The first book of Statius his Thebais Part of the XIII. book of Homers Odyffes To a young Lady with the works of Voiture 133 To the fame on her leaving the Town On a Fan of the Authors defign On Silence, in initation of Rochester's ftile 1 PREFACE. Am inclined to think that both the writers of books, and the readers of them, are generally not a little unreasonable in their expectations. The firft feem to fancy that the world must approve whatever they produce, and the latter to imagine that authors are obliged to them at any rate. Methinks as on the one hand, no fingle man is born with a right of controuling the opinions of all the reft; fo on the other, the world has no title to demand, that the whole care and time of any par ticular perfon fhould be facrificed to its entertainment. Therefore I cannot but believe that writers and readers are under equal obligations, for as much fame, or pleasure, as each affords the other. Every one acknowledges, it would be a wild notion to expect perfection in any work of man: and yet one would think the contrary was taken for granted, by the judgment commonly paft upon Poems. A Critic fuppofes he has done bis part, if he proves a writer to have fail'd in an expreffion, or err'd in any particular point; and can it then be wonder'd at, if the Poets in general feem refolv'd not to own themselves in any error? For as long as one fide defpifes a well-meant endeavour, the other will not be fatisfy'd with a moderate approbation. I am afraid this extreme zeal on both fides is ill-plac'd; Poetry and Criticifm being by no means the univerfal concern of the world, but only the affair of idle men who write in their closets, and of idle men who read there. Yet fure upon the whole, a bad Author deferves better ufage than a bad Critic; a man may be the former merely thro the misfortune of an ill judgntent, but he cannot be the latter without both that and an ill temper, I think a good deal may be faid to extenuate the fault of bad Poets. What we call a Genius, is. bard to be diftinguifb'd by a man himself, from a ftrong inclination: and if it be never so great, he can not at firft difcover it any other way, than by that prevalent propenfity which renders him the more liable to be mistaken. The only method he has, is to make the experiment by writing, & appealing to the judgment of others: And if he happens to write ill (which is certainly no fin in itself) he is immediately made an object of ridicule. I wish we had the humanity to reflect that even the worst authors might endeavour to please us, and in that endeavour, deferve fomething at our hands. We have no caufe to quarrel with them but for their obstinacy in perfifting, and this too may admit of alleviating circumstances. Their particular friends may be either ignorant, or infincere; and the rest of the world too well bred to fhock them with a truth, which generally their Bookfellers are the first that inform them of This happen's not till they have spent too much of their time, to apply to any profeffion which might better fit their talents; and till fuch talents as they have are fo far difcredited, as to be but of Small fervice to them. For (what is the hardeft cafe imaginable) the reputation of a man generally depends upon the first steps he makes in the |