on: this has given some of them such an air, that in time
they come to be consulted with and dedicated to as the tip-top
critics of the town.--As for the poor critics, I'll give you one
instance of my management, by which you may guess the rest: a lean
man, that looked like a very good scholar, came to me, t'other day;
he turned over your Homer, shook his head, shrugged up his
shoulders, and pish'd at every line of it. "One would wonder," says
he, "at the strange presumption of some men; Homer is no such easy
task as every stripling, every versifier--" He was going on, when my
wife called to dinner; "Sir," said I, "will you please to eat a
piece of beef with me?" "Mr. Lintot," said he, "I am very sorry you
should be at the expense of this great book, I am really concerned
on your account." "Sir, I am much obliged to you: if you can dine
upon a piece of beef together with a slice of pudding--?" "Mr.
Lintot, I do not say but Mr. Pope, if he would condescend to advise
with men of learning--" "Sir, the pudding is upon the table, if you
please to go in." My critic complies; he comes to a taste of your
poetry, and tells me in the same breath, that the book is
commendable, and the pudding excellent.'

" 'Now, sir,' continued Mr. Lintot, 'in return for the frankness I
have shown, pray tell me, is it the opinion of your friends at Court
that my Lord Lansdowne will be brought to the bar or not?' I told
him I heard he would not, and I hoped it, my lord being one I had
particular obligations to.--'That may be,' replied Mr. Lintot; 'but
by G-- if he is not, I shall lose the printing of a very good trial.'

"These, my lord, are a few traits with which you discern the genius
of Mr. Lintot, which I have chosen for the subject of a letter. I
dropped him as soon as I got to Oxford, and paid a visit to my Lord
Carleton, at Middleton....

"I am," &c.

DR. SWIFT TO MR. POPE.

"Sept. 29, 1725.

"I am now returning to the noble scene of Dublin--into the _grand
monde_--for fear of burying my parts; to signalize myself among
curates and vicars, and correct all corruptions crept in relating to
the weight of bread-and-butter through those dominions where I
govern. I have employed my time (besides ditching) in finishing,
co