.
    Nor is there any paternal Fondness which seems less to savour of absolute
Instinct, and which may so well be reconciled to worldly Wisdom as this. These
Children may most truly be called the Riches of their Father; and many of them
have with true filial Piety fed their Parent in his old Age; so that not only
the Affection, but the Interest of the Author may be highly injured by these
Slanderers, whose poisonous Breath brings his Book to an untimely End.
    Lastly, The Slander of a Book is, in Truth, the Slander of the Author: For
as no one can call another Bastard, without calling the Mother a Whore, so
neither can any one give the Names of sad Stuff, horrid Nonsense, etc. to a
Book, without calling the Author a Blockhead; which tho' in a moral Sense it is
a preferable Appellation to that of Villain, is perhaps rather more injurious to
his worldly Interest.
    Now however ludicrous all this may appear to some, others, I doubt not, will
feel and acknowledge the Truth of it; nay, may, perhaps, think I have not
treated the Subject with decent Solemnity; but surely a Man may speak Truth with
a smiling Countenance. In reality, to depreciate a Book maliciously, or even
wantonly, is at least a very ill-natured Office; and a morose snarling Critic,
may, I believe, be suspected to be a bad Man.
    I will therefore endeavour in the remaining Part of this Chapter, to explain
the Marks of this Character, and to shew what Criticism I here intend to
obviate: For I can never be understood, unless by the very Persons here meant,
to insinuate, that there are no proper Judges of Writing, or to endeavour to
exclude from the Commonwealth of Literature any of those noble Critics, to whose
Labours the learned World are so greatly indebted. Such were Aristotle, Horace,
and Longinus among the Ancients, Dacier and Bossu among the French, and some
perhaps among us; who have certainly been duly authorized to execute at least a
judicial Authority in Foro Literario.
    But without ascertaining all the proper Qualifications of a Critic, which I
have touched on elsewhere, I think I may very boldly object to the Censures of
any one past upon Works which he hath not himself read. Such Censurers as these,
whether they speak from their own Guess or Suspicion, or from the Report and
Opinion of others, may properly be said to slander the Reputation of the Book
they condemn.
    Such may likewise be suspected of deserving this Character, who without
assigning any particular Faults, condemn
