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I Have heard there has been a great mur∣muring amongst the Criticks, because our Maker did not make our Breasts of Christial or Glass, that so through these Glass-Windowes they might see every ones heart, but fools that they are, I think their hearts are the worst of all: Where envy like, Radamanthe that tear∣ing
fury fits in her Majesty, her Head been perriwig'd with an Adders taile, and her Cresses are Serpents Tailes in which she hath stings swell'd with poison and venome, that will invenome every one that she has to do with; this Critick has Cato's discerning Eye, that can discry the least knot; This carping Momus with his Kene Teeth, like that grinning Cerberus bites every one, he is a nipping and sharp Menippus, a stinging Hipponax; if he be a Philosopher, he is a Cynick; He vomite up nothing but gall and bit∣terness, surely if this man were Anato∣mized he would be found to have a great gall, or else none at all, having spit it all out in mens faces; A Critick is a carping Zolsus when his curious Eyes goes a fish∣ing there will be many Carps; A Critick is a Severus that is so severe over all, but himself; A Critick with Augustus Caesar, will tax all the world, in the strict bal∣lance of his Judgement, there are ma∣ny scruples, yea and he will not allow any grains of allowance: He is a cor∣rectour of all mens manners but his owne, and he is the unmannerlyest fellow in the world: If he be a Scholler,
it seems he has not learnt good Ethicks. He is the cruellest sharp saty re in this wilderness of this world, who throws his Poisonous darts of envy against all men; A Critick he carries behinde him the wallet of his own faults, and before him the Wallet of others mens offences, as wise Aesop feigned every man to have two Wallets, the one of his own faults, and that he carries behind him, the other Wallet of others mens faults, and that he carries be∣fore him; a Critick doth not put Er∣rata's in the latter end of his Book of Remembrance; He views Books, and scans Words, Spells Volums and he is the Castigator of the Orthogra∣phy, and the Chyrurgion of Manu∣scripts.