It is common for the most discreet and delicate Authors to take Care of themselves, when they are treating of any of the Sciences. You will always find the Divine, the Lawyer, the Mathematician, the Astrologer, the Chymist, the Mechanick, _&c._ reserving to themselves the Merit of their particular Sciences when they are discoursing of the Arts in general. A merry Instance of this in the _Astrologer_ is mention'd by the very learned _Gregory_ out of _Albumazer_, who asserted, that all Religions were govern'd by the Planets; the _Mahometan_ by _Venus_, the _Jewish_ by _Saturn_, and the _Christian_ by the _Sun_: Nay, he adds, that one _Guido Bonatus_ a _Gymnosophist_ affirms in his Parallells, that _Christ himself was an Astrologer, and made use of Elections_. The _Spectator_, with all his Modesty, has discover'd something of this Self-love in that of the Sciences, and could not help giving into this Infirmity. Every one knows what a fine Talent he had for Writing, and particularly how beautiful his Imagination was, and how polite his Language. Himself was not a Stranger to it; and we therefore read in the _Spectator_, Nº 291; _I might further observe, that there is not a_ Greek _or_ Latin _Critick, who has not shewn, even in the Stile of his Criticisms, that he was Master of all the Elegance and Delicacy of his native Language_. Here does this excellent Author forbid any one's Claim to the Character of a Critick, who is not like himself Master of the Delicacy and Elegance of his native Tongue; though I am apt to believe, that as a Man may be a very good Judge of Painting without being himself a Painter, so he may make very good Criticisms in Poetry and Eloquence, without being a Poet or an Orator. What would have become of our famous Critick _Rymer_, whom Mr. _Dryden_ has so much commended, and so much abused, if his Criticisms must not pass, on Account of his not being Master of the Elegance and Delicacy of our Language, as it does not appear he was by his Translation of OVID's Epistle from _Penelope_ to _Ulysses_. _Here skulk'd_ Ulysses. _Your Sword how_ Dolon _no nor_ Rhesus _'scap'd, Banter'd the One, this taken as he napp'd. Whatever Skippers hither come ashore, For thee I ask and ask them o'er and o'er. Perhaps to her your dowdy Wife define Who cares no more, so that her Cupboard shine: Who revel in your House without Controul, And eat and waste your Means our Blood and Soul._ The _Bantring_ and _Napping_, the _Skipper_, the _Dowdy Wife_, the _Cupboard_, the _Means_, and the _Blood_ and _Soul_, agree admirably with the Royal Characters of King _Ulysses_ and Queen _Penelope_, and the courtly Manner of _Ovid_. _Radcliff_'s Letter, from the Skipper's Wife of _Newcastle_ to her Husband at _St. Catherine_'s, can hardly have more of the Burlesque in it.