Classic Poem

As Debtors, who ne'er pay great Debts at all,
Will still be Just, and Punctual, to the small,
To get more Credit than they had before,
And but to Cheat their Trusting Friend of more;
But when their Debt once grows too great to pay,
No wonder they, their Payment shou'd delay;
Less Long, less Witty, had your Letter been,
You my Return to that, e'er this, had seen;
So, that it might Answer itself, that I,
So much Wit, cou'd not Answer presently,
Since, too much Wit retards a Friend's Reply;
And since your Writing seem'd to cost you Pain,
I thought it Rude, to give it you gain;
Did judge it to be more Civility,
To save you so, the Pains of a Reply;
You, by not Writing, did I not neglect,
But by not Writing, paid you more Respect;
Since putting you to the necessity,
Of making to my Scribling, a Reply
Had been but Disobliging Courtesie;
Troublesome Kindness sure, had been more Rude,
And to you, prov'd Ungrateful Gratitude;
Since you return still our Wit's Scarcity,
With so great and profuse Aboundancy,
That your own Letter hinders my Reply;
Your Letter I might Answer, not your Wit,
Since 'twas too much for me, to Answer it;
I, by not Answering your Letter so,
To my small, your great Sense, more Reason do;
Which proves, that so great, so much, is your Wit,
That we, with Sense and Reason sure, think fit,
The more we have, the less, to Answer it.