The learned Criticks learn not to be Civil,
In Spite and Malice personate the Devil._

Having now dispatch'd the two first Subjects of my Essay _(viz.)_ The
Usefulness of Writing, and Criticism, I come to my last Head, the
Qualification of Authors.

I am not of the Opinion of a great many Persons in the World, that a
Poet is entirely born such, and that Poetry is a particular Gift of
Heaven, not but I confess there is a great deal in natural Genius,
which I shall mention hereafter:

It is consistent with my Reason, that any Man having a share of
Learning, and acquainted with the Methods of Writing, may by an
assiduous Application, not only write good Poetry, but make a
tollerable Figure in any sort of Writings whatsoever; and herein I
could give numerous Instances of Authors who have written all manner
of Ways with success. Neither can I acquiesce in the common Notion,
that the Person who begins most early in Poetry always arrives to the
greatest Perfection; for, in my Opinion, it is a Matter of no great
difficulty, for a Person of any Age, before his Vivacity is too much
abated, and Fire exhausted, to commence a Poet; the great Mr. _Dryden_
not beginning to Write 'till he was above the Age of 30; and I doubt
not but a great many Persons have lost themselves for want of putting
their Genius's to the Trial, and making particular Writings their
particular Studies.

Their is no Practice more frequent than for an Author to misapply his
Genius; and there is nothing more common than for a Man, after
numerous Trials in almost all sorts of Authorship, to make that his
favourite Writing which he is least capable of performing; and too
frequently Authors use their Genius's as Parents do their Children,
place them to such Businesses as make the most considerable Figure in
the World, without consulting their Qualifications.

There are many other Faults equal to these, as where Authors, through
overmuch Timerity, or too great Opinion of their own Performances,
permit their Writings to pass with egregious Errors; and I take it to
be equally pernicious for a Man to be too diffident of his own
Performances, as it is to be presuming: There are likewise some
Gentlemen, who (by a lazy Disposition, or through over much Haste, an
impatience in dispatch to gain an early Reputation) commit Blunders
almost to their immediate Ruin; but many of these Errors are commonly
excus'd in an Author by a condescending Printer, who is oblig'd to