Page:The battle of the books - Guthkelch - 1908.djvu/38

 Boyle's 'Examination' (1698)

Boyle's tutors—of whom the most important was Atterbury, afterwards Dean of Christ Church—saw that for their own credit they must attempt an answer to Bentley: and some of the wits of Christ Church—Atterbury himself, Smalridge (who succeeded Atterbury as Dean), Alsop, Freind—joined in drawing up an answer to the Dissertation. In their reply (Dr Bentley's Dissertations on the Epistles of Phalaris, and the Fables of Æsop, examin'd by the Honourable Charles Boyle, Esq 1698) they attempted an answer to every one of Bentley's objections, and they even went so far as to say, that his attack on the Epistles tended to convince them that they were, after all, genuine. Although the book was issued in Boyle's name it was an open secret that he had very little indeed to do with it: and to judge from the tone of a letter written by Atterbury when returning the proofs of the book to him, Boyle felt by no means satisfied with their performance. He only remarked, Atterbury says, that 'he hoped the book would do him no harm.' But Boyle showed considerable