| Citation |
VGW(PA.737.011
28 Jan-4 Feb 1737:32, 41 (27)
Feb.2, 1736-7. To Mr. Parks, Sir, There is no tribe of
mortals so incorrigible, as your mortal-writers. . . [4 more
lines on this subject, followed by this transcription of a
verse in a letter from Mr. Congreve to Lord Cobham:]
Baboons and apes ridiculous we find;
For what? For ill resembling human-kind.
None are, for being what they are, in fault,
But for not being, what they would be thought.
[2 paragraphs intervene which give answer to a letter that
challenged the author in the last issue, followed by]
Others to some faint meaning make pretence;
But-----never deviates into sense. Dryden.
I have consulted all my acquaintance upon the drift and
meaning of that piece, but have not yet been able to find
any person, who pretends to a key to it. If it would not
therefore be too great a hardship on the innocent reader, by
increasing the bulk of his writings, I would advise him to
add a comment to his next; or what would be more commodious
and easy, to get some friend to translate his works into
English, before he sends them to the press. And whoever
will be at the pains of reading his first sentence, will
find, how necessary such method is. For, like Bays in the
Rehearsal, he opens the scene with a whisper.
But his coup de maitre, and ne plus ultra, is the
consummate impudence, with which he insinuates, or even
plainly accuses me of stealing what I write. I am not
conscious of having taken the least hint in the song, from
any writer, ancient, or modern; and if he can produce one, I
will freely acknowledge myself a plagiary. They all
resulted naturally from reading his works; and I doubt not,
but such new and unheard of nonsense, of his, will still
supply me with new thoughts. But what gives me the greatest
surprise is, that he should be the author of such an
accusation, who has stolen whole pieces, without
acknowledging from whence they are taken; and in proof of
this, I shall only instance in the Spider, which he has
slily purloined from a song-book. As to his prose, I
sincerely believe it to be all his own: For if he can
produce one precedent for such miserable stuff, I have
nothing farther to say; but, according to the practice of
the law, will leave him the free liberty of doing wrong,
because it may be proved, that some have done so before.
And now, sir, I cannot conceive any reasonable objection
to what I have done; except it be, that I am guilty of a
most unmanly and cowardly action, in attacking such a
contemptible mortal, so entirely defenceless and unarmed. I
must own, it is something like assaulting a woman; and can
only protest in my vindication, that had he been as
inoffensive, as he is weak and helpless, he might still have
crept through life, with the rest of his brother simpletons,
unnoticed and forgot. I am, sir, Your humble servant,
[signed] Zoilus.
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