dly of it from one that has so far
outdone them; for _I think 'tis much worse to take the honour
of another man's book to one's self_, than to entitle one's
own book to another man."--p. 16.

I am surprised Bentley did not turn the point of his
antagonist's sword on himself, for this flourish was a most
unguarded one. But Bentley could not then know so much of the
book, "made up by contributions," as ourselves.

Partial truths flew about in rumours at the time; but the
friends of a young nobleman, and even his fellow-workmen,
seemed concerned that his glory should not be diminished by a
ruinous division. Rymer, in his "Essay concerning Curious and
Critical Learning," judiciously surmised its true origin. "I
fancy this book was written (as most public compositions in
that college are) by a _select club_. Every one seems to have
thrown in a repartee or so in his turn; and the most ingenious
Dr. Aldrich (he does not deserve the epithet in its most
friendly sense) no doubt at their head, smoked and punned
plentifully on this occasion." The arrogance of Aldrich
exceeded even that of Bentley. Rymer tells further, that
Aldrich was notorious for thus employing his "young
inexperienced students;" that he "_betrayed_ Mr. Boyle into
the controversy, and is still involving others in the
quarrel." Thus he points at the rival chieftains; one of whom
never appeared in public, but was the great mover behind the
curtain. These lively wits, so deeply busied among the
obscurest writers of antiquity, so much against their will,
making up a show of learning against the formidable array of
Bentley, exhilarated themselves in their dusty labours by a
perpetual stimulus of keen humour, playful wit, and angry
invective. No doubt they were often enraged at bearing the
yoke about their luxuriant manes, ploughing the darkest and
heaviest soil of antiquity. They had been reared--

"Insultare solo, et gressus glomerare superbos."
"Georg." Lib. iii. 117.

"To insult the ground, and proudly pace the plain."
TRAPP.

Swift, in "The Battle of the Books," who, under his patron