Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 8.djvu/442

432 is, indeed, no wonder to find poetry thrive under the reign of that prince; when, by one of his great favourites, who was likewise an excellent poet, there was a Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset open for all men of wit. Perhaps you John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester'er, that I have left out the earl of Rochester; but I never was one of his admirers.

Upon the revolution, poetry seemed to decline; however, I shall Matthew Prior as many poets as I can remember. Mr. Montague affected to be a patron of wit, and his house was the poets Charles Montagu, 1st Earl of Halifax for several years, which one of them used to George Stepney every day. Another of them, who was my old acquaintance, succeeded well in comedy, but failed when he began to William Congreve subjects. The rest came in a Nicholas Rowe (writer).

The author of the Dispensary had written nothing else valuable, and therefore is too small in the Samuel Garth. But may not a man be allowed to Joseph Addison friend to the number? I mean, the author of Cato.

To mention those who are now alive, would be endless; I will therefore only venture to lay down one maxim, that a good poet, if he designs to Thomas Tickell the world, must be John Gay and Edward Young; but, if he proposes to give us rational pleasure, he must be as grave as a Alexander Pope.

AN