generous regard he paid to the memory of Pindar, at the facking of Thebes.

There feems, indeed, to be fomething in poetry that raifes the profeflors of that very fingular talent, far higher in the eltimation of the world in general, than those who excel in any other of the refined arts. And accordingly we find that poets have been diftinguished by antiquity with the moft remarkable honours. Thus Homer, we are told, was deified at Smyrna; as the citizens of Mytilene ftamped the image of Sappho upon their public coin: Anacreon received a folemn invitation to spend his days at Athens, and Hipparchus, the fon of Pifiltratus, fitted out a fplendid veffel in order to tranport him thither: and when Virgil came into the theatre at Rome, the whole audience rofe up and faluted him, with the fame respect as they would have paid to Augullus Limfelf.

Painting, one would imagine, has the faire prete.fions of rivalling her filter art in the number of admirers; and yet, where Apelle, is mentioned once, Homer is celebrated a thousand times. Nor can this be accounted for by urging that the works of the latter are itill extant, while thofe of the former have perished long fince: for is not Milton's Paradife Lott more univerfally esteemed than Raphael's Cartoons?

The truth, I imagine, is, there are more who are natural judges of the harmony of numbers, than of the grace of proportions. One meets with but few who have not, in fome degree at least, a tolerable ear; but a judicious eye is a far more uncommon pofiction. For as wo.ds are the univerfal medium, which all men employ in order to convey their fentiments to Fach other; it seems a juit consequence, that they should be more generally formed for relithing and judging of performances in that way: whereas the art of reprefenting ideas by means of lines and colours, lies more out of the road of common ufe, and is therefore lefs adapted to the tate of the general run of mankind.

I hazard this obfervation, in the hopes of drawing from you your fentiments upon a fubject, in which no man is more qualified to decide; as indeed it is to the nvertation of Orontes, that I am indebted for the difcovery of many refined delicacies in the imitative arts, which, without is judicious affittance, would have lain

concealed to me with other common obfervers. Fuzofborne.

242. Concerning the Ufe of the Ancien Mythology in Modern Poetry. In a La

ter.

If there was any thing in any former letter inconfiftent with that efteem which is justly due to the ancients, I defire to retract it in this; and dilavow every expreffion which might feem to give precedency to the moderns in works of genius. I am fo far indeed from entertaining the fentiments you impute to me, that I have often endeavoured to account for that fbperiority which is fo vifible in the compofitions of their poets: and have frequently aligned their religion as in the number of thole caules, which probably concurred to give them this remarkable pre-eminence. That enthufiafm which is fo effential to every true artist in the poetical way, was confiderably heightened and enflamed by the whole turn of their facred doctrines; and the fancied prefence of their Mufes had almost as wonderful an effect upon their thoughts and language, as if they had been really and divinely inspired. Whilft all nature was fuppofed to warm with divinities, and every oak and fourtain was believed to be the refidence of fome prefiding deity; what wonder if the poet was animated by the imagined influence of fuch exalted fociety, and found himself tranfported beyond the ordinary limits of fober humanity? The mind when attended only by mere mortals of fuperior powers, is obferved to rife in her ftrength; and her faculties open and enlarge themselves when the acts in the view of thofe, for whom the has conceived a more thin common reverence. But when the force of fuperftition moves in concert with the powers of imagination, and genius is enflamed by devotion, poetry mut fine out in all her brightest perfection and fplendor.

Whatever, therefore, the philofopher might think of the religion of his country; it was the intereft of the poet to be thoroughly orthodox. If he gave up his creed, he muft renounce his numbers: and there could be no infpiration, where there were no Mutes. This is fo true, that it is in compofitions of the poetical kind alone that the ancients fem to have the principal a lvantage over the moderns: in every other fpecies of writing one might venture

perhaps

perhaps to affert, that thefe latter ages have, at leaft, equalled them. When I fay fo, I do not confine myfelf to the productions of our own nation, but comprehend likewife thofe of our neighbours: and with that extent the obfervation will poffibly hold true, even without an exception in favour of history and oratory.

But whatever may with jatice be determined concerning that question, it is certain, at least, that the practice of all fucceeding poets confirms the notion for which I am principally contending. Though the alta:s of Paganifin have many ages fince been thrown down, and groves are no longer facred; yet the language of the poets has not charged with the religion of the times, but the gods of Greece and Rome are still adored in modern verfe. Is not this a confeflion, that fancy is enlivened by fuperftition, and that the ancient bards catched their rapture from the old mythology? I will own, however, that I think there is fomething ridiculous in this unnatural adoption, and that a modern poet makes but an aukward figure with his antiquated gods. When the Pagan fyftem was fanét oned by popular be lief, a piece of machinery of that kind, as it had the air of probability, afforded a very ftriking manner of celebrating any remarkable circumftance, or raifing any common one. But now that this fuperftition is no longer fupported by vulgar opinion, it has lost its principal grace and efficacy, and fec.ns to be, in general, the moft cold and uninterefting method in which a poet can work up his fentiments. What, for instance, can be, more unaffecting and fpiritle's, than the compliment which Boileau has paid to Louis the XIVth on his famous pailige over the Rhine? He reprefents the Naiads, you may remember, as alarming the god of that river with an account of the march of the French monarch; upon which the rivergod affumes the appearance of an old experienced commander, and flies to a Dutch fort, in order to exhort the garrifon to fally out and difpute the intended paffige. Accordingly they range themselves in form of battle, with the Rhine at their head; who, after fome vain efforts, obferving Mars and Bellona on the fide of the enemy, is fo terrified with the view of thofe fuperior divinities, that he moit gallantly runs away, and leaves the hero in quiet poffeffion of his banks. I know not how far this may be relished by critics, or

