From a Letter of February 5th, 1750.

THE AGE of Louis XIV. was very like the Augustan; Boileau, Molière, La Fontaine, Racine, etc., established the true, and exposed the false taste. The reign of King Charles II. (meritorious in no other respect) banished false taste out of England, and proscribed puns, quibbles, acrostics, etc. Since that false wit has renewed its attacks, and endeavored to recover its lost empire, both in England and France; but without success: though, I must say, with more success in France than in England: Addison, Pope, and Swift, having vigorously defended the rights of good sense; which is more than can be said of their contemporary French authors, who have of late had a great tendency to le faux brillant, le rafinement, et l’entortillement. And Lord Roscommon would be more in the right now than he was then in saying that—