Page:Characteristicks of men, manners, opinions, times Vol 1.djvu/293

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IS esteem'd the highest Compliment which can be paid a Writer, on the occasion of some new Work he has made publick, to tell him, "That he has undoubtedly surpass'd ." And indeed when one observes how well this Compliment is receiv'd, one wou'd imagine it to contain some wonderful Hyperbole of Praise. For according to the Strain of modern Politeness; 'tis not an ordinary Violation of Truth, which can afford a Tribute sufficient to answer any common degree of Merit. Now 'tis well known that the Gentlemen whose Merit lies towards Authorship, are unwilling to make the least abatement on the foot of this Ceremonial. One wou'd wonder therefore to find 'em so entirely satisfy'd with a Form of Praise, which in plain sense amounts to no more than a bare Affirmative, "That they have in some manner differ'd from themselves, and are become Rh