Poetical fragments heart-employment with God and it selfPoetical fragments heart-imployment with God and it self

I will do my wise Friends, whose Counsel I have much followed, that Right as to acquit them from all the guilt of the Publication of these Fragments. Some of them say, that such Work is below me; and those that I think speak wiselier say, I ⟨image 5⟩am below such Work. These I unfeignedly believe. I have long thought, that a Painter, a Musician and a Poet, are contemptible, if they be not Excellent: And that I am not Excellent, I am satisfied: But I am more patient of contempt than many are. Common Painters serve for poor men's work: And a Fiddler may serve at a Country-Wedding: Such cannot aspire to the Attainments of the higher sort: And the Vulgar are the greater number. Dr. Stillingfleet saith, I seldom follow my Friend's Advice: In this I justify him: Though in other things my Advisers contradict him.

I will do my wise Friends, whose Counsel I have much followed, that Right as to acquit them from all the guilt of the Publication of these Fragments. Some of them say, that such Work is below me; and those that I think speak wiselier say, I ⟨image 5⟩am below such Work. These I unfeignedly believe. I have long thought, that a Painter, a Musician and a Poet, are contemptible, if they be not Excellent: And that I am not Excellent, I am satisfied: But I am more patient of contempt than many are. Common Painters serve for poor men's work: And a Fidler may serve at a Country-Wedding: Such cannot aspire to the Attainments of the higher sort: And the Vulgar are the greater number. Dr. Stillingfleet saith, I seldom follow my Friend's Advice: In this I justifie him: Though in other things my Advisers contradict him.

I know that natural temper maketh Poetry savour to several Wise and Learned men, as differently as Meats do to various Appetites. I know such Learned discreet men, that know not what a Tune is, nor can difference one from another. ⟨image 6⟩I wonder at them, and oft doubt whether it be an Accident or an Integral of Humanity which they want. Annatus the Jesuit in his Answer to Dr. Twice De Scientia Media commends his Poetry (for a Poem added in the end) in scorn, as if it were a disgrace to a School Divine. I take one sign of an Acumen of Wit to make it likely that the man hath the same Wit for other work.