urse, and we
know he was more than a great man, for he was witty too: But finding
himself far gone in poetry, which Seneca assures us was not his
talent, he thought it his best way to be well with Virgil and with
Horace; that at least he might be a poet at the second hand; and we
see how happily it has succeeded with him; for his own bad poetry is
forgotten, and their panegyrics of him still remain. But they who
should be our patrons are for no such expensive ways to fame; they
have much of the poetry of Maecenas, but little of his liberality.
They are for prosecuting Horace and Virgil, in the persons of their
successors; for such is every man who has any part of their soul and
fire, though in a less degree. Some of their little zanies yet go
further; for they are persecutors even of Horace himself, as far as
they are able, by their ignorant and vile imitations of him; by
making an unjust use of his authority, and turning his artillery
against his friends. But how would he disdain to be copied by such
hands! I dare answer for him, he would be more uneasy in their
company, than he was with Crispinus, their forefather, in the Holy
Way; and would no more have allowed them a place amongst the critics,
than he would Demetrius the mimic, and Tigellius the buffoon;

------- Demetri, teque, Tigelli,
Discipulorum inter jubeo plorare cathedras.

With what scorn would he look down on such miserable translators,
who make doggerel of his Latin, mistake his meaning, misapply his
censures, and often contradict their own? He is fixed as a landmark
to set out the bounds of poetry--

------- Saxum antiquum, ingens,--
Limes agro positus, litem ut discerneret arvis.

But other arms than theirs, and other sinews are required, to raise
the weight of such an author; and when they would toss him against
enemies--

Genua labant, gelidus concrevit frigore sanguis.
Tum lapis ipse viri, vacuum per inane volatus,
Nec spatium evasit totum, nec pertulit ictum.

For my part, I would wish no other revenge, either for myself,
or the rest of the poets, from this rhyming judge of the twelve-penny
gallery, this legitimate son of Sternhold, than that he would
subscribe his name to his censure, or (not to tax him beyond his
learning) set his mark: For, should he own himself publicly, and
come from behind the lion's skin, they whom he condemns would be
thankful to him, they whom he praises would choose to be