perfect Harmony, of easy flowing Numbers, fine Flights and Similies,
and at the same Time retain a strong Sense, which make Poetry
substantially Beautiful, is a Work of Time, and requires the most
sedate Perusals: And though some Persons think, giving Poetry the
Character of easy Lines to be a Disgrace, it is rightly considered the
greatest Reputation and Honour they can do it; the utmost Difficulty
attending this easy Writing, and there are very few Persons that can
ever attain it.

But to leave these general Observations, I proceed to my Point in
Hand, the Qualification of Authors; Though I shall first take Notice,
that the Business of every Author is to please and inform his Readers;
but how difficult it is to please, through the prevalence of Parties,
Envy and Prejudice needs no Illustration, and some Persons in the
World are so very perverse and obstinate, that they will not be
inform'd by a Person they entertain no good Opinion of. For writing
Prose a Man ought to have a tollerable Foundation of Learning, at
least to be Master of the Latin Tongue, to be a good Historian, and to
have a perfect Knowledge of the World; and besides these
Qualifications, in Poetry as I have before observ'd, a Writer should
be Master of the most refin'd and beautiful Language, surprizing
Turns, fine adapted Similes, a sublimity of Thought, and to be a
Person of universal Learning: Though I have often observ'd, both in
Prose and Verse, that some Persons of strong Genius, well acquainted
with the World, and but of little Learning, have made a better Figure
in some kinds of Writings, than Persons of the most consummate
Literature, not bless'd with natural Genius, and a Knowledge of
Mankind.

The preference of Genius to Learning, is sufficiently Demonstrated in