Poetry > Lady of the lake

LADY OF THE LAKE.
18
It only remains for me to say, that, during my
short pre-eminence of popularity, I faithfully
observed the rules of moderation which I had
resolved to follow before I began my course as a
man of letters. If a man is determined to make
a noise in the world, he is as sure to encounter
abuse and ridicule, as he who gallops furiously
through a village must reckon on being followed
by the curs in full cry. Experienced persons
know, that in stretching to flog the latter, the
rider is very apt ,to catch a bad fall ; nor is an at¬
tempt to chastise a malignant critic attended with
less danger to the author. On this principle, I
let parody, burlesque, and squibs, find their own
level; and while the latter hissed most fiercely, I
was cautious never to catch them up, as school¬
boys do, to throw them back against the naughty
boy who fired them off, wisely remembering that
they are, in such cases, apt to explode in the hand¬
ling. Let me add, that my reign1 (since Byron
has so called it) was marked by some instances of
good-nature as well as patience. I never refused
1 L“ Sir Walter reign’d before,” &c.
Don Juan, canto xi. st. 57.]