PREFACE. HESE Satires have been favourably received at THESI home and abroad. I am not confcious of the leaft malevolence to any particular perfon through all the characters; though fome perfons may be fo felfish, as to engrofs a general application to themfelves. A writer in polite letters fhould be content with reputation; the private amufement he finds in his compofitions; the good influence they have on his feverer ftudies; that admiffion they give him to his fuperiors; and the poffible good effect they may have on the public; or else he fhould join to his politenefs fome more lucrative qualification. But it is poffible, that Satire may not do much good: men may rife in their affections to their follies, as they do to their friends, when they are abufed by others: It is much to be feared, that mifconduct will never be chased out of the world by Satire; all therefore that is to be faid for it, is, that mifconduct will certainly be never chafed out of the world by Satire, if no Satires are written nor is that term unapplicable to graver compofitions. Ethics, Heathen and Chriftian, and the Scriptures themfelves, are, in a great meafure, a Satire on the weaknefs and iniquity of men; and fome part of that Satire is in verfe too: nay, in the first Ages, Philofophy F 4 Philofophy and Poetry were the fame thing; wisdom wore no other drefs: fo that, I hope, thefe Satires will be the more easily pardoned that misfortune by the fevere. If they like not the fashion, let them take them by the weight; for fome weight they have, or the author has failed in his aim. Nay, Historians themselves may be confidered as Satirifts, and Satirists most severe ; fince fuch are most human actions, that to relate is to expose them. No man can converfe much in the world, but, at what he meets with, he muft either be infenfible, or grieve, or be angry, or fmile. Some paffion (if we are not impaffive) must be moved; for the general conduct of mankind is by no means a thing indifferent to a reafonable and virtuous man. Now to smile at it, and turn it into ridicule, I think most eligible; as it hurts ourfelves leaft, and gives vice and folly the greatest offence and that for this reafon; because what men aim at by them, is, generally, public opinion and esteem; which truth is the fubject of the following Satires; and joins them together, as feveral branches from the fame root: an unity of defign, which has not, I think, in a fet of fatires, been attempted : before. about it. Laughing at the mifconduct of the world, will, in a great measure, ease us of any more disagreeable paffion One paffion is more effectually driven out by another, than by reafon; whatever fome may teach : For to reason we owe our paffions: had we not reason, we we should not be offended at what we find amifs: and the Caufe feems not to be the natural cure of any Effect. Moreover, Laughing Satire bids the faireft for fuccefs: the world is too proud to be fond of a serious tutor; and when an Author is in a paffion, the laugh, generally, as in converfation, turns against him. This kind of Satire only has any delicacy in it. Of this delicacy Horace is the beft mafter: he appears in good humour while he cenfures; and therefore his cenfure has the more weight, as fuppofed to proceed from judgment, not from paffion. Juvenal is ever in a paffion : He has little valuable but his eloquence and morality: The last of which I have had in my eye; but rather for emulation, than imitation, through my whole work. But though I comparatively condemn Juvenal, in part of the fixth Satire (where the occafion most required it), I endeavoured to touch on his manner; but was forced to quit it foon, as difagreeable to the writer, and reader too. Boileau has joined both the Roman Satirifts with great fuccefs; but has too much of Juvenal in his very ferious Satire on Woman, which fhould have been the gayeft of all. An excellent critic of our own commends Boileau's clofenefs, or, as he calls it, preffness, particularly; whereas, it appears to me, that repetition is his fault, if any fault fhould be imputed to him. There are fome profe Satirifts of the greatest delicacy and wit; the laft of which can never, or fhould never, fucceed |
