reflect on Persons of Quality and Estates, whom they rashly tax with
Dullness and Ignorance, a _Normanby_, a _Dorset_, a _Spencer_, a
_Hallifax_, a _Boyle_, a _Stanhope_, and a _Codrington_, (to pass over
abundance more) are sufficient to convince the World, that either an
Ilustrious Birth, or vast Riches, are not incompatible with _deep
Learning_, and _Sterling-Wit_.

"_Rapin_, St. _Evremont_, and some other _French_ Criticks, do the
_English_ wrong, in the Judgments they pass upon their Plays: The
_English_ Criticks are even with them, for generally they judge as _ill_
of _French_ Poetry.

"There is a great reach of Discernment, a deep Knowledge, and abundance
of Candor requir'd to qualifie a Man for an _equal Judge_ of the Poetry
and ingenious Compositions of two Nations, whose _Tempers,_ _Humours_,
_Manners_, _Customs_, and _Tastes_, are so vastly different as the
_French_ are from the _English_: _Rapin_, St. _Evremont_, and _Rymer_,
are _candid_, _judicious_, and _learned_ Criticks, I own it; but yet
neither the two first are sufficiently acquainted with _England_, nor
the latter with _France_, to enter equally into the Genius of both
Nations; and consequently they cannot pass a just Sentence upon the
Performances of their respective Writers.

"Tis a great piece of Injustice in us, to charge the _French_ with
Fickleness; for, to give them their due, They are ten times more
constant in their Judgments, than we; Their _Cid_ and _Iphigenia_ in
_Aulis_, are Acted at this very day, with as much Applause as they were
thirty Years ago: All _London_ has admir'd the _Mourning Bride_ one
Winter, and endeavoured to find fault with it the next.