( 2005 ) 
If a Man be born of nnfound Parents, or hath liv*d all 
along in an Air difegfeeable to his Conftitution, or has h?s 
ConttjMition always unheakhful, or has liv'd an intempc- 
rate or debauch'd Life, or has, been crufti'd by any heavy 
Misfortunes, or always Iiv*d in Poverty or Difconten^ 'tis 
no v^onder, if in fpight of all this, he attains to old Age: 
but then he wiil probably lofe the Clearncfs of his Head, 
the fix'd Attention of his Mind, the Brightnefs of his Parts, 
which he might be formerly noted for. If a Man has ne- 
ver had any of thefe difadvan^ages to wreftle with, but 
has all along been blefsd Vi^ith the Contrary: then, he 
being bred up to a profeffion, and always following it, 
his ludgment therein ftill encreafes, and his Hand f one 
would think ) (hould be more nimble and ready^ and the 
Man a better Pi^2;/?#r, Mt^cian or Orator than ever : And 
why not a better IV^ too ? I fay, with fubmiffion, my 
Lord, if Mr Dry den ( tho he was fa id to be unhealthy a?t 
laft wood have taken as much paios^ or had been Al- 
lowed time to his Mind for revifing his later Poems, as ia> 
fome of his former, they might have been as well, if not 
better accepted. I dont fee that •tii old Age that does a 
Man this diskindnefs, but rather, that'tis the AaWe;^// that 
do too often attend it, which yet many are freed from to^ 
the very laft. ^ 
Suppofc then, ray Lord, if Raphael or Vandik^^ or the 
late Mr B. Purcell^ or Alejjkndro StradelJa^ fiiould have 
continued their Praftice» of Painting and Mufic till thef 
grew old, from the Accidents attending which, fuppofc 
them ("as a great many other People) ta be very free 5- 
might we not then have juftly expeded from them, even 
greater Wonders than they had ever before performed > 
I wonc fay that an old General is fitter to be truftcd than 
a young one • or that the late Marefchd Schomherg hh. 
death, was a better Souldier ( notwithftandiog his Age ) 
than the Prefent Kings of Sweden ^ndi. Poland : But rather, 
that tlie Study oi Divinity^ or ol the Lamy do feem as 
