Selected quad for the lemma: book_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A35763
|
A Description of the Academy of the Athenian virtuosi with a discourse held there in vindication of Mr. Dryden's Conquest of Granada against the author of the Censure of the Rota.
|
|
1673
(1673)
|
Wing D1152; ESTC R13478
|
16,559
|
40
|
A DESCRIPTION OF THE ACADEMY OF THE Athenian Virtuosi WITH A DISCOURSE held there in Vindication of Mr. Dryden's Conquest of Granada Against the Author of the Censure of the ROTA Tibi cor limante Minervâ Acrius tenues finxerunt pectus Athenae Nè valeam si non multo sapit altius istud Quod cum panticibus laxis cum pede grandi Et rubro pulmone vetus nasisque timendum Omnia crudelis lanius per compita portat Mart. LONDON Printed for Maurice Atkins 1673. A DESCRIPTION OF THE ACADEMY OF THE Athenian Virtuosi WITH A Discourse held there in Vindication of Mr. Dryden's Conquest of Granada Against the Author of the Censure of the ROTA NO sooner does any person merit the bewitching name of a good Author but he has the happiness to meet with envy yet every one who will not spare the perishing paper deserves not this title though he cares his Reader with those flattering Epithets of gentle and candid since even the Stationer sometimes circumvents your good opinion with the same appellatives But such an Authour who seems to command his fame rather than receive it from the world he like moral vertue which is plac'd between two opposites of excess and defect shall be sure to find a Parallel opposition from two sorts of vitious Criticks I may justly stile them so the one a poor dwindled Critick who is in that defect of wit and judgement that his endeavour is only to be thought to have a small portion by the detracting of them in another The other is in that excess of conceit that he cannot forbear to discover by his own vanity his judgement to be illegitimate Now no place abounds with more witty writers and worse judges than this City of London whilst true Criticks are more moderate being conscious of those peccadilloes that every Writer as man must be subject to They know that expert Homer sometimes may be took napping therefore they willingly allow Poets with Painters to rove in a large field of fancy often repeating hanc veniam petimusque damusque vicissim and as wise men think themselves generally too green to â—all on and Criticize remembring that Maxime of Longinus a better judge sure than any of these dare ever aspire to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Criticisme must be the deliberation of much experience But these bastard Criticks without any examination convict any Author and presently suspend him but who gave them this authority I am sure they were never qualified for the place by Nature or by Art how then can any one expect the least justice from them when their Justice only holds a sword in her hands without any scales and may be accounted blind from her ignorance and not from impartiality Since then I am to speak to the Athenian Virtuosi I hope it may be lawful to borrow two Greek words which will more emphatically denote them There be some that damn a book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is not interpreting or understanding the Author and these in our English tongue are called Fopps Persons whose judgement lyes alwayes in the ear never in the brain who hear what others say and then speak like them they are just like an Eccho a reiterating voice and nothing else as Poets are painted licking up what old Homer let fall so these lap up the Critical vomit which another has ejected What judgement can they give of a book whose palat is solely Critical and they were never at any time stil'd judges unless when with the cusp of their tongue they could determine of the virtue or vice of a glass of Burgundy and as one said well when he forbad any one to read his book with prejudice or after dinner these very persons for these two reasons since their heads are alwaies fill'd with prejudice and the fumes of a full stomach by all sober men are thought unfit to be of a Jury The other sort are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as they are called by others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 persons which do not only interpret badly which they do but also doe it wilfully I can only fancy them a sort of vermin with very little eyes but many teeth and nailes who though they cannot doe much harm by reason of their weakness yet strive to make up that want with their malice These creatures for the most part live by gnawing of books and never leave nibling till they can make some hole to discover some imperfection whilst they deface the book of its native beauties and expose those faults which themselves have made Thus having show'd you the malignity of these animals being inclin'd by a strong habit to inhumanity they are like butchers not to be permitted to sit upon the life and death of an Author Such as these who think themselves Criticks but are not so have endeavour'd to traduce the writings of Mr. Dryden when true Criticks if they would are asham'd to decry them whilst others that are more modest than to be pretenders justly admire them As for my self I never had the satisfaction of his acquaintance which frees me from the suspicion of an officious vindication yet I do know him though far better in his Playes and what has been my misfortune to want in the society of the father has been some way made up in the ingenious and pleasant company of the children Some weeks agoe there came out the Censure of the Rota on Mr. Dryden's Conquest of Granada which I lightly read over for it deserv'd little consideration Indeed I was surpriz'd at the indiscretion of the Author to venture his poor thinn Off-spring to seek its Fortune in cold winter weather but especially in such a dangerous time when there was great need of wast Paper Alas how could he help his weak book