o national, party, or
other prejudice. At these times it is otherwise, at least in Great
Britain and America; and the sentence to be passed on the piece or the
player, in common with most other popular decisions, too often turns on
the great master hinge of party spirit or personal prejudice. Imbecility
is bolstered up, and merit blasted by the clamours of an ignorant and
corrupt few, who, with roar and ruffian impudence spread their perverted
opinions, and at last pass them through the ignorant multitude with the
current stamp of public decision.

It would be unpardonable to omit in this part of the history the
circumstance of Dionysius, the horrible tyrant of Syracuse, having been
a candidate for fame in dramatic poetry. Though utterly destitute of
poetical talents, or of any means of obtaining approbation for his
writings, save only that of extorting it by terror, and even by the
infliction of death, he laboured under the most inveterate passion for
poetic honours. By means not known, he got possession of some loose
writings and memorandums of Aeschylus, and from them patched up some
pieces which he vainly endeavoured to pass for his own: but the people
were not to be deceived. With a view to extend his fame he despatched
his brother Theodorus to Olympia, with orders to repeat there in public,
some verses in his name, in competition with some other poets for the
poetical prize: the people, however, had too much taste to endure them,
and rewarded his muse with groans and hisses. At Athens, however, he had
better success; for he obtained the prize there for a composition which
he sent in his name, but which was chiefly written by Antiphon, the son
of Sophocles, whom he put to death for declining to praise some of his
verses. Conscious, as he must have been, that the prize, though awarded
to his name, did not belong to himself, he was more overjoyed at
obtaining it than at all the victories he had ever obtained in the field
of blood. And absurd as it may appear, he had so obstinately set his
heart upon being considered a great poet, that he had recourse to the
most mean as well as cruel expedients to accomplish it. For this
purpose, he endeavoured to suborn a poet who lived under his patronage.
The man, whose name was Philoxenus, had lost the favour of the king, and
was imprisoned by him for the seduction of one of his female singers.
Having written some verses, the tyrant bethought him of establishing
their reputation