44 TAE IMPROVEMENT OF THE "MIND. the things of religion, having no more knowledge, nor taste of any thing of inward piety, than a hedgehog or a bear has of of politeness. When I had written these remarks, Probus, who knew all these four gentlemen, wished they might have opportunity to read their own character as it is represented here. Alas ! Probus,. Ì fear it would do them very little good, though it may guard others against their folly : for there is never a one of them would find their own name in these characters if they read them, though all their acquaintance would acknowledge the features immediately, and see the persons almost alive in the picture. VIII. There is yet another mischievous principle which prevails among somepersons in passing a judgment on the writ- ings of others,. and,that is, when from the secret stimulation of vanity, pride orenvy, they despise a valuable book, and throw contempt upon it by wholesale : and if you ask them the reason of their severe censure, they will tell you perhaps, they have found a mistake or two in it, or there are a few sentiments or expresions notsuited to their tooth and humour. Bavius cries down an admirable treatise of philosophy, and says there is atheism in it,. because there are a few sentences that seem to sup- pose brutes to be mere machines. Under the same influence, Momus will not allowParadise Lost to be a good poem, be- cause he had read some flat and heavy lines in it, and ha thought Milton had too much honour done him. It is a paltry humour that inclines a man to rail at any human performance becauseit is not absolutely perfect. Horacewould give us a bet- ter example. . Saut delieta quibus nos ignovisse velimv s, Nam negae chorda sonum reddit quam cult mantis et mene, Nee semperferiet quodcnnque minabitur accus: Atque ubi plura nitent in carmine, non ego p.aueis Ofito for maculis, quas ant incuriafudit, Aut humanaparum cavit natura, Hon. de Art.Poet. Thus Englished : Be not too rigidly censorious: A string may jar in the best master's hand, And the most skilful archer miss his aim Só in a poem elegantly writ I will not quarrel with a small mistake, Such as our natnre'sfrailty may excuse. Roscommon: This noble translator of Horace, whom I here cite,' has a very honourable opinion of Homer in the main, yet he allows him to be justly censured forsome grosser spots and blemishes in him: For who without aversion ever look'd On holy' garbage' tho' by Homer cook'd, Whose railingheroes, and whose woundedgods, Make some suspect he snores as well as nods.
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