The Business of these Gentlemen is to set the ignorant Part of Mankind
right, In correcting the Errors of pretending Authors, and exposing of
Impositions, whereby who has Learning and Merit, and who has not, may
be so apparent, that the World may not misplace their Favour; but
unless they do it with more Impartiality, Temper and Candour than of
late, they may, with equal prospect of Success, endeavour to turn the
current of the Thames, as to pervert the Humour of this good-natur'd
Town.

I presume to present them with these two Verses:

_The learned Criticks learn not to be Civil,
In Spite and Malice personate the Devil._

Having now dispatch'd the two first Subjects of my Essay _(viz.)_ The
Usefulness of Writing, and Criticism, I come to my last Head, the
Qualification of Authors.

I am not of the Opinion of a great many Persons in the World, that a
Poet is entirely born such, and that Poetry is a particular Gift of
Heaven, not but I confess there is a great deal in natural Genius,
which I shall mention hereafter:

It is consistent with my Reason, that any Man having a share of
Learning, and acquainted with the Methods of Writing, may by an
assiduous Application, not only write good Poetry, but make a
tollerable Figure in any sort of Writings whatsoever; and herein I
could give numerous Instances of Authors who have written all manner
of Ways with success. Neither can I acquiesce in the common Notion,
that the Person who begins most early in Poetry always arrives to the