, will not _now_ admit of a
narrative. This story, by our comic writer, was accompanied by
a print, that was seen by more persons, probably, than read
the _Dunciad_. In his second letter, Cibber, alluding to the
vexation of Pope on this ridiculous story, observes--"To have
been exposed as _a bad man_, ought to have given thee thrice
the concern of being shown a _ridiculous lover_." And now that
he had discovered that he could touch the nerves of Pope, he
throws out one of the most ludicrous analogies to the figure
of our bard:--"When crawling in thy dangerous deed of
darkness, I gently, with a finger and a thumb, picked off thy
small round body by thy long legs, like a spider making love
in a cobweb."

[223] "The EGOTIST, or Colley upon Cibber; being his own picture
retouched to so _plain_ a likeness that no one _now_ would
have the face to own it BUT HIMSELF.

'But one stroke more, and that shall be my last.'

_London_, 1743.
DRYDEN."

[224] How many good authors might pursue their studies in quiet, would
they never reply to their critics but on matters of fact, in
which their honour may be involved. I have seen very
tremendous criticisms on some works of real genius, like
serpents on marble columns, wind and dart about, and spit
their froth, but they die away on the pillars that enabled
them to erect their malignant forms to the public eye. They
fall in due time; and weak must be the substance of that
pillar which does not stand, and look as beautiful, when the
serpents have crawled over it, as before. Dr. Brown, in his
"Letter to Bishop Lowth," has laid down an axiom in literary
criticism:--"_A mere literary attack_, however well or
ill-founded, would not easily have drawn me into a _public
expostulation_; for every man's true literary character is
best seen in his own writings. Critics may rail, disguise,
insinuate, or pervert; yet still the object of their censures
lies equally open to all the world. Thus the world becomes a
competent judge of the merits of the work animadverted on.
Hence, the mere _author_ hath a fair chance for a fair
decision, at least among the judicious; and it is of no mighty
conseque