Margaret Cavendish: Political Writings

I know not how to please all that are pleased to read my works; for do what I can, some will find fault; and the worst is that those faults or imperfections I accuse myself of in my Prefatory Epistles, they fling back with a double strength against my poor harmless works, which shows their malice and my truth. And as for my plays, which they say are not made up so exactly as they should be, as having no plots, designs, catastrophes and such like I know not what, I expressed in the Epistles prefixed before my plays that I had not skill nor art to form them as they should be, for that work was like a tailor's work to make clothes. But many that find such faults are not so good as a tailor, but mere botchers or brokers, to patch and set several old and new pieces together to make up a play, which I never did; for I thank my Fates, all is not only new but my own, what I have presented to the world. But this age is so censorious that the best poets are found fault with, wherefore it is an honour to my writings which are so much inferior to theirs; neither can their dislikes deter me from writing, for I write to please myself rather than to please such crabbed readers. Yet all my readers have not been so cross nor cruel, for there are many to whom my endeavours and works are acceptable, and the more honour it is to my works, as being approved and known by worthy and judicious men and noble persons. But many men have more ill natures to find faults with their neighbours than virtue to mend faults in themselves; also they are apt to censure other men's wit, and yet have none of their own. The truth is, they are a sort of persons that in plays prefer plots before wit and scenes before humours; in poems, rhyme before similizing and numbers before distinguishing; in theology, faction before faith and sophistry before truth; in philosophy, old authors before new truths and opinions before reason; and in orations, they prefer artificial connections before natural eloquence. All which makes them foolish, censorious and unjust judges.