Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/311

 not have written such sorry Epistles, as a judicious man would not have published them: but our mock Phalaris is a Sophist of that size, that no kind of blunder is below his character. But a prince, says Mr B. might not think himself obliged to write with all the exactness of a scholar. This is just the second part of his compliment to queen Elizabeth: he's resolved, it seems, to stand up for princes, and maintain for them a royal prerogative of speaking improperly. But let Mr B. be as good a courtier as he pleases; I am now to consider him only in his capacity of a critic. I shall proceed therefore to his next remark, that Phalaris called it an, when he asked it of Stesichorus, and knew not what measure it would be in: but when he had it, and saw it was lyric, he then called it. Who can deny now, but this is sharply observed? but there's one inconvenience in't, that while he's careful of the prince's reputation, he betrays the poet's. For if an elegy in the proper sense of the word (as this excuse supposes) was bespoken of Stesichorus; why should he make a lyric poem instead on't? This had been just like the sign-painter, that whatsoever was bespoken of him.