Page:Homer's Battle of the Frogs and Mice - Parnell (1717).djvu/88

 Thing appears dark to them. This, say they, let Phœbus explain; as if what exceeds their Capacity must of Necessity demand Oracular Interpretations, and an Interposal of the God of Wit and Learning. The Basis of such Arrogance is the Opinion they have of that Knowledge they ascribe to themselves. They take Criticism to be beyond every other Part of Learning, because it gives Judgment upon Books written in every other Part. They think in Consequence, that every Critick must be a greater Genius than any Author whom he censures; and therefore if they esteem themselves Criticks, they set enthron'd Infancy at the Head of Literature. Criticism indeed deserves a noble Elogy, when it is enlarg'd by such a comprehensive Learning as Aristotle and Cicero were Masters of; when it adorns its Precepts with the consummate Exactness of Quintilian, or is exalted into the sublime Sentiments of Longinus. But let not such Men tell us they participate in the Glory of these great Men, and place themselves next to Phœbus, who, like, entangle an Author in the Wrangles of Grammarians, or try him with a positive Air and barren Imagination, by the Set of Rules they have collected out of others.

II. 37. Ye Frogs, the Mice.] At this Speech of the Herald's, which recites the Cause of the War, is angry with the Author, for not finding out a Cause entirely just; for, says he, it appears not from his own Fable, that Physignathus invited the Prince with any malicious Intention to make him away. To this we answer, 1st. That it is