more P--x he is more a Wit and more a Mad-man than the Coll. Ad---son
may tell his Master my Lord ---- the reason from Nature, why he would
not take the Court's Word, nor write the Poem call'd, The Campaign,
till he had 200 l. per Annum secur'd to him; since 'tis known they
have but one Author in the Nation that writes for 'em for nothing,
and he is labouring very hard to obtain the Title of Blockhead, and
not be paid for it: Here D. might understand, how he came to be able
to banter all Mankind, and yet all Mankind be able to banter him; at
the fame time our numerous throng of Parnassians may see Reasons for
the variety of the Negative and Positive Blessings they enjoy; some
for having Wit and no Verse, some Verse and no Wit, some Mirth
without Jest, some Jest without Fore-cast, some Rhyme and no Jingle,
some all Jingle and no Rhyme, some Language without measure; some all
Quantity and no Cudence, some all Wit and no Sence, some all Sence
and no Flame, some Preach in Rhyme, some sing when they Preach,
some all Song and no Tune, some all Tune and no Song; all these
Unaccountables have their Originals, and can be answer'd for in
unerring Nature, tho' in our out-side Guesses we can say little to
it. Here is to be seen, why some are all Nature, some all Art; some
beat Verse out of the Twenty-four rough Letters, with Ten Hammers
and Anvils to every Line, and maul the Language as a Swede beats
Stock-Fish; Others buff Nature, and bully her out of whole Stanza's
of ready-made Lines at a time, carry all before them, and rumble like
distant Thunder in a black Cloud: Thus Degrees and Capacities are
fitted by Nature, according to Organick Efficacy; and the Reason and
Nature of Things are found in themselves: Had D---y seen his own
Draft by this Light of Chinese Knowledge, he might have known he
should be a Coxcomb without writing Twenty-two Plays, to stand as so
many Records against him. Dryden might have told his Fate, that
having his extraordinary Genius flung and pitcht upon a Swivle, it