how hard it is (with regard both to his fubject and his manner) VETUSTIS DARE NOVITATEM, OBSOLETIS NITOREM, OBSCURIS LUCEM, FASTIDITIS GRATIAM. St. James's, Dec. 22d, 1728. I am Your most humble Servant, WILLIAM CLELAND. d This gentleman was of Scotland, and bred at the University of Utrecht, with the Earl of Mar. He ferved in Spain under Earl Rivers. After the Peace, he was made one of the Commiffioners of the Customs in Scotland, and then of Taxes in England; in which having fhewn himself for twenty years diligent, punctual, and incorruptible (though without any other affiftance of Fortune), he was fuddenly difplaced by the Minifter, in the fixty-eighth year of his age; and died two months after, in 1741. He was a perfon of universal Learning, and an enlarged Conversation; no man had a warmer heart for his Friend, or a fincerer attachment to the Conftitution of his Country. MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS HIS Prolegomena and Illustrations то THE DUNCIA D: WITH THE | HYPERCRITICS OF ARISTARCHUS. I DENNIS, Remarks on Pr. ARTHUR. CANNOT but think it the most reasonable thing in the world, to distinguish good writers, by difcouraging the bad. Nor is it an ill-natured thing, in relation even to the very persons upon whom the reflections are made. It is true, it may deprive them, a little the fooner, of a short profit and a tranfitory reputation; but then it may have a good effect, and oblige them (before it be too late) to decline that for which they are fo very unfit, and to have recourfe to fomething in which they may be more fuccefsful. CHARACTER of Mr. P. 1716. THE Perfons whom Boileau has attacked in his writings, have been for the most part Authors, and moft of thofe Authors, Poets: And the cenfures he hath paffed upon them have been confirmed by all Europe, GILDON, Pref. to his New REHEARSAL. IT is the common cry of the Poetafters of the town, and their fautors, that it is an ill-natured thing to expofe the Pretenders to wit and poetry. The Judges and Magiftrates may with full as good reafon be reproached with Ill-nature for putting the Laws in execution against a Thief or Impoftor.-The fame will hold in the republic of Letters, if the Critics and Judges will let every ignorant pretender to fcribbling pafs on the World. THEOBALD, Letter to Mift, June 22, 1728. ATTACKS may be levelled, either against Failures in Genius, or against the Pretenfions of writing with out one. |