The prevailing humour of crying up authors that have writ in the days of our forefathers, and of passing slightly over the merit of our contemporaries, is a grievance that men of a free and unprejudiced thought have complained of through all ages in their writings.

Richard Steele (1672-1729) Anglo-Irish writer, journalist, playwright, politician

Essay (1713-04-09), The Guardian, No. 25
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