still teemed with heroic poetry; and (1705) he published "Eliza," in
ten books. I am afraid that the world was now weary of contending
about Blackmore's heroes, for I do not remember that by any author,
serious or comical, I have found "Eliza" either praised or blamed.

She "dropped," as it seems, "dead-born from the press." It is never
mentioned, and was never seen by me till I borrowed it for the
present occasion. Jacob says "it is corrected and revised from
another impression," but the labour of revision was thrown away.

From this time he turned some of his thoughts to the celebration of
living characters, and wrote a poem on the Kit-Cat Club, and "Advice
to the Poets how to celebrate the Duke of Marlborough" but on
occasion of another year of success, thinking himself qualified to
give more instruction, he again wrote a poem of "Advice to a Weaver
of Tapestry." Steele was then publishing the Tatler, and, looking
round him for something at which he might laugh, unluckily alighted
on Sir Richard's work, and treated it with such contempt that, as
Fenton observes, he put an end to that species of writers that gave
advice to painters.

Not long after (1712) he published "Creation," a philosophical poem,
which has been, by my recommendation, inserted in the late
collection. Whoever judges of this by any other of Blackmore's
performances will do it injury. The praise given it by Addison
(Spectator, 339) is too well known to be transcribed; but some
notice is due to the testimony of Dennis, who calls it a
"philosophical poem, which has equalled that of 'Lucretius' in the
beauty of its versification, and infinitely surpassed it in the
solidity and strength of its reasoning."