Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/269

Rh very good hand; and this I meant, when I said in my former account that it was my hard hap in some private conversation to say the Epistles were spurious, and unworthy of a new edition. What influence this might have towards the civility in the preface to Phalaris, I leave others to judge. But I dare say this was all the "reflection" that I had ever made at that time to Mr Boyle's disadvantage. Si hoc peccare est, fateor. If there be no way of gaining his good opinion, but to believe Phalaris a good writer, I must needs submit to my fate, that has excluded me from his friendship.

Mr B. is pleased to observe that Mr Bennet is so little interested in this dispute, that he may entirely be depended on. So very little, that the best part of his interest and his trade lay at stake. For is not this the plain state of the case? Mr Boyle commits the affair of collating the King's MS. to his bookseller. The bookseller, by his own neglect, having failed in his trust, for fear of losing the gentleman's favour and custom, lays the fault upon me. This occasioned a private grudge against me, which terminated in an affront in print. I verily believe that the bookseller