to make the experiment by writing

Alexander Pope, in 1717:

“I think a good deal may be said to extenuate the fault of bad Poets. What we call a Genius, is hard to be distinguish’d by a man himself, from a strong inclination: and if his genius be ever so great, he can not first discover it any other way, that by giving way to that prevalent propensity which renders him the more liable to be mistaken. The only method he has, is to make the experiment by writing, and appealing to the judgment of others: now if he happens to write ill (which is certainly no sin in itself) he is immediately made an object of ridicule. I wish we had the humanity to reflect that even the worst authors might, in their endeavour to please us, deserve something at our hands. We have no cause to quarrel with them but for their obstinacy in persisting to write; and this too may admit of alleviating circumstances.”

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all I want from the web is a little more than a half-pissed pub conversation. surely that’s not too much to ask?