7

P RE F A C E.

ages, Philosophy and Poetry were thesame thing; wisdom wore no otherdress. So that, I hope, these Satireswill be the more easily pardon’d thatmisfortune by the Severe. If they likenot the fashion, let them take them bythe weight; for some weight they have,or the Author has fail’d of his aim.Nay, Historians themselves may beConsiders as Satirists, and Satirists mostsevere; since such are most human Acti-ons, that to relate , is to expose them.

No man can converse much in theworld, but, at what he meets with, hemust either be insensible, or grieve, orbe angry, or smile. Some passion (ifwe are not impassive) must be mov’d $ forthe general conduct os mankind is, by nomeans, a thing indifferent , to a reasonableand virtuous man. Now to smile at it,andturn it into ridicule, I think most eligi-ble;