though it made sad moan crying out Deferor in vicum vendentem thus odores Poor Author he imagin'd no harm he only made use of the Saturnalia as servants used to doe make bold with his betters and so forth Thus much I did then argue for his simplicity finding him to be so obliging to Mr. Dryden as to pick excellencies out of his Play on purpose to affront him that many Readers believ'd it design'd by one of his best freinds for a complement to show the world that if any one attempted to wound his honour the Archers vanity did not so much lye in abusing his time to split an hair as to hit a thing out of his reach The Author of the Rota est mihi saepe vocandus Ad partes has show'd in his censure so little conversation with Greek and Latin nay English Poets as I shall prove by and by that it is disputed by some whether it was simplicity or madness provoked him to paint himself in colours so ridiculous In all reason Mr. Dryden will give me little thanks since the goodness of an ominous cause may lose much of its lustre
to value them Mr. Dryden shall answer in Horace's words when he had offended many in medling with Lucilius Tu nihil in magno doctuâ— reprendis Homeâ—â— Nil comis tragici mutat Lucilius Atti Non ridet versus Enni gravitate minores Quum de se loquitur non ut majore reprenâ—is Martial makes a distich on Homer for patching up his verses with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thought his was done grinning yet any one may give his censure of another so it produces nothing out candour and judgment as Persius gives his opinion of Horace Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amico Tangit admissus circum praecordia ludit Callidus excusso populum suspendere naso But not like you O Athenian Virtuosi make 〈◊〉 where there are none If the Fopps of the age are stung that they kick up dirt no person can blame Mr. Dryden for lashing them since it would grieve any one nay it would raise the choler of any ingenious man to that degree against then when such will be so inconsiderate nay so absurd to censure a Poet whilst they themselves cannot write and perhaps not read with commendation This stirr'd up many antient Poets and what Poet ever escaped such sinful examiners It vex'd Martial that at last he told them his verses were bad yet he challeng'd them to mend them Haec mala sunt sed tu non meliora facis After this manner Mr. Dryden has provok'd the miserable jury of this age but much hansomer You blame those faults which you want wit to make Mr. Dryden having rebated the edge of all objections that can be brought to defend your assertion it would appear very inconsistent with modesty to alledge his arguments for my own since he has found so good and I can find no better and 't is to himself he must give the thanks that he stands arm'd cap-a-pee I will no longer give my humanity the trouble in reclaiming if it were possible your folly but only acquaint you that Mr. Dryden salutes you in a Semistanza of your much honour'd Hopkins From all the sins that I have done Lord quit me out of hand And make me not a scorn to fools That nothing understand At this Cassus started up and told me I was sawcy not in observing that decorum which the gravity of the place requir'd After some whispering the door-keeper was commanded to clear the room and to take special notice of me that I might be let no more into the Academy with the assurance that I should upon occasion be severely dealt with for this rudeness My Friend and I departed much pleas'd with this scene of mirth at his lodging we found a hypocritical pamphlet aginst Mr. Dryden left by his book-seller after a short view I perceiv'd the needy Author plaid the plagiary having transcrib'd all those objections from Cassus which Cassus had borrow'd from the Rehearsal whence 't is easy to gather that it is difficult to find fault with Mr. Dryden when his enemies are forc'd to tautologize Indeed the Burlesque way of writing is the most hopeful to abuse a good Author since the fantastick dress tickles the Reader and makes him laugh whether he will or no and that the good old Axiom would hold here corruptio optimi fit pessima My Friend told me he was sorry we must part so soon having appointed to meet some persons hard by amongst whom he expected Mr. Dryden promising me to find some other time if I thought it fit to descant upon that book before us and to divertise me with some beloved fancies of Cassus At this I took my leave desiring him to take his Horace with him and to turn to serm 10. lib. 1. where Mr. Dryden might read these verses out of his intimate acquaintance Men ' moveat cimex Pantilius aut crucier quòd Vellicet absentem Demetrius aut quòd ineptus Fannius Hermogenis laedat conviva Tigelli Plotius Varius Mecaenas Virgiliusque Valgius probet haec Octavius optimus atque Fuscus haec utinam Viscorum laudet uterque FINIS A Postscript TWO things may here be inquir'd after why Mr. Dryden is defended since the unsavoury breath which proceeds from the fore-door of those windy Criticks is to be regarded no more than that of the back-door since they are both doom'd to the same date to live for a moment and then to expire but if he is defended why so late when delay will argue heaviness or fear indeed I neither bit my nailes nor scratch'd my head for this nor will I conceit my Antagonist like Hercules a conquerour in his cradle but rather one of those Lapwing-writers who venture to run with the shell on their backs the conscience of which rashness has alwaies so much deterr'd me that this which was drawn up long agoe for my own diversion should have slept in quiet if the compliance to some had not been a motive to the contrary Yet in this skirmish I hope his presumption may be sufficient to keep me from despair Errata Page 7. line 2. for Answerer read answer line 5. for answer read Answerer p. 17. line 16. r. provocate you line 19. r. Athenian Virtuosi p. 28. l. 8. for blow r. below