WelaughedoverthisessayoftheoldProfessor；thoughithitusprettyhard。Thebestpartofthejokeisthattheoldmanhimselfpublishedathinvolumeofpoemswhenhewasyoung，whichthereisgoodreasontothinkheisnotveryproudof，astheysayhebuysupallthecopieshecanfindintheshops。Nomatterwhattheysay，I
can\'thelpagreeingwithhimaboutthisgreatfloodof\"poetry，\"asitcallsitself，andlookingattherhymingmaniamuchashedoes。
HowIdoloverealpoetry!Thatisthereasonhaterhymeswhichhavenotaparticleofitinthem。Thefoolishscribblersthatdealinthemarelikebadworkmeninacarpenter\'sshop。Theynotonlyturnoutbadjobsofwork，buttheyspoilthetoolsforbetterworkmen。
ThereishardlyapairofrhymesintheEnglishlanguagethatisnotsodulledandhackedandgappedbythese\'prenticehandsthatamasterofthecrafthatestotouchthem，andyethecannotverywelldowithoutthem。IhavenotbeenbesiegedastheoldProfessorhasbeenwithsuchmultitudesofwould-be-poeticalaspirantsthathecouldnotevenreadtheirmanuscripts，butIhavehadagoodmanyletterscontainingverses，andIhavewarnedthewritersofthedelusionunderwhichtheywerelaboring。
YoumayliketoknowthatIhavejustbeentranslatingsomeextractsfromtheGreekAnthology。