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Rh have had a very great Advantage over thoe who firt form'd that of the French, for Swift, Prior, Congreve, Dryden, Pope, Addion, &c. had fix'd the Englih Tongue by their Writings; whereas Chapelain, Colletet, Caaigne, Faret, Perrin, Cotin, our firt Academicians, were a Digrace to their Country; and o much Ridicule is now attach'd to their very Names, that if an Author of ome Genius in this Age had the Misfortune to be call'd Chapelain or Cotin, he would be under a Neceity of changing it.

Circumtance, to which the Englih Academy hould epecially have attended, is, to have precrib'd to themelves Occupations of a quite different kind from thoe with which our Academicians amue themelves. A Wit of this Country ak'd me for the Memoirs of the French Academy. I anwer'd, they have no Memoirs, but have printed threecore or fourcore Volumes in Quarto of Compliments. The Gentleman perus'd one or two of 'em, but

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