THere are a thousand People perhaps (tho' I know no reason why half the Number should concern themselves about me) will be so inquisitive as to ask who is the Author, I presume, not out of any particular Curiosity they have to be acquainted with the Person, but purely out of custom. However let 'em assure themselves, that if I had had a mind they should know, I would have inserted my name in the Title Page, to be seen the first thing that's look'd upon, without any more to do. Which when they find I have omitted they may conclude I had no such design. If indeed I had the happiness of being known abroad, I mean remarkably so, and upon a good account, I might then probably imagine that my Name prefix'd would be a considerable Addition to the Book, and a stamp sufficient to make it current. But now if the Success it meets withall in the World be not altogether an­swerable to my Expectations, I am with mankind but just where I was before; and hug my self for my Prudence in not making my self publick, and following the General cry, seem the busiest Man in Railing against it, as thinking that the safest way to prevent Discovery; like a cunning Rogue that crys stop Theif the lowdest, because he himself would not fall under suspicion.

But the greatest Kindness I propose to my self in this Con­cealment of my Name, Is, not because I look upon what I have done to be any ways unaccountable, but because I think it below a man that does not make it altogether his business, [Page] to make it any Part of his Business, or at least to profess it as such: For if I propose Poetry as a diversion only without any farther aim, I must not so much as seem to desire to grow re­markable upon that account: which I must unavoidably do, if I acknowledge what I have here writ to be mine. And tho' I would do something of this Nature when I have nothing in the World else to do, yet I am so far from desiring that it should be thought a part of my Study, that I would not be known to have done any thing like this even for my recreation. Tho' what K. Charles was pleas'd to say to Sir John Denham upon the like occasion will excuse me too; which was that when men were Young and had little else to do, it was very Allowable for them to vent the Overflowings of their Fan­cy this way, but if they persisted in this course it would look as if they minded not the way to any better Employ­ment. And for that reason I take my leave of all things of this Nature. And from hence too I hope it will evidently ap­pear, that I have no such mean thing as Honour in my Eye, unless you can suppose that a man would retreat into a solitude on purpose to make himself known to all the World; for tho' the Person's reputation whosoever he be, may be as great whilst he remains unknown as when he is not so, yet he that runs at Fame, will receive little Satisfaction from that praise which he can't own due to himself. For tho' I know that all these Commendations are confer'd upon a certain Person, that wrote such a certain Book, at such a certain time; yet so long as I am not known to have done this, so long as I can't digito monstrari et dicier hic est: Jack a Nokes receives as much Honor from these performances as I, and for that reason, shall Jack a Nokes receive as much disgrace if they don't succeed. 'Tis the same thing if we view a fine Picture, we are apt to judge it to be done by a Masterly stroke, but if we are igno­rant that Kneller's pencill drew the Piece, a sign post dawber may have the Reputation of it as well as He. However if I won't tell you my name, yet I hope I may be allow'd to give you some character of my self. I am then ugly and illnatur'd enough for a Wit, poor enough for a wit, whimsical enough for a wit, and have elder Brothers enough for a wit; so here are the Signs at least, how short soever I may fall of the [Page] thing; and tho' I say it, I can call my self Poet with as much Authority, as a Scotch Pedlar calls himself Merchant, or a fellow that stroles up and down with a Village Bag-pipe, write himself (if he can) Musician.

The second thing that perhaps these men may impertinently enquire into is why I write? to whom I would answer were it worth my while, without pleading Humour, interest or the like; that tho' I did not think there was any deficiency in Poetry, I mean in the number of Poems not their composition; or that there was any need of adding to the former, and for making amends for the latter I was wholly uncapable; yet I did this, that I might have some sort of revenge at least upon those Fellows that had writ ill before me, by intruding upon them as good as they brought: as Mr. D—is may see in my Imitation of the Fourth Satyr of Monsieur Boileau. The other two by all that I can learn were never touch'd upon by any hand before.

