heir first horror which they had betwixt the
fleets. After they had attentively listened till such time as the
sound, by little and little, went from them, Eugenius, lifting up
his head, and taking notice of it, was the first who congratulated
to the rest that happy omen of our nation's victory; adding, that
we had but this to desire in confirmation of it, that we might hear
no more of that noise which was now leaving the English coast. When
the rest had concurred in the same opinion, Crites, a person of
sharp judgment, and somewhat too delicate a taste in wit, which the
world hath mistaken in him for ill-nature, said, smiling to us,
that if the concernment of this battle had not been so exceeding
great, he could scarce have wished the victory at the price he knew
he must pay for it, in being subject to the reading and hearing of
so many ill verses as he was sure would be made on that subject;
adding, that no argument could 'scape some of these eternal
rhymers, who watch a battle with more diligence than the ravens and
birds of prey, and the worst of them surest to be first in upon the
quarry; while the better able, either out of modesty writ not at
all, or set that due value upon their poems, as to let them be
often desired and long expected. There are some of those
impertinent people of whom you speak, answered Lisideius, who, to
my knowledge, are already so provided either way, that they can
produce not only a panegyric upon the victory, but, if need be, a
funeral elegy upon the Duke, wherein, after they have crowned his
valour with many laurels, they will at last deplore the odds under
which he fell, concluding that his courage deserved a better
destiny. All the company smiled at the conceit of Lisideius; but
Crites, more eager than before, began to make particular exceptions
against some writers, and said the public magistrates ought to send
betimes to forbid them; and that it concerned the peace and quiet
of all honest people that ill poets should be as well silenced as
seditious preachers."

We may perhaps have occasion, by and by, to notice other important
topics spiritedly and eloquently discussed by these choice spirits in
the barge; meanwhile our business is with the argument, "rhyme _versus_
blank verse," between Crites and Neander. Crites maintains, someti