enjoy the crystal stream of Helicon, envy us our common water, which (thank our stars) though it is fomewhat muddy, flows in much greater abundance. Nor is this the greatest injustice that we have to complain of; for though it is evident that we never made the least attempt or inroad into Their territories, but lived contented in our native fens; they have often not only committed Petty Larcenies upon our borders, but driven the country, and carried off at once whole Cart-loads of our manufacture; to reclaim fome of which ftolen goods is part of the defign of this Treatife.

For we fhall fee, in the course of this work, that our greatest Adverfaries have fometimes defcended towards us; and doubtlefs might now and then have arrived at the Bathos itself, had it not been for that mistaken opinion they all entertained, that the Rules of the Ancients were equally neceffary to the Moderns; than which there cannot be a more grievous Error, as will be amply proved in the following difcourfe.

And indeed, when any of these have gone so far, as by the light of their own Genius to attempt new Mo→ dels, it is wonderful to observe, how nearly they have approached us in those particular pieces; though in their others they differed toto cælo from us.

CHA P. II.

That the Bathos, or Profound, is the natural Taste of Man, and, in particular, of the prefent Age.

THE Tafte of the Bathos is implanted by Nature itself in the foul of man; till, perverted by cuftom or example, he is taught, or rather compelled, to

relish the fublime. Accordingly, we fee the unprejudiced minds of Children delight only in fuch productions, and in fuch images, as our true modern writers fet before them. I have obferved how fast the general Taite is returning to this firft Simplicity and Innocence and if the intent of all Poetry be to divert and inftruct, certainly that kind which diverts and inftructs the greatest number, is to be preferred. Let us look round among the Admirers of Poetry, we fhall find thofe who have a tafte of the Sublime to be very few ; but the Profound ftrikes univerfally, and is adapted to every capacity.

"Tis a fruitless undertaking to write for men of a nice and foppish Gusto, whom, after all, it is almost impoffible to please, and it is fill more chimerical to write for Pofterity, of whose Tafte we cannot make any judgment, and whofe applause we can never enjoy. It must be confeffed our wiser authors have a prefent end.

Et prodeffe volunt et delectare Poëtæ.

Their true defign is Profit or Gain; in order to acquire which, it is neceffary to procure applause by administering pleasure to the Reader: From whence it follows demonftrably, that their productions must be fuited to the prefent Tafte, And I cannot but congratulate our age on this peculiar felicity, that though we have made indeed great progrefs in all other branches of Luxury, we are not yet debauched with any high Relish in Poetry, but are in this one Taste less nice than our ancestors. If an Art is to be estimated by its fuccefs, I appeal to experience whether there have not been, in proportion to their number, as many ftarving good Poets as bad ones.

Nevertheless, in making Gain the principal end of, our Art, far be it from me to exclude any great Geniuses

of Rank or Fortune from diverting themfelves this way. They ought to be praised no less than thofe Princes, who pass their vacant hours in some ingenious mechanical or manual Art. And to fuch as thefe, it would be ingratitude not to own, that our Art has been often infinitely indebted.

CHAP.

III.

The Neceffity of the Bathos phyfically confidered.

FARTHERMORE, it were great cruelty and injustice, if all fuch Authors, as cannot write in the other way, were prohibited from writing at all. Against this I draw an argument from what seems to me an undoubt ed phyfical Maxim, That Poetry is a natural or morbid Secretion from the Brain. As I would not suddenly stop a cold in the head, or dry up my neighbour's iffue, I would as little hinder him from neceffary writing. It may be affirmed with great truth, that there is hardly any human creature past childhood, but at one time or other has had fome Poetical evacuation, and, no queftion, was much the better for it in his health; fo true is the faying, Nafcimur Poëtæ. Therefore is the Defire of Writing properly termed Pruritus, the “ Ti"tillation of the Generative Faculty of the Brain," and the Person is faid to conceive; now such as conceive must bring forth. I have known a man thoughtful, melancholy, and raving for divers days, who forthwith grew wonderfully eafy, lightfome, and cheerful, upon a discharge of the peccant humour, in exceeding purulent Metre. Nor can I queftion, but abundance of

untimely deaths are occafioned for want of this laudable vent of unruly paffions: yea, perhaps, in poor wretches (which is very lamentable) for mere want of pen, ink, and paper! From hence it follows, that a fuppreffion of the very worst Poetry is of dangerous confequence - to the State. We find by experience, that the fame humours which vent themselves in Summer in Ballads and Sonnets, are condenfed by the Winter's cold into Pamphlets and Speeches for and against the Miniftry nay I know not but many times a piece of Poetry may be the most innocent compofition of a Minifter himself.

It is therefore manifeft, that Mediocrity ought to be allowed, yea indulged, to the good fubjects of England. Nor can I conceive how the world has fwallowed the contrary as a Maxim, upon the fingle authority of Horace? Why should the golden Mean, and quinteffence of all Virtues, be deemed fo offenfive in this Art? or Coolness or Mediocrity be fo amiable a quality in a Man, and so detestable in a Poet?

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However, far be it from me to compare these Writers with those great Spirits, who are born with a Vivacité de péfanteur, or (as an English Author calls it) an Alacrity of finking;" and who by strength of Nature alone can excel. All I mean is to evince the Neceffity of Rules to thefe leffer Geniuses, as well as the Usefulness of them to the greater.

Mediocribus effe poëtis

Non dii, non bomines, &c.

HORT

That there is an Art of the Bathos, or Profound.

WE come now to prove, that there is an Art of Sinking in Poetry. Is there not an Architecture

of Vaults and Cellars, as well as of lofty Domes and Pyramids? Is there not as much skill and labour in making Dikes, as in raising Mounts? Is there not an Art of Diving as well as of Flying? And will any fober practitioner affirm, that a diving Engine is not of fingular ufe in making him long-winded, affifting his fight, and furnishing him with other ingenious means of keeping under water?

If we fearch the Authors of Antiquity, we shall find as few to have been distinguished in the true Profound, as in the true Sublime. And the very fame thing (as it appears from Longinus) had been imagined of that, as now of this: namely, that it was entirely the Gift of Nature. I grant that to excel in the Bathos, a Genius is requifite; yet the Rules of Art must be allowed fo far useful, as to add weight, or, as I may fay, hang on lead, to facilitate and enforce our descent, to guide us to the most advantageous declivities, and habituate our imagination to a depth of thinking. Many there <are that can fall, but few can arrive at the felicity of falling gracefully; much more for a man who is amongst the loweft of the Creation, at the very bottom of the Atmosphere; to defcend beneath himself, is not so easy a task, unless he calls in Art to his affiftance. It is with the Bathos as with fmall Beer, which is indeed vapid and infipid, if left at large, and let abroad; but being by our Rules confined and well stopt, nothing grows fo frothy, pert, and bouncing.