Epistle XIII. To Socius Senecio.
by
Mr. Henley.
[_]
Upon the Recitals of the Town-Poets.
We have a large Growth of Poets this Year: Scarce a Day has passed, during the whole month of
April, that has not oblig'd the Town with some new Rehearsal.
It is a Pleasure to me, that Letters are so Flourishing, and that Men are so ready to display their Talents:
Tho' the Audience fills very slowly: Most of those that meet, are rather inclin'd to take a publick Seat,
while away the time with a Story; and often ask, whether the Rehearser be enter'd,
whether he has deliver'd his Preface, or almost finish'd his Piece; then perhaps they come but very lazily;
and soon retreat before the Conclusion; some steal off in a fly manner,
and others march away with the utmost Frankness, and Plain-Dealing.
It was otherwise in Days of Yore; when, we are told, that Claudius Cæsar,
walking in the Palace, inquir'd the Cause of a Clamour he suddenly heard;
and when it was reply'd, That it was the Rehearsal of Nonianus,
he pushed eagerly thro' the Crowd, and surpriz'd
the Speaker. Now every idle Fellow, tho' inform'd, and sollicited long before,
either stays away, or, if he be so good-natur'd as to come, has the Face to complain,
he has fool'd away a Day, purely because he was kept from losing it by better Employment.
However, they are the more to be extoll'd, whose fondness for good Learning is not to be damp'd by the Pride or Indolence of the Hearer.
For my particular, I was desirous to encourage every Body; indeed most of them were my Friends.
For few are Lovers of Literature, that are not, I persuade my self, at the same Time,
Friends of mine. For these Reasons I prolong'd my stay in Town beyond my first design:
Now I have it in my Power to retire again into the Country; and Write something,
which I would not Rehearse, left I should be imagin'd to come with a Claim of Debt upon others,
on the Score of my Attendance. For it is much the same thing in this,
as in other Cases, a Favour is lost, if it be demanded back again.