juftified by cuftom; but as I am only mentioning my particular tafte, I will acknowledge, that it appears to me extremely infipid and puerile.

I have not, however, fo much of the fpirit of Typhoeus in me, as to make war upon the gods without reftriction, and attempt to exclude them from their whole poetical dominions. To reprefent natural, moral, or intellectual qualities and affections as perfons, and appropriate to them thofe general emblems by which their powers and properties are usually typified in Pagan theology, may be allowed is one of the most pleafing and graceful ngures of poetical rhetoric. When Dryden, addreifing himself to the month of May as to a perfon, fays,

For thee the Graces lead the dancing hours; one may confider him as fpeaking only in metaphor: and when fuch thadowy beings are thu, juft fhown to the imagination, and immediately withdrawn again, they certainly have a very powerful effect. But I can relish them no farther than as figures only; when they are extended in any serious compofition beyond the limits of metaphor, and exhibited under all the various actions of rea! perfons, I cannot but confider them as fo many abfurdities, which custom has unreasonably patronized. Thus Spenfer, in one of his paftorals, reprefents the god of love as flying, like a bird, from bough to bough. A fhepherd, who hears a ruitling among the bushes, fuppofes it to be fome game, and accordingly difcharges his bow. Cupid returns the hot, and after feveral arrows had been mutually exchanged between them, the unfortunate fwain difcovers whom it is he is contending with: but as he is endeavouring to make his efcape, receives a defperate wound in the heel. This fiction makes the subject of a very pretty idyllium in one of the Greek poets; yet is extremely flat and disgusting as it is adopted by our British bard. And the reafon of the difference is plain: in the former it is fupported by a popular fuperftition; whereas no ftrain of imagination can give it the leaft air of probability, as it is worked up by the latter,

Quodcunque mihi oftendis fic, incredulus odi.

pliments to his mistress by the affiftance of Venus and Cupid, that one is carried off from obferving the impropriety of this machinery, by the pleafing addrefs with which he manages it: and I never read his tender poems of this kind, without applying to him what Seneca fomewhere fays upon a fimilar occafion: Major ille eft qui judicium abftulit, quam qui meruit.

To fpeak my fentiments in one word, I would leave the gods in full poffeffion of allegorical and burlefque poems: in all others I would never fuffer them to make their appearance in perfon and as agents, but to enter only in fimile or allufion. It is thus Waller, of all our poets, has moft happily employed them: and his application of the ftory of Daphne and Apollo will ferve as an inftance, in what manner the ancient mythology may be adopted with the utmoft propriety and beauty.

Fitzeberne.

§ 243. On the Delicacy of every Author of Genius, with respect to his own performances. In a Letter.

If the ingenious piece you communicated to me, requires any farther touches of your pencil, I must acknowledge the truth to be, what you are inclined to fufpect, that my friendfhip has impofed upon my judgment. But though in the prefent inftance your delicacy feems far too refined; yet, in general, I must agree with you, that works of the moft permanent kind, are not the effects of a lucky moment, nor firuck out at a fingle heat. The best performances, indeed, have generally coft the moft labour; and that eafe, which is fo effential to fine writing, has feldom been attained without repeated and fevere corrections: Ludentis fpeciem dabit et torquebitur, is a motto that may be applied, I believe, to moft fuccefsful authors of genius. With as much facility as the numbers of the natural Prior feem to have flowed from him, they were the refult (if I am not mifinformed) of much application: and a friend of mine, who undertook to tranfcribe one of the nobleft performances of the fineft genius that this, or perhaps any age can boaft, has often aflured me, that there is not a fingle line, as it is now publifhed, which flands in conformity with the original manufcript. The truth is, every fentiment has its peculiar expreffion, and every word its precife place, which do not always immediately prefent themfelves, and generally demand frequent trials,

before they can be properly adjusted; not to mention the more important difculties, which neceflarily occur in fettling the plan and regulating the higher parts which compofe the ftructure of a finished work.

