When he told Voltaire, on the French wit's visit, that Voltaire must consider him as a private gentleman, and not as an author,--which apparent affectation called down on Congreve the sarcastic severity of the French author,[C] -- more of mortification and humility might have been in Congreve's language than of affectation or pride.
[Footnote A: See the article "On the Influence of a bad temper in Criticism" in "Calamities of Authors," for a notice of Dennis and his career .-- ED.] [Footnote B: See the article on "The Sensibility of Racine" in "Literary Miscellanies," (in the present volume) and that on "Parody," in "Curiosities of Literature," vol.ii.p.

459 .-- ED.] [Footnote C: Voltaire quietly said he should not have troubled himself to visit him if he had been merely a private gentleman .-- ED.] The life of TASSO abounds with pictures of a complete exhaustion of this kind.

His contradictory critics had perplexed him with the most intricate literary discussions, and either occasioned or increased a mental alienation.

In one of his letters, we find that he repents the composition of his great poem, for although his own taste approved of that marvellous, which still forms a noble part of its creation, yet he confesses that his cold reasoning critics have decided that the history of his hero, Godfrey, required another species of conduct.

"Hence," cries the unhappy bard, "doubts torment me; but for the past, and what is done, I know of no remedy;" and he longs to precipitate the publication, that "he may be delivered from misery and agony." He solemnly swears--"Did not the circumstances of my situation compel me, I would not print it, even perhaps during my life, I so much doubt of its success." Such was the painful state of fear and doubt experienced by the author of the "Jerusalem Delivered," when he gave it to the world; a state of suspense, among the children of imagination, in which none are more liable to participate than the true sensitive artist.