If we =now= on the =other side= examine the proceedings of our late =English= Writers, we shall find them diametrically opposite in all things. =Shakspear= and =Johnson= indeed imitated these Illustrious Men I have cited; the =one= having borrow'd the Comedy of Errours from the =Menechmi= of =Plautus=; the =other= has made use not only of him, but of =Horace=, =Ovid=, =Juvenal=, =Salust=, and several others, according to his occasions: for which he is commended by Mr. =Dryden=,[50] =as having thereby beautified our Language=: and Mr. =Rymer=, whose Judgment of him is this; =I cannot= (says he) =be displeas'd with honest= Ben,[51] =when he chuses rather to borrow a Melon of his Neighbour, than to treat us with a Pumpion of his own growth=. But for the most part we are treated far otherwise; not with sound =Roman= Wit, as in =Ben='s time, but with empty =French= Kickshaws, which yet our Poetical Hosts serve up to us for Regales of their own Cookery; and yet they themselves undervalue that very Nation to whom they are oblig'd for the best share of their Treat. Thus our =Laureat= himself runs down the =French= Wit in his =Marriage a la Mode=, and steals from =Molliere= in his =Mock Astrologer=; and which makes it more observable, at the same time he does so, pretends in his =Epistle= to justifie himself from the imputation of Theft: =Not unlike the Cunning of a Jugler= (to apply his own Simile to him) [Epistle to the =Spanish= Fryer] =who is always staring us in the Face, and overwhelming us with Gibberish, only that he may gain the opportunity of making the cleanlier conveyance of his Trick.=[52] I will wave the Epistle to this Play, which seems to be the Picture of Bays in little, yet I cannot omit one Observation more, which is, that our =Laureat= should borrow from =Old Flecknoe=, whom he so much despises: and yet whoever pleases to read =Flecknoe's Damoyselles a la Mode=, will find that they have furnisht Mr. =Dryden= with those =refin'd= Expressions which his =Retrenching= Lady =Donna Aurelea= makes use of, as =the Counsellor of the Graces=, and that =furious indigence of Ribons=. But possibly he will own that he borrow'd them as =Father Flecknoe= did, from =Mollieres Les Precieuses Ridicules=: however, I hope he will allow that these Expressions better suit, with the =Spiritual= Temper of those =French= Damsels, than with the known Gravity of the =Spanish= Ladies. I hope Mr. =Dryden= will pardon me this Discovery, it being absolutely necessary to my design of Restoring what I could to the true Authors: and this Maxim I learnt from his own Father =Aldo=, Every one must have their Own.[53] =Fiat Justitia, aut ruat Mundus.= In pursuance to which, I own that Mr. =Dryden= has many Excellencies which far out-weigh his Faults; he is an excellent =Critick=, and a good =Poet=, his Stile is smooth and fluent, and he has written well, both in Verse and Prose. I own that I admire him, as much as any man;