Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/293

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SECOND DISSERTATION
219

arguments, the world desires to have his reasons, why he has that suspicion of him. I observe, indeed, that there's one argument against him, proposed by Mr B., which I had not taken notice of—that the names of those whom the Epistles are directed to, seem sometimes to be feigned on purpose, according to the subject of those Epistles. Till Mr B. shall think fit to give us other grounds of his suspicion, the world will take the liberty to think that this is all he has. So that we are to take the measure of his great judgement by this scale: that all my reasons go for nothing with him, and his own single and substantial one goes for all.

But perhaps he will now be more loyal than ever to his Sicilian prince, and have no scruples at all about his true title to the letters. For he "assures the reader, that his doubts about the authority of the Epistles, since he read my Dissertation, are much lessened; and if I write once more upon that subject, perhaps the point will be clear to him." Agreed and contented on both sides! I have writ once more against them, and Mr B. for that reason will more firmly believe them. I desire no greater punishment