bout a Poem. And in the Mean time this satisfies me,
whatever is the success, that I've done all that cou'd be done by one in
my Circumstances towards the rendering it more compleat and free from
Faults, and only wish that my own Reputation may suffer, by the weakness
of the Work, and not the Dignity of the Subject.

I cou'd plead for my self what Longinus says on Works of this Nature,
wou'd it not look like Arrogance, "That even the greatest Genius may
sometimes sink into meanness, when the force of their Spirits is once
exhausted: That its very difficult for height of Thought to sustain it
self long in an equal Tenour; and that some Faults ought to be excused
when there are more Beauties." But if none of these will pass, I hope it
will not much mortifie me, since I think the World and I have no great
matter to do with one another. I'm sensible my Poem wou'd have had fewer
Enemies, had I left out some Passages in't. But as mean as the worst of
this are, I wou'd not buy their good Word at such a rate. I had almost
forgot to mention the Gravers Work, which is not without Faults,
particularly he has err'd in the Posture of the Disciples at the last
Supper, whom he has made Sitting, when they were really Declining, or
Discumbent. But its now more than time to conclude my long Preface, which
I shall do in few Words. Since the chief Design in this Work, is to
advance the Honour of my Hero, and next to that, the entertainment of
Pious and ingenious Minds; for the truth of which, I hope I may appeal to
the great [Greek: kritikos tes kardias]; I shall not be much concern'd for
the success it may meet with in the World.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Epistle to a Friend Concerning Poetry
(1700) and the Essay on Heroic Poetry (second edition, 1697), by Samuel Wesley

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EPISTLE TO A FRIEND ***

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