Sheffield, Duke of Buckinghamshire. 1649-1720

Of all those arts in which the wise excel,

Nature's chief masterpiece is writing well.

Essay on Poetry.

There 's no such thing in Nature; and you 'll draw

A faultless monster which the world ne'er saw.[279:3]

Essay on Poetry.

Read Homer once, and you can read no more;

For all books else appear so mean, so poor,

Verse will seem prose; but still persist to read,

And Homer will be all the books you need.

Essay on Poetry.