Thus it is, and I can't help it, my design to oblige the world is as little, as my endeavours to do it are weak; and the hopes I entertain of receiving any obligation from it less, than either. And a man may e'ne as well Expect to huff a Critick into good Nature, as look for Favour at his hands by crying Mercy. Especially since there are one sort of Criticks that have bid me not Despair, a sort of low spirited Villains who if they see me reeling will be sure to trip up my heels, always pur­suing a man the closer if they apprehend him timerous, and like Cowards promise themselves a great deal of advantage by their adversary's running away.

There are another sort whom I shall Endeavour to please as little as I desire it, who think their Judgment is much bet­ter exerted in Damning than approving; and consequently every thing that comes within their reach, receives its sentence before hand; But these are men of distemper'd Palates that relish nothing well; men of so weak a stomack, that if for in­terest or complyance, any thing goes down with them, it shall be sure to come up again one time or other without digestion.

There are a third sort who fix upon just what comes within the small Compass of their Capacity; (resolv'd to be Criticks let the World go how 'twill,) that is whether this should be a [Page] Semicolon or a comma; and tell a man he does not rightly un­derstand the full extent of a Period, or that he can't Spell be­cause the Press has taken the Liberty to put a letter out of its place; but these are men whom I scorn to take Notice of, as much as they scorn not to take Notice of ev'ry body else. But I don't pretend in so narrow a Compass as this to set down all the different Species of Criticks, who swarm in as Numerous Bodies as flyes produc'd by the heat of the Sun in a Summer season, and if I been't mistaken they are a little like e'm to, for they taint every thing they settle upon: I here heartily beg the Reader's pardon for trespassing upon his Patience by an Harangue which he'l tell me is nothing to the purpose, and therefore I shall fore'stall him, and tell him so.

Now as to what more particularly concerns Monsieur Boileau, I know there is scarce any one can be Ignorant what a Cha­racter that Gentleman has bore in the World: and scarce any one, that has read him in his own Language, will take the pains to Read him in mine, so that I apprehend my self under very disadvantageous Circumstances, whilst I am to answer their Expectations who have heard what he is, and theirs who know what he is: Ʋpon this account therefore my Imitating these three Satyrs, seems a harder task then I should have pretend­ed to meddle with, but my design at first was, that if after all, they were not well Receiv'd, the mistakes I had made might at least provoke a more Judicious pen, to set e'm out in a more agreeable dress: For the Failures of our Prece­dents ar generally great incouragements for those that come after e'm, to try whether they can't come off with greater ap­plause; as it is in the undertaking of all new inventions and Stratagems, the first that set about 'em usually break, others see their Errours and bring 'em to Perfection.

Monsieur Boileau's second Satyr is against Rime, and I would have You observe, that as he ascribes it to Monsieur Moliere as one who writ well in rime, and well without it; so I have made bold to use Mr. Dryden's name to Coun­tenance my Imitation of him; as one that writes the justest Number, and strictest Rime of any man in England; and I Suppose no man without forfeiting his Judgement, will dispute [Page] that he writes admirably well, when he is pleas'd to lay those particular Ornaments aside; I need not wish that this Cha­racter came from more commendable testimony, for the Greatest men in the Kingdom must allow it him; I only beg his Pardon that I should presume to touch upon the Merits of so great a Person, without having any of my own to give me some Tolerable grounds for this Authority.

I have not observ'd Rime very strictly my self in these Satyrs, and in some other Pieces, both because I do not think it altogether so Necessary in loose familiar Compositions, as in stately Heroic Verse, and because the first thing in the Book seems to Condemn it.

As for the other Poems they were writ upon several Oc­casions but never distributed about to those on whom they were Wrot, nor Communicatid to any one else, Excepting to the two Persons who have taken the pains to write Commendatory Verses upon so ill a Subject, which I think I may with Mo­desty admit of, not having discover'd my Name, but, (as I instanc'd) to those two, yet think it still a secret.