"I've secured _Dodsley's_ Ear," says Mr. _Caryl_, cheerfully, "so that I fancy I have but to speak a Word to secure your Piece a Place in his _Collection_. Nothing remains to be done but for you to attend to a little Revision in the first Place, before you submit it to his critical Eye. What say you?" "Say? That I am infinitely obliged." "'Let my future Life,' &c.--hey? We'll suppose that all spoken. Well, here is your Manuscript; I've just scored through what I think had better be altered and left out. You are not doubtful of my Judgment, I suppose?" "Surely not--Just allow me to see."-- "Look _here_,--and _here_--those had better come out. Here again.... What's 'Phoebus' Mane?'" "Phoebus' _Wain_." "Oh, I see. That's your bad writing; _Hand_-writing, of course, I mean. Here again, 'thwarting Thunder.'" "That's Miltonic." "Is it?" "'_And heal the Harms of thwarting Thunder blue._'" "Hum! Well then, it strikes me, that _Milton_ having said so once, you had better not say it again." "Very well, I will not." "Then, this about Truth. It's very bad--will never do. I was obliged to skip it in reading to _Dodsley_." "But why?" "Why? Why, because it isn't the Thing!--won't go down, Sir! You carry it out too far, farther than Anybody goes; it's so much Clap-Trap, and spoils what's real." "But it is not Clap-Trap. It says no more than I mean and feel! No, no; I'll give up verbal Points to your better Taste, but in Matters of Principle, I cannot alter." "Nay then, the Thing's at an End, for I honestly tell you I won't concern myself with it as it stands. You may surely allow me some _little_ Knowledge of these Things. However, it's no Use talking to an infatuated Man--otherwise, there is another Passage I was going to propose to you to withdraw, which doubtless you will maintain to be the best in the Manuscript." "Which is that?" "This, about the Water-Nymphs." "Well,--I think it pretty, and can't see what there is to object to in it; but, to yield to your better Taste, it shall be withdrawn, if you like." "My dear _Fenwick_! you don't say so?" "I say so, and mean it too." "Why, this will be a great Sacrifice of yours, especially as it is against your own Judgment,--of one of the most showy Passages, though I won't say one of the best!" "Never mind! Let it be so." "Come, this is docile and agreeable of you. The Men at _Will's_, in Fact, extolled this Passage, and pronounced it to be my own! Taxed me with reading a Poem I had written, as that of another Hand!" "Nay, now the Water-Nymphs begin to rise in Value in my Eyes." "In Fact, I _had_ said Something like this, only not so well, in a former Piece; and they thought I had now worked it out, and improved on it. So that you see I don't exactly want our Things to clash; nor to get you accused of Plagiary...." "Mr. _Caryl_, not another Word.--The Passage shall be omitted." "Well, I like this; I like your Feeling. Thank you, thank you. We need never allude to it."