Page:Homer's Battle of the Frogs and Mice - Parnell (1717).djvu/94

 Pretence must occasion Admiration, the Eyes of Mankind must be obscur'd by a Glare of Pedantry, that they may consent to be led blindfold, and permit that an Opinion shou'd be dictated to them without demanding that they may be reason'd into it.

III. 24. Big Seutlæus Tumbling.] has happen'd to brush the Dust of some old Manuscript, in which the Line that kills Seutlæus is wanting. And for this cause he fixes a general Conclusion, that there is no Dependance upon any thing which is handed down for 's, so as to allow it Praise; since the different Copies vary amongst themselves. But is it fair in, or any of his Followers, to oppose one Copy to a Thousand? and are they impartial who wou'd pass this upon us for an honest Ballance of Evidence? When there is such an Inequality on each Side, is it not more than probable that the Number carry the Author's Sense in them, and the single one its Transcribers Errors? It is Folly or Madness of Passion to be thus given over to Partiality and Prejudices. Men may flourish as much as they please concerning the Value of a new found Edition, in order to byass the World to particular Parts of it; but in a Matter easily decided by common Sense, it will still continue of its own Opinion.

III. 69. With Borbocætes fights.] Through the Grammatical Part of Work he frequently rails at  for his Dialects. These, says he in one place, the Poet made use of because he could not write pure Greek; and in ano-