ch he has
brought the _Charter_ of St. _Peter's_ Patrimony, by his Attack of the
_Ambassador_; The _fictitious_ Existence of both the _Charter_ and
_Grant_ being sarcastically pointed out, under this respectable Air
of _Authenticity_.

3.

Upon the Restoration Mr. _Waller_ presented a congratulatory Copy of
Verses to King _Charles_; His Majesty, after reading them, said,--
_Mr_. Waller, _these are very good, but not so fine as you made upon
the_ PROTECTOR.--To which Mr. _Waller_ return'd,--_Your Majesty will
please to recollect, that we Poets always write best upon_ FICTIONS.

The _original_ Subject in this Instance is _the superior Excellence of
Mr_. WALLER's _Verses upon_ Cromwell; This he most happily excuses, by
starting at once, and _arranging_ along with them, the Remark, that
_Poets have always excell'd upon Fiction_; whereby he unexpectedly
exhibits his _more excellent_ Verses to _Cromwell_, as a plain
_Elucidation_ of the _fictitious_ Glory of the Protector; And
intimates at the same time, that the _Inferiority_ of his present
Performance was a natural _Illustration_ of his Majesty's _real_
Glory;--Never was a deep Reproach averted by a more happy Reply; which
comprehends both the highest Compliment to his Majesty, and a very
firm poetical Excuse of the different Performances.

4.

_Leonidas_ the _Spartan_ General, when he advanced near the _Persian_
Army, was told by one of his own Captains, that _their Enemies were so
numerous, it was impossible to see the Sun for the Multitude of their
Arrows_; To which he gallantly reply'd, _We shall then have the
Pleasure of fighting in the Shade_.

The vast Cope of _Persian_ Arrows is here the _original_ Subject;
which instead of being observed by _Leonidas_ with Terror, presents
to his Fancy the pleasant Idea of a cool _Canopy_. There is an
_Agreement_ and Affinity between the two Objects, in regard to the
_Shelter from the Sun_, which is at once obvious, and _unexpected_;
And the Cloud of the Enemies Arrows is thus gaily _elucidated_, by the
_Arrangement_ and Comparison of it with so desirable an Object as
_shady Covering_.

This Saying of the _Spartan_ General has been handed through many Ages
to the present Time; But the chief Part of the Pleasure it gives us,
results not so much from the WIT it contains, as from the _Gallantry_,
and _chearful Spirit_, discover'd in Danger, by _Leonidas_.

5.

An Instance of WIT in the _Opposition_, I remember to ha