Thofe, indeed, who know what pangs it cofts even the moft fertile genius to be delivered of a juft and regular production, might be inclined, perhaps, to cry out with the most ancient of authors, Ob! that mist adverjary bad written a book! A writer of refined tafte has the continual mortifcation to find himself incapable of taking entire poffeffion of that ideal beauty which warms and fills his imagination. His conceptions ftill rife above all the powers of his art, and he can but faintly copy out thofe images of perfection, which are impreffed upon his mind. Never was any thing, fays Tully, more beautiful than the Venus of Apelles, or the Jove of Phidias; high notions of beauty which animated the yet were they by no means equal to thefe geniufes of thofe wonderful artifits. In the fame manner, he obferves, the great malters of oratory imagined to themselves a certain perfection of eloquence, which they could only contemplate in idea, but in vain attempted to draw out in expreffion. Perhaps no author ever perpetuated his reputation, who could write up to the full ftandard of his own judgment: and I am perfuaded that he, who upon a furvey of his compofitions can with entire complacency pronounce them good, will hardly find the world join with him in the fame favourable fentence.

The moft judicious of all poets, the inimitable Virgil, ufed to refemble his productions to thofe of that animal, who, agreeably to the notions of the Ancients, was fuppofed to bring forth her young into the world, a mere rude and shapeless mafs; he was obliged to retouch them again and again, he acknowledged, before they acquired their proper form and beauty. Accordingly we are told, that after having fpent eleven years in compofing his Eneid, he intended to have fet apart three more for the revifal of that glorious performance. But being prevented by his laft fick nefs from giving thofe finishing touches, which his exquifite judgment conceived to be fill neceflary, he directed his friends Tucca and Varius to burn the nobleft poem that ever appeared in the Roman language. In the fame fpirit of delicacy, Mr. Dryden tells us, that had he taken

more

more time in tranflating this author, he might poffibly have fucceeded better: but never, he affures us, could he have fucceeded fo well as to have satisfied himself.

In a word, Hortenfius, I agree with you, that there is nothing more difficult than to fill up the character of an author, who propofes to raife a just and lasting admiration; who is not contented with thofe little tranfient flashes of applaufe, which attend the ordinary race of writers, but confiders only how he may fhine out to pofterity; who extends his views beyond the prefent generation, and cultivates thofe productions which are to flourish in future ages. What Sir William Temple obferves of poetry, may be applied to every other work where tafte and imagination are concerned: "It requires the greatest con"traries to compofe it; a genius both "penetrating and folid; an expreffion "both ftrong and delicate. There muft "be a great agitation of mind to invent, "a great calm to judge and correct: there "must be upon the fame tree, and at the "fame time, both flower and fruit." But though I know you would not value yourfelf upon any performance, wherein thefe very oppofite and very fingular qualities were not confpicuous: yet I must remind you at the fame time, that when the file ceafes to polifh, it must neceffarily weaken. You will remember, therefore, that there is a medium between the immoderate caution of that orator, who was three Olym piads in writing a fingle oration; and the extravagant expedition of that poet, whofe funeral pile was compofed of his own numberlefs productions. Fitzofborne.

$244. Reflections upon Style. In a Letter.

The beauties of Style feem to be gene. rally confidered as below the attention both of an author and a reader. I know not, therefore, whether I may venture to acknowledge, that among the numberless graces of your late performance, I particularly admired that strength and elegance with which you have enforced and adorned the nobleft fentiments.

fineft gentleman that ever, perhaps, appeared in the world, was defirous of adding this talent to his other most shining endowments and we are told he ftudied the language of his country with muh application: as we are fure he poffeffed it in its highest elegance. What a lofs, Euphronius, is it to the literary world, that the treatife which he wrote upon this fubject, is perifhed with many other valuable works of that age! But though we are deprived of the benefit of his obfervations, we are happily not without an instance of their effects; and his own memoirs will ever remain as the beft and brighteft exemplar, not only of true generalihip, but of fine writing. He publifhed them, indeed, only as materials for the use of those who fhould be difpofed to enlarge upon that remarkable period of the Roman ftory; yet the purity and gracefulness of his ftyle were fuch, that no judicious writer durft attempt to touch the fubject after him.

Having produced fo illuftrious an inftance in favour of an art, for which I have ventured to admire you; it would be impertinent to add a fecond, were I to cite a lefs authority than that of the immortal Tully. This noble author, in his dialogue concerning the celebrated Roman orators, frequently mentions it as a very high encomium, that they poffeffed the elegance of their native language; and introduces Brutus as declaring, that he fhould prefer the honour of being efteemed the great mafter and improver of Roman eloquence, even to the glory of many triumphs.

But to add reafon to precedent, and to view this art in its ufe as well as its dignity; will it not be allowed of fome importance, when it is confidered, that eloquence is one of the most confiderable auxiliaries of truth? Nothing indeed contributes more to fubdue the mind to the force of reafon, than her being fupported by the powerful affiftance of mafculine and vigorous oratory. As on the contrary, the most legitimate arguments may be difappointed of that fuccefs they deferve, by being attended with a fpiritlefs and enfeebled expreffion. Accordingly, that most elegant of writers, the inimitable Mr. Additon, obferves, in one of his effays, that "there is as much difference between comprehending a thought cloathed in Cicero's