THE following piece has a natural recourse to you, for 'twas your character of the distinguish'd Prospects which Greenwich afforded, (before I had ta­ken a very strict view of them My self) that first inclin'd me to attempt the draught: and tho' Cooper's Hill has not suffer'd me to pretend to an Ori­ginal, yet is it Honour enough for me to Copy after That, especially since it gives me an occasion to publish the just regard I have for any thing that You commend.

Sir John Denham, you know, was a great Wit, and the Poem I mention'd is just­ly celebrated for a Master-piece in the kind. But then as the Hill He chose admits not such variety of Prospect as Greenwich, (which Barclay who had been a great Tra­veller, preferrs to any He had seen) one may easily conceive, that had That famous Poet taken Greenwich for his Theme, it must in his hands have rais'd it self even above Cooper's Hill.

But here, Sir, in such an artless performance as Mine, you must not think of the least Comparison. I have only attempted what He could have made compleat. To have proportion, good sense, beauty, and harmony in a Poem, belongs to very few Writers in these days.

Not but that we have several living Examples of true Genius, and refin'd Art amongst us. Some, who tho' they ne'er attempted to write Epick Poems, yet in the Judgment of Skillful Men could have exceeded any Modern Ʋndertakings of that kind. But even among the best, where do we find a concurrence of those Qualifications, that ought to be distinguish'd in a Poet?

I have often agreed with you, that to the making of a good Poet it is requisite that He should have a round stock of Learning, a Conversation with the Court, and the Art of Versifying. These things, besides a Genius which is the Soul of all, are so con­nected with each other, that a Man can never be said to be finish'd without them all. That Mr. Waller was perhaps the Man amongst us that has most deserv'd this Cha­racter, will, I believe, upon consideration go very near to be granted.

He was indeed a great Genius, nor had He less Art and Happiness in the ordering and expressing of his thoughts. A Man of a wonderful fancy, an inimitable softness, a delicacy as well as a justness of sense, a politeness of Language even in his first pieces, (which may give us Wonder, when we consider there was not much above twenty years between Spencer and Him) and a most harmonious turn of words. All is easy, natu­ral, and flowing, and yet his industry is such, that every thing be says is of full weight, and attended with all the Shining Graces of Poetry.

Many of the rest appear full of Genius, and sprightly Wit, but without seeming to inherit all that is necessary: And some, you are sensible, swoln with Envy and ill Na­ture (failings, which Men of true Wit and generous breeding would be ashamed of) make a trade of carping at every trivial fault in other Men's Works, when their own are too abominable even to merit Censure.

I do confess a good Critick is of great use in the Common-Wealth of Learning: One who is just enough to separate a Man's Person from his Works, and in the last to censure such faults only, as are either unnatural, indecent, or wholly disagreeing with their subject; not to be rigidly Censorious, but to observe and practise the good-natur'd rule of Horace.

How averse our Criticks are to such humanity of temper, I need not mention; since you, who are truly indu'd with so much of it, have often justly despis'd them for their barbarity in attacking the slender failings of Great Men, and not only in avoiding their Excellencies, but presuming with a shameful vanity to make a fault sometimes by their own false Judgment of what is exceeding proper in the Author they censure.

For my own part I know myself below their Envy, and therefore dare speak. Besides, what I have done in relation to Greenwich, was chiefly in obedience to some Friends, whose commands are of more weight with me than all the dangers of pride, and ill-nature from those Wretches, who being unacquainted with good Manners and true Sense, make Detraction and Envy the Employment of their Lives.

I may very well call it ill-Nature and Envy, and want of breeding in them, and not so good a sense of Men and things as others have, that excites them to be so censo­rious, since in You we find not only an Ʋniversal Knowledge, accompanied with a per­fect Civility and good Nature; but such an extraordinary Modesty, that were it not for your goodness, I could scarce hope to be forgiven by you for publishing a Truth, which all that know you will do you the justice to declare, as well as