excel later Writers in Greatness of Genius, they fall short of them in Accuracy and Correctness.  The Moderns cannot reach their Beauties, but can avoid their Imperfections.  When the World was furnished with these Authors of the first Eminence, there grew up another Set of Writers, who gained themselves a Reputation by the Remarks which they made on the Works of those who preceded them.  It was one of the Employments of these Secondary Authors, to distinguish the several kinds of Wit by Terms of Art, and to consider them as more or less perfect, according as they were founded in Truth.  It is no wonder therefore, that even such Authors as Isocrates, Plato, and Cicero, should have such little Blemishes as are not to be met with in Authors of a much inferior Character, who have written since those several Blemishes were discovered.  I do not find that there was a proper Separation made between Punns and [true [1]] Wit by any of the Ancient Authors, except Quintilian and Longinus.  But when this Distinction was once settled, it was very natural for all Men of Sense to agree in it.  As for the Revival of this false Wit, it happened about the time of the Revival of Letters; but as soon as it was once detected, it immediately vanished and disappeared.  At the same time there is no question, but as it has sunk in one Age and rose in another, it will again recover it self in some distant Period of Time, as Pedantry and Ignorance shall prevail upon Wit and Sense.  And, to speak the Truth, I do very much apprehend, by some of the last Winter’s Productions, which had their Sets of Admirers, that our Posterity will in a few Years degenerate into a Race of Punnsters:  At least, a Man may be very excusable for any Apprehensions of this kind, that has seen Acrosticks handed about the Town with great Secrecy and Applause; to which I must also add a little Epigram called the Witches Prayer, that fell into Verse when it was read either backward or forward, excepting only that it Cursed one way and Blessed the other.  When one sees there are actually such Pains-takers among our British Wits, who can tell what it may end in?  If we must Lash one another, let it be with the manly Strokes of Wit and Satyr; for I am of the old Philosopher’s Opinion, That if I must suffer from one or the other, I would rather it should be from the Paw of a Lion, than the Hoof of an Ass.  I do not speak this out of any Spirit of Party.  There is a most crying Dulness on both Sides.  I have seen Tory Acrosticks and Whig Anagrams, and do not quarrel with either of them, because they are Whigs or Tories, but because they are Anagrams and Acrosticks.