Page:Homer's Battle of the Frogs and Mice - Parnell (1717).djvu/80

 self. They imagine a reasonable Creature will not have the Face to say any Thing which has not some Shadow of Reason to support it; and run implicity into the Snare which is laid for good Nature, by these daring Authors of definitive Sentences upon bare Assertion.

15. Whom Cats pursu'd.] The Greek Word here expresly signifies a Cat:, whom Perizonius follows, affirms, It was Weezils which the Mouse fled from; and then objects against its Probability. But it is common with one Sort of Criticks, to shew an Author means differently from what he really did, and then to prove, that the Meaning which they find out for him is good for nothing.

25. If worthy Friendship.] In this Proposal begins the Moral of the whole Piece, which is, that hasty, ill-founded, or unnatural Friendships and Leagues, will naturally end in War and Discord. But, who is here mightily concern'd to take off from all the Honour of having design'd a Moral, asserts on the other Hand, That the Poet's whole Intent was to make a Fable; that a Fable he has made, and one very idle and triffling; that many Things are ascrib'd to , which poor  never dream'd of; and he who finds them out rather shews his own Parts than discover his Author's Beauties. In this Opinion has he been follow'd by several of those Criticks, who only dip into Authors when they have Occasion to write against