One would be amazed to see so learned a Man as Menage
talking seriously on this Kind of Trifle in the following
Passage.
Monsieur de la Chambre has told
me that he never knew what he was going to write
when he took his Pen into his Hand; but that one Sentence
always produced another. For my own part, I never
knew what I should write next when I was making
Verses. In the first place I got all my Rhymes
together, and was afterwards perhaps three or four
Months in filling them up. I one Day shewed
Monsieur Gombaud a Composition of this Nature,
in which among others I had made use of the four
following Rhymes, Amaryllis, Phillis, Marne, Arne,_
desiring him to give me his Opinion of it.
He told me immediately, that my Verses were good
for nothing. And upon my asking his Reason, he
said, Because the Rhymes are too common; and for
that Reason easy to be put into Verse. Marry,
says I, if it be so, I am very well rewarded for all
the Pains I have been at. But by Monsieur_ Gombaud’s
Leave, notwithstanding the Severity of the Criticism,
the Verses were good.
Vid. MENAGIANA. Thus far the learned Menage,
whom I have translated Word for Word. [9]
The first Occasion of these Bouts Rimez made
them in some manner excusable, as they were Tasks
which the French Ladies used to impose on their
Lovers. But when a grave Author, like him above-mentioned,
tasked himself, could there be anything more ridiculous?
Or would not one be apt to believe that the Author
played [booty [10]], and did not make his List of
Rhymes till he had finished his Poem?
I shall only add, that this Piece of false Wit has
been finely ridiculed by Monsieur Sarasin,
in a Poem intituled, La Defaite des Bouts-Rimez,
The Rout of the Bouts-Rimez. [11]
I must subjoin to this last kind of Wit the double
Rhymes, which are used in Doggerel Poetry, and generally
applauded by ignorant Readers. If the Thought
of the Couplet in such Compositions is good, the Rhyme
adds [little [12]] to it; and if bad, it will not
be in the Power of the Rhyme to recommend it.
I am afraid that great Numbers of those who admire
the incomparable Hudibras, do it more on account
of these Doggerel Rhymes than of the Parts that really
deserve admiration. I am sure I have heard the
Pulpit, Drum Ecclesiastick,
Was beat with fist instead of a Stick,
and
There was an ancient sage Philosopher
Who had read Alexander Ross over,
more frequently quoted, than the finest Pieces of
Wit in the whole Poem.
