeing the light, but many which |