And lastly (though not least in fame) III. To those sordid and malevolent BOOKSEL LERS, whether they resplendent dwell in stately mansions, or in wretched huts of dark and grovelling obscurity; -"I'll give every one a smart lash in my way."— To whose assiduous and unwearied labours to injure his reputation with their brethren and the public, he is in a considerable degree indebted for the confidence reposed in him, and the success he has been honoured with, productive of his present prosperity, THESE MEMOIRS are, with all due discrimination of the respective merits of each, Inscribed by THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. "To print or not to print?-this is the question : The quirks and crotchets of outrageous fancy, And, by disclosing, end them? * # * For who would bear th' impatient thirst of fame, * To groan and sweat under a load of wit? * 'Tis critics that make cowards of us all." JAGO CUSTOM, it has been repeatedly observed by many of my worthy (and some perhaps unworthy) predecessors in authorship, has rendered a preface almost indispensably necessary; while others again have as frequently remarked, that "custom is the law of fools." Those considerations induced me to hesitate whether I should usher my performance into the world with a preface, and thus hazard being classed with the adherents to that law, or by omitting it, escape the opprobrium, for "who shall decide when doctors disagree?" Now, though I would not take upon me to decide in every point in which doctors disagree, yet after giving the present subject that mature consideration which so important a concern required, I thought myself fully competent to decide, if not to general satisfaction, at least so as fully to satisfy one particular person for whom I profess to have a very great regard, though perhaps few are to be found who would be equally condescending to him; who that person is I do not wish publicly to declare, as (being a very modest man) it might offend him; I shall only say, the more you read the Memoirs contained in the following pages, the better you will become acquainted with him. I ground my decision on these arguments; I concluded as most of my brethren of the quill do of their labours, that my performance possessed so much intrinsic merit as would occasion it to be universally admired by all good judges as a prodigious effort of human genius, and that this approbation must naturally excite the envy of some authors, who had not met with that high applause they deemed themselves entitled to, and incline them to search for imperfections in my work, and though I was persuaded of the impossibility of their finding any, yet being thus foiled, they might catch at the want of a preface, and construe that into an omission, so that in order to disarm them I resolved to have one; especially as those who deem prefaces unnecessary may, if they choose, decline reading it, whilst those on the other side of the question, if there was none, might be disappointed and have cause for complaint; but to be serious-if I can. his Almost every author, on producing the effusions of pen (and his brain, if he has any) thinks it prudent to introduce himself by a kind of prologue, as it may be called, stating his reasons with due precision for intruding himself on his readers (whether true or otherwise is not always material to enquire,) bespeaking their candour towards his weaknesses and imperfections (which by the bye, few authors are so sensible of as their readers) and not unfrequently endeavouring to sooth those Goliahs in literature, ycleped critics, (with whom not many little Davids are found hardy enough to contend,) hoping thus to coax them into good-humour; or perhaps, if his vanity preponderates, he throws the gauntlet of defiance with a view of terrifying them either to hold their peace or to do justice to those mighty abilities he is confident he possesses in a degree eminently superior to most of his brethren. Among "true Parnassian bullies," De Scudery stands one of the foremost; he concludes his preface to the works of his friend Theophile, with these remarkable words, "I do not hesitate to declare that, amongst all the dead and all the living, there is no person who has anything to show that approaches the force of this vigorous genius; but if amongst the latter any one were so extravagant as to consider that I detract from his imaginary glory, to shew him that I fear as little as I esteem him, this is to inform him that my name is De Scudery." We have another remarkable instance in Claude Terllon, a poetical soldier, who begins his poems, by informing the critics, that "if any one attempts to censure him, he will only condescend to answer him sword in hand." For my own part I disclaim these modes, convinced that in the first case every reader, whatever the author may plead, will judge for himself; and with regard to professed critics, were I so disposed, neither my natural or acquired abilities enable me to bully those who must be very ill qualified for their task, if they were thus to be intimidated from declaring their real sentiments; and, on the other hand, to affect a degree of humility, and by flattery to aim at warping their minds, is, in my opinion, paying them a very bad compli ment. "Critics, forgive the first essay Of one whose thoughts are plain, Never should I have ventured to appear in this habit before the public, had not the following motives urged me thereto : |