Milton, by Newton and Warton; and of Shakespear and Spenfer, by Malone, Steevens, and Upton: the Hiftory of English Poetry; the critical papers of the Rambler, Adventurer, World, and Connoiffeur; and The Lives of the Poets, by Johnfon; the Biographia Britannica; and the Poetics of Ariftotle, tranflated, and accompanied with judicious notes, by Twining and Pye; and the tranflation, with notes, of Horace's Art of Poetry, by Hurd and Colman; and the Epiftles of Hayley. WARTON.

Dr. Warton's obfervation that few poetical pieces of high merit have appeared, after criticifm has been studied, and the rules of writing established, is undoubtedly just; but there is nothing very extraordinary in the circumftance. As the wildeft countries are by nature more picuresque, the rude banks, the aged forefts, and unfubdued fcenery of the Miffifippi, more romantic, than the course of the Thames through its domain of elegant cultivation; fo in Poetry, thofe ages that are comparatively rude and fimple, in which the language is figurative, the traditions wild, the caft of manners original, or tinctured with ideas of fuperftition, chivalry, and romance, are most favourable to works of fancy. When we confider the works of genius which imply great art and defign in the ftructure, fuch as Epic Poems and Tragedies, we shall find in general that the time moft favourable to their production, is when civilization has advanced beyond the limits of fimplicity and rudenefs, but fill is marked with energy, originality, and native vigour. This period is pe culiarly friendly to works of high yet cultivated imagination. Criticifm implies an age of reafon and refinement, when Imagination is fubdued to Truth. This is as it fhould be, for Poetry is certainly fecondary to Truth, and we cannot have from the same tree, at the fame time, bloffoms and fruits. It often however happens, that an age becomes too refined either for Poetry or Truth, and we know extravagant Philofophy is much more dangerous than romantic Poetry; it is for this reafon that the mind often flies from vain and vifionary fystems of licentious philofophy, to repose upon the ideas of virtue, the dignified confolations, the enchanting pictures, or the pathetic incidents which the Mufe prefents. Let me here be indulged in faying a word, concerning my predeceffor in this work, the late editor, Dr. Warton, my master and friend. No one excelled him in pure critic' tafte, and an accurate appreciation of whatever was truly poeti. To his criticisms, and to those of his brother Thomas Warton, we are indebted, in fome refpects, I fincerely believe, for a jufter idea of genuine poetic

excellence; and though the prefent age be not that of romance or chivalry, it is by no means deficient in compofitions that are fanciful, pathetic, and in fome inftances fublime.

This may be owing to our attention having been more ftrongly excited to the poetic character of Milton. His great genius has at least been more fully appreciated. When he first wrote, not only the part he took in Politics, but the general "chidings" of the times, were unfavourable to Poetry. After the Restoration, the "barbarous diffonance

Of Bacchus, and his revellers,-drown'd

Both harp and voice."

When the public tafte became habituated to the elegant, but totally different, melodies of Dryden and Pope, he, of whom it might moft truly have been faid, that Heaven,"

Οφθαλμών μεν αμερτε, διδε δ' αδειαν αοιδήν,

was scarcely ever confidered in that fupereminent light in which he now appears. With refpect to language, the different verfification of Dryden ard Pope has been confidered as having completed the polished melody of the English couplet, while the earlier refiners of our language have been degraded, or forgotten. Johnfon, fpeaking of Dryden's improvement of English verfification, fays, "Lateritiam invenit, marmoream reliquit:" He found it "brick," and he left it "marble.”—I have already mentioned Sandys, and I fubjoin fome fpecimens of his verfe, that the reader may judge how far it may be called "Lateritiam :”

In his defcent bow'd Heav'n with Earth did meet,
And gloomy darkneffe roll'd beneath his feet,
A golden-winged Cherubim beftrid,
And on the fwiftly-flying tempeft rid.

I follow'd, overtook, nor made retreat,
Until victorious in my foes defeat;

So charg'd with wounds that they no longer stood,
But at my feet lay bathed in their blood.

They cried aloud;-but found no fuccour near;

TO THEE, JEHOVAH; but thou would'st not hear.

The whole of his verfification of the Pfalms is equally correc and melodious.

Soon after this Effay was published, "Addifon, in the Specta tor, speaking of it, (Dec. 20th, 1711;) fays:

"In our country a man feldom fets up for a Poet, without attacking the reputation of all his brothers in the art, &c."

I am forry to find that an Author who is justly esteemed among the best judges, has admitted fome ftrokes of this nature into a very fine Poem, "The Art of Criticism." This gave offence to Pope. The perfons whom Addifon confidered as defcribed by Pope, moft probably were Dennis, and Pope's own friend, Wycherley.

"But Appius reddens, &c."

and

"Such Bards we have, &c."

There was another circumftance which perhaps caused Addison to fpeak fomewhat feverely; I mean, Pope's attack upon Burnet; for the line

"When unbelieving Priefts reform'd the nation,"

I have no doubt alluded to him. Jortin imagines the fatire of the paffage was levelled againft Burnet and Kennet, whom Warburton probably means, when he speaks of latitudinarian Divines! Notwithstanding Pope's conftant boaft of " Moderation," it is well known what was his Creed, and what were his Politics; and his petulant hoftility to Dr. Burnet, a man deservedly raised to his high ftation in the church, might be eafily accounted for.

Thefe circumstances, I have no doubt, occafioned Addison to fpeak as he did; but it must be added, refpecting Pope's general charge of Socianifm,

("The following licence of a foreign reign,

Did all the dregs of bold Socinus drain,")

that it was, in William's reign, undoubtedly juft; in confequence of the difpofition of man to run from one extreme into another. An addrefs was prefented by the Houfe of Commons to the King*, Feb. 17th, 1698; " Befeeching his majesty to give effectual orders for fuppreffing all pernicious books and pamphlets, which contained impious doctrines against the Holy Trinity, and other fundamental articles of the Proteftant Faith, tending to the fubverfion of the Chriftian Religion."

Nothing can more clearly demonftrate the fpeculative licentioufnefs of the times.

* Tindal.

THE RAPE OF The lock.

AN HEROI-COMICAL POEM.

WRITTEN IN THE YEAR MDCCXII.