attempts　are　but　coldly　received　by　the　public；　being　compared　to
  productions；　which　are　both　in　themselves　more　excellent；　and
  have　already　the　advantage　of　an　established　reputation。　Were
  Moli妑e　and　Corneille　to　bring　upon　the　stage　at　present　their
  early　productions；　which　were　formerly　so　well　received；　it　would
  discourage　the　young　poets；　to　see　the　indifference　and　disdain
  of　the　public。　The　ignorance　of　the　age　alone　could　have　given
  admission　to　the　；　but　it　is　to　that　we　owe　：　Had　　been　rejected；　we　had　never
  seen　。
  Perhaps；　it　may　not　be　for　the　advantage　of　any　nation　to
  have　the　arts　imported　from　their　neighbours　in　too　great
  perfection。　This　extinguishes　emulation；　and　sinks　the　ardour　of
  the　generous　youth。　So　many　models　of　Italian　painting　brought
  into　England；　instead　of　exciting　our　artists；　is　the　cause　of
  their　small　progress　in　that　noble　art。　The　same；　perhaps；　was
  the　case　of　Rome；　when　it　received　the　arts　from　Greece。　That
  multitude　of　polite　productions　in　the　French　language；　dispersed
  all　over　Germany　and　the　North；　hinder　these　nations　from
  cultivating　their　own　language；　and　keep　them　still　dependent　on
  their　neighbours　for　those　elegant　entertainments。
  It　is　true；　the　ancients　had　left　us　models　in　every　kind　of
  writing；　which　are　highly　worthy　of　admiration。　But　besides　that
  they　were　written　in　languages；　known　only　to　the　learned；
  besides　this；　I　say；　the　comparison　is　not　so　perfect　or　entire
  between　modern　wits；　and　those　who　lived　in　so　remote　an　age。　Had
  Waller　been　born　in　Rome；　during　the　reign　of　Tiberius；　his　first
  productions　had　been　despised；　when　compared　to　the　finished　odes
  of　Horace。　But　in　this　island　the　superiority　of　the　Roman　poet
  diminished　nothing　from　the　fame　of　the　English。　We　esteemed
  ourselves　sufficiently　happy；　that　our　climate　and　language　could
  produce　but　a　faint　copy　of　so　excellent　an　original。
  In　short；　the　arts　and　sciences；　like　some　plants；　require　a
  fresh　soil；　and　however　rich　the　land　may　be；　and　however　you　may
  recruit　it　by　art　or　care；　it　will　never；　when　once　exhausted；
  produce　any　thing　that　is　perfect　or　finished　in　the　kind。