vance to my second Particular, _Criticism_.

The fatal Criticism or Damnation which the Writings of some Authors
meet with thro' their Obscurity, want of Friends and Interest in the
World, &c. is very discouraging to the Productions of Literature:
It is the greatest difficulty immaginable, for an obscure Person to
Establish a Reputation in any sort of Writing; he's a long time in the
same Condition with _Sisyphus_, rolling a heavy Stone against an
aspiring Mount which perpetually descends again; it must be to his
benign Stars, some lucky Subject suiting the Humour of the Times, more
than the Beauty of his Performance, which he will be oblig'd for his
Rise: And in this Age Persons in general, are so Estrang'd from bare
Merit, that an Author destitute of Patronage will be equally
Unsuccessful to a Person without Interest at Court, (and you'll as
rarely find the Friendship of an _Orestes_, as the Chastity of
_Penelope_) When a Man of Fortune has no other Task, than to give out
a stupid Performance to be of his own Composing, and he's immediately
respected as a Celebrated Writer: And if a Man has the good Fortune to
hit the capricious Humour of the Age; after he has attained a
Reputation with the utmost Difficulty, he's sure to meet with the
severest Treatment, from a herd of Malicious and Implacable Scriblers.

This was the Case of the late Mr. _Dryden_, a Man for Learning and
universal Writing in Poetry, perhaps the Greatest that _England_ has
produc'd; he was Persecuted by Envy, with the utmost Inveteracy for
many Years in Succession: And is the Misfortune at this Juncture of
Mr. _Pope_, a Person tho' Inferior to Mr. _Dryden_, yet speaking
Impartially has few Superiors in this Age: From these Considerations
it is Evident, (tho' it seems a Paradox) that it is a Reputation to be
Scandaliz'd, as a Person in all Cases of this Nature is allow'd some
Merit, when Envy attacks him, and the World might not be sensible of
it in General, without a publick Encounter in Criticism; and many
Authors would be Buried in Oblivion were they not kept alive by
Clamours against their Performances.

The Criticks in this Age are arriv'd to that consummate Pitch of
ill-nature, that they'll by no means permit any Person the favour to
Blunder but their mighty selves, and are in all respects, except the
Office of a Critick, in some measure ill Writers; I have known an
unnatural Brother of the Quill causless condemn Language in the
Writings of ot