Did some more sober critic come abroad;

If wrong, I smiled; if right, I kissed the rod.

Pains, reading, study, are their just pretence,

And all they want is spirit, taste, and sense.

Commas and points they set exactly right,

And 'twere a sin to rob them of their mite.

Yet ne'er one sprig of laurel graced these ribalds,

From slashing Bentley down to pidling Tibalds:

Each wight, who reads not, and but scans and spells,

Each word-catcher, that lives on syllables,