.{ 2001 ) 
themfelves are willing to be known. Who \vould have 
thought th2Lt Erafmus wrote the Fpjhls obfcurorum Viro- 
rum^ Or that feme of the Nicker, nay, the moft Eaiinenc 
Modern Criticks could have been imposed upon by their 
familiar and near Acquaintance , who tiutiip'd upon 
them their own recent Performances for invaluable frag- 
ments of the Antients, whofc other works thefe very Cri- 
tics had lying before them? It has been a frequent Pradice 
in all Ages for poor Scribblers to father their wretched 
Offfpring upon Illuftrious Perfons : and the difparity be- 
tween the Genuine works of the^ one, and the Spurious 
pieces of the other being evident enough, it has been 
eafie to diftinguifh between the Gold and the Brafs. Bi7^, 
ttiy Lord, I would humbly ask this Queftion, Is all thu 
•even now by learned men afcribed to fome Antient \/ : 
minous Gn^k and Latin Authors, undoubtedly theirs 
May not there ftill fome fuppofititious pieces lurk among 
them, which have the luck to be received, only becaufe 
they have been more ingenioufly counterfeited ? "Nay, 
may not the fameperfon in the courfe of his Lite, even 
alter and vary his Style and Phrafe unwittingly, and with- 
out any defign to do fo ? I think Mr Richar^Ififi fome- 
where in his Anfwer to Amyntor^ upon occafion oi the 
difference in point of Style between the Revelation of 
St John and his otker Works ^ between the Prophecy of J ere* 
mtah and his Lamentatiot7s^ does tell us from Dr Cave, thac 
the confa'deration of the Times when a man writes, or of 
the Perfons to whom^ or the Suhjeiis about which, or the 
Temper of Body, or the Humour he is in v/hen he writes, or 
the Care and Pains that he takes in Writing, may OccaOoni 
fuch Alterations in his Style, as that no certain Rule caa 
be inferred from thence. 
And if, my Lord, it was really poffible to find out the 
Time when an Author liv'd, only by diligent Reading his 
Works, fureiy the World won d have been long fince 
Agreed as to the Time when H(?«^er lived, though they 
