Hughes and Pope at least believed something. If they sometimes failed to distinguish correctly between good and bad in literature, they at any rate believed such a distinction could be made. Even if they had done no more than show that they had followed wrong roads, they would have assisted the discovery of the right one more than the men who dare try none. CHARLES GILDON I. AN ESSAY AT A VINDICATION OF THE LOVE-VERSES OF COWLEY AND WALLER, &c. 1694 In Answer to the Preface of a Book Intituled, LETTERS and BERSES AMOROUS and GALLANT. Directed to Mr. CONGREVE. As in my two former Critical Discourses of this Book against Mr. Rymer's Short view of Tragedy, a Zeal for the Honour of my Country in its greatest Ornaments, her Poets, Engag'd me; so here I cannot help challenging the same Pretence, since I can't suppose them deficient in Lobe, without derogating from the Justness of their Characters. But I must confess I have not the same hopes of Success in this; for there I had to do with an impotent Opiniator; but here with a Gentleman of a great deal of Wit and fine Sense. There I address'd to Parties already sensible of the Justice of my Cause; here to one who is prepossess'd of the contrary. But on the other hand I have the greater satisfaction here of being Worsted by one whose Wit can better defend an Error, than I the Truth; and I'm of Opinion, that 'tis a nobler Fate to fall by the Hand of an Hero, than Conquer a Dastard Pretender. And tho' my Prudence might be call'd in Question by this Attempt, yet my generous Ambition will merit a Magnis tamen excidit Ausis. One thing I must possess you of in my favour, that my unhappy Circumstances allow me not time to use all the Caution I ought, or search all the Reasons might be urg'd in this noble Cause! so that I am not only Viribus, but Opibus impar: However, I hope the Design will gain me the Opinion of a Good English Man, if my Performance shou'd not attain that of a good Critic, which will sufficiently compensate my trouble; for I shou'd be prouder to be thought a Zealot for the Glory as well as Interest of my Country, than the greatest Wit, and most Learned Arguer. I shall never deny the Ancients their just Praise of the Invention of Arts and Sciences; but I cannot without contradicting my own Reason, allow them the Perfecters of 'em so far that they must be our uncontroverted Patterns and Standard: For our Physicians have found the Prescripts of Hippocrates very Defective: And as in Physic, so in Poetry, there must be a regard had to the Clime, Nature, and Customs of the People; for the Habits of the Mind as well as those of the Body, are influenc'd by them; and Love with the other Passions vary in their Effects as well as Causes, according to each Country and Age; nay, according to the very Constitution of each Person affected. This makes me hope, that the Ingenious Author of the Letters and Verses Amorous and Gallant, guides himself by a fallacious Rule, when he makes the Ancients the Standard of the Excellence of the Moderns (or indeed when by exalting those, he wholly deprives these of all Honour) in Love-Berges. His charge is reducible to these two Heads, viz. The Occasions and the Performances. He will have it, that the |