which at first appeared as from an unknown hand, but since avowed by a person[1], who, upon some occasions, has discovered no ill vein of humour. It is a pity any occasion should put him under a necessity of being so hasty in his productions, which, otherwise, might be entertaining. But there were other reasons obvious enough for his miscarriage in this; he writ against the conviction of his talent, and entered upon one of the wrongest attempts in nature, to turn into ridicule by a week's labour, a work, which had cost so much time, and met with so much success in ridiculing others: the manner how he handled his subject I have now forgot, having just looked it over, when it first came out, as others did, merely for the sake of the title.
The other answer is from a person of a graver character, and is made up of half invective, and half annotation[2]; in the latter of which he has generally succeeded well enough. And the project at that time was not amiss to draw in readers to his pamphlet, several having appeared desirous, that there might be some explication of the more difficult passages. Neither can he be altogether blamed for offering at the invective part, because it is agreed on
- ↑ Supposed to be Dr. William King, the civilian, author of an Account of Denmark, a Dissertation on Samplers and other pieces of burlesque on the Royal Society, and the Art of Cookery in imitation of Horace's Art of Poetry.
- ↑ Wotton's Defence of his Reflections upon Ancient and Modern Learning: from the annotations are selected the notes signed W. Wotton; thus Wotton appears busied to illustrate a work, which he laboured to condemn, and adds force to a satire pointed against himself; as captives were bound to the chariot-wheel of the victor, and compelled to increase the pomp of his triumph, whom they had in vain attempted to defeat.
