Thefe the gay fhape of flatt'ring pleasures wear, Some true, fome falfe, in various forms appear. UPON the whole, we may conclude STATIUS to be among Epick Poets, what Alexander is faid to have been among Heroes; he had great virtues, and as great vices; and this work has fome egregious faults, as well as many remarkable beauties, of each of which a fuller account has, I think, been given in the courfe of thefe obfervations, than what has been hitherto done by any of the Critics. STRADA, in his Prolufions, has placed STATIUS on the higheft top of Parnaffus; thereby intimating the ftrength of his Genius, and the lofty Spirit of his Style ; which indeed is generally fupported by a bold and lively expreffion, and full flowing numbers. His manner there fore, refembles rather the martial ftrut of a general, and the magnificence of a triumph, than the majeftick port and true grandour of a Prince, which better fuits the inimitable character of Virgil's Style. As a Soldier cannot eafily lay afide the roughness of his character, neither can STATIUS defcend from the pomp of language and loftinefs of numbers, when his fubject requires it. His Heroes know no pity, as they know no fear; and tho' Æneas and his Fleet feared Polyphemus, the undaunted Tydens makes nothing of fifty the braveft fellows of the Theban Troops, that fall on him at once. Indeed it is our Poet's fault, to ftretch the marvellous fometimes to the improbable, making his Heroes act on fome occafions like Knight Er rants. SETTING this afide, we find the Paffions painted in the ftrongeft and trueft colours; the fpeeches vehement and pathetick; the defcriptions full and exact; the comparisons lively and well drawn; and the Metaphors bold and fhining. Your attention is always kept awake; nay, rather the many furprizing circumftances croud in fo thick upon the mind, that it finds itself almost at a lofs how how to take them all in, as he represents them; fo far is the Poet from letting the subject grow dull and tiresome in his hands: In fhort, it is evident STATIUS wanted neither genius, elevation of thought, copiousness of invention, nor force of fancy: Yet the Thebaid wants those most amiable graces, which are so much the more difficult to attain, as they feem natural and unaffected, and are the characteristick beauties of fine writing. For though an Author, like Prometheus, may fteal fire from Heaven to animate his works, as he did his clay; if he cannot with Juno borrow Venus's girdle to give them a graceful luftre, they will in the end, like Prometheus's man, though extraordinary and beautiful, prove both faulty and mortal. ..BUT before we conclude S TATIUS's life, it may be expected, that fome mention fhould be made of the Achil leid, though an imperfect work. I THINK it will fuffice, to obferve of it in general, that by what can be gueffed from the two remaining Books of this Poem, the defign feems to have been but indifferently laid, and the Reader was in danger of being led through a long hiftorical narration from the beginning to the end of Achilles's life. He was fure of great helps from Homer on this fubject; but that perhaps might rather turn to his difadvantage upon the comparifon. After all, it is impoffible to judge how he would have executed the whole from the beginning of it which we have; only we can perceive a greater fmoothness in the numbers, and an cafe in the Style, which the Thebaid fometimes wanted. Indeed that Poem with all its defects, was enough to exhaust a Poet of a grearer Genius than STATIUS was mafter of; and he doubtless, would have acted more advisedly to fit down and correct and polish that work, rather than undertake a fecond Poem, fuch as the Achil leid ought to have been, if he had lived to finish it, and been able to go through the Task. FINI S THE. INDE X. A Bitract of the Platonic Philofophy Accuracy of Stile, by whom attained. Achilles's Character inferior to that of Æneas. Page 101. Action in Poetry must be lively, yet not crowded many circumstances. Addrefs remarkable in Horace. - In Virgil. 9°, &c. with too 80, &c. 139, &c. 74 Admiration, the proper object of Epic Poetry, how raised by Virgil. Eneas his Character. Auguftus fhadowed under that character. 82 95 79 Eneas juftified from the imputation of Cowardice. 91,&c. Why Virgil would have burnt the Copy. Examined. Agrippa's advice to Auguftus preferred to Mecenas's. Albinovanus Pedo, an Elegiac Poet, of what age. Anchyfes inftructs his Son concerning future ages. Ambition, Lucan's. 54 56 lb. Antients, not always to be preferred to the Moderns. Antiquity of Poetry. Intr. 2, &c. Anniversary of Virgil's birth, celebrated by whom, and on what grounds. Apollo's Speech to Daphne. 267 201, Arts Arts, the offspring of peace and plenty. When began to flourish among the Romans. Introd. 3 ibid. 6 When at their height. ibid. 19 ibid. 21 ibid.35 Art and Nature both necessary to form a great Poet. -By whom, and under whofe encouragement. ibid. 36 ibid. 32 180 Athens, the Seat of Learning. Aftronomics, a poem of Manilius's, its character. Of its climate and government. Atticus turns Epicurean, B. Bacchus introduced by Statius in his Thebaid. Banifhment, Memmius's. 220. &c. Intr. 34 ibid. How refented by Lucretius. -Ovid's, when happened. ·To what place. On what account. I 280 2 ibid. 199 ibid. 190 Intr. 18 Baffus, the Poet, of what time, and by whom mentioned. Battiades, one of Callimachus the Greek Elegiac Poet's Names, Cæfar Auguftus, the Patron of Learning, fets up an Acade my in the Temple of Apollo. Calliope, her Speech to Propertius. Caffius Parmenfis an Elegiac Writer, his character. 56 191 250 Clownishness, chargeable on Virgil, and how excufed. Cornutus, the Stoic Perfius's Friendship for him. mans. Publishes and revifes Lucretius's Works. COMPARISONS. In Lucretius. In Horace. Intr. 6 3 5, 18, 20 159, 160, 168, 169 197, 198 234, 235, 238 In Ovid. In Lucan. In Statius. 272, ibid. 277, 281, 283, 284, 291 D. Delight, one great end of Poetry. Defign of the Eneid and Iliad compared. DESCRIPTIONS. Intr. 29 78 |