The Life of Zoilus.
World with a pompous Title at the Head, invented for himself by Way of Excellency, and thus inserted after the Manner of the Ancients.
Zoilus, the Scourge of Homer, writ this against that Lover of Fables.
Thus did he value himself upon a Work, which the World has not thought worth transmitting to us, and but just left a Specimen in five or six Quotations, which happen to be preserv'd by the Commentators of that Poet against whom he writ it. If any One be fond to form a Judgment upon him from these Instances, they are as follows:
Il. 1. He says, Homer is very ridiculous (a Word he was noted to apply to him) when he makes such a God as Apollo employ himself in killing Dogs and Mules.
Il. 5. Homer is very ridiculous in describing Diomedes's Helmet and Armour, as sparkling, and in a Blaze of Fire about him, for then why was he not burn'd by it?
Il. 5. When Idæus quitted his fine Chariot, which was entangl'd in the Fight, and for which he might have been slain, the Poet was a Fool for making him leave his Chariot, he had better have run away in it.
Il. 24. When Achilles makes Priam lie out of his Tent, lest the Greeks shou'd hear of his being there, the Poet had no Breeding, to turn a King out in that Manner.
Od. 9. The Poet says, Ulysses lost an equal Number out of each Ship. The Critick says, that's impossible.
Od. 10.
