Bar for patronage. There is a
deplorable instance of this in the case of Mr. D----y,[416] who has
dedicated his inimitable comedy, called, "The Modern Prophets," to a
worthy knight,[417] to whom, it seems, he had before communicated his
plan, which was, to ridicule the ridiculous of our established doctrine.
I have elsewhere celebrated the contrivance of this excellent drama; but
was not, till I read the dedication, wholly let into the religious
design of it. I am afraid it has suffered discontinuance at this gay end
of the town, for no other reason but the piety of the purpose. There is
however in this epistle the true life of panegyrical performance; and I
do not doubt but, if the patron would part with it, I can help him to
others with good pretensions to it; viz., of uncommon understanding, who
would give him as much as he gave for it. I know perfectly well a noble
person to whom these words (which are the body of the panegyric) would
fit to a hair.

"Your easiness of humour, or rather your harmonious disposition, is so
admirably mixed with your composure, that the rugged cares and
disturbance that public affairs brings with it, which does so
vexatiously affect the heads of other great men of business, &c. does
scarce ever ruffle your unclouded brow so much as with a frown. And what
above all is praiseworthy, you are so far from thinking yourself better
than others, that a flourishing and opulent fortune, which by a certain
natural corruption in its quality, seldom fails to infect other
possessors with pride, seems in this case as if only providentially
disposed to enlarge your humility.

"But I find, sir, I am now got into a very large field, where though I
could with great ease raise a number of plants in relation to your merit
of this plauditory nature; yet for fear of an author's general vice, and
that the plain justice I have done you should, by my proceeding and
others' mistaken judgment, be imagined flattery, a thing the bluntness
of my nature does not care to be concerned with, and which I also know
you abominate."

It is wonderful to see how many judges of these fine things spring up
every day by the rise of stocks, and other elegant methods of abridging
the way to learning and criticism. But I do hereby forbid all
dedications to any persons within the city of London, except Sir
Francis, Sir Stephen,[418] and the Bank, will take epigrams and epistles
as value received for their notes; and the East India