He fteer'd fecurely, and discover'd far,

Led by the light of the Mæonian Star.

Poets, a race long unconfin'd, and free,
Still fond and proud of favage liberty,

650

Receiv'd his laws; and ftood convinc'd 'twas fit,
Who conquer'd Nature, fhould prefide o'er Wit.
Horace ftill charms with graceful negligence,
And without method talks us into fenfe,
Will, like a friend, familiarly convey
The trueft notions in the eafielt way.
He, who fupreme in judgment, as in wit,

VARIATIONS.

That bold Columbus of the realms of wit,
Whofe first discov'ry's not exceeded yet.
Led by the light of the Mæonian Star,
He fteer'd fecurely, and difcover'd far.

He, when all Nature was fubdu'd before,

Like his great Pupil, figh'd, and long'd for more:
Fancy's wild regions yet unvanquifh'd lay,

A boundless empire, and that own'd no fway.
Poets, etc.

COMMENTARY.

655

VER..653. Who conquer'd Nature, should perfide o'er tvit.) By this is not meant phyfical Nature, but moral. The force of the obfervation confifts in our understanding in this fenfe. For the Poet not only uses the word, Nature for human mature, through out this poem; but also, where, in the beginning of it, he lays down the principles of the arts he treats of, he makes the know. ledge of human nature the foundation of all Criticism and Poetry. Nor is the obfervation lefs true than appofire. For, Ariftotle's natural enquiries were fuperficial, and ill made, tho' extensive: But his logical and moral works are incomparable. In thefe he has unfolded the human mind, and laid open all the receñes of the heart and understanding; and by his Categories, not only conquered Nature, but kept her in tenfold Chains: Not as Dulness kept the Mufes, in the Dunciad, to filence them; but as Ariftang held Protens in Virgil, to deliver Oracles.

Might boldly cenfure, as he boldly writ,

659
Yet judg'd with coolness, tho' he fung with fire;
His Precepts teach but what his works infpire.
Our Critics take a contrary extreme,

They judge with fury, but they write with flegm:
Nor fuffers Horace more in wrong Tranflations
By Wits, than Critics in as wrong Quotations. 665
See Dionyfius Homer's thoughts refine,

And call new beauties forth from ev'ry line!
Fancy and art in gay Petronius please,
The fcholar's learning, with the courtier's cafe.
In grave Quintilian's copious work, we find 670
The jufteft rules, and clearest method join'd:
Thus ufeful arms in magazines we place,
All rang'd in order, and difpos'd with grace,
But lefs to please the eye, than arın the hand,
Still fit for ufe, and ready at command.

Thee, bold Longinus! all the Nine inspire,
And bless their Critic with a Poet's fire.
An ardent Judge, who zealous in his truft,
With warmth gives fentence, yet is always juft;
Whose own example strengthens all his laws;
And is himself that great Sublime he draws.

Thus long fucceeding Critics juftly reign'd,
License repress'd, and useful laws ordain'd.

COMMENTARY.

VER. 666. See Dionyfius.) Of Halicarnaffus.

675

680

VER. 682. Thus long fucceeding Critics,etc.) The next per riad in which the true Critic (he tells us) appear'd, was at the revival and restoration of letters in the Weft. This occafions his giving a fhort history (from v 683 to 710.) of the decline and re-establishment of arts and fciences in Italy. He fhews that they both fell under the fame enemy, defpotic power; and that when

685

Learning and Rome alike in empire grew;
And Arts still follow'd where her Eagles flew;
From the fame foes, at laft, both felt their doom,
And the fame age faw Learning fall, and Rome.
With Tyranny, then Superstition join'd, mp
As that the body, this enflav'd the mind;
Much was believ'd, but little understood,
And to be dull was conftru'd to be good;
A fecond deluge Learning thus o'er-run,
And the Monks finifh'd what the Goths begun,
At length Erasmus, that great injur'd name,

and 690

Between v 691 and 692. the author omitted these two, emend Vain Wits and Critics were no more allow'd,

When none but Saints had licenfe to be proud.

COMMENTARY

both had made fome little efforts to restore themselves, they were foon again overwhelmed by a fecond deluge of another kind, S60 perftition; and a calm of Dulness finifh'd upon Rome and Letters what the rage of Barbarifm had begun

A fecond deluge learning thus o'er- run

And the Monk finish'd what the Goib, begun.

When things had been long in this condition, and all recovery now appear'd defperate, it was a CRITIC, our Author fhews us for the honour of the Art he here teaches, who at length broke the charm of Dulness, diffipated the inchantment, and, like another Hercules, drove thofe cowl'd and hooded ferpents from the Hefperian tree of knowledge, which they had fo long guarded from human approach.

VER. 694. At length Erafmus, etc.) Nothing can be more arts, ful than the application of this example; or more happy than the turn of compliment to this admirable man. To throw glory quite round his illuftrious character, he makes it to be (as in fact it really was) by his affistance chiefly, that Zeo was enabled to reftore letters and the fine arts in his Pontificate. Syria

(The glory of the Priesthood, and the fhame!) 695 Stem'd the wild torrent of a barb’rous age, And drove thofe holy Vandals off the ftage.

But fee! each Mufe, in LEO's golden days, Starts from her trance, and trims her wither'd bays, Rome's ancient Genius, o'er its ruins spread, 700 Shakes off the duft, and rears his rev'rend head. Then fculpture and her fifter-arts revive; Stones leap'd to form, and rocks began to live; With fweeter notes each rifing Temple rung; A Raphael painted, and a Vida fung. Immortal Vida: on whofe honour'd brow The Poet's bays and Critics wvy grow: Cremona now fhall ever boaft thy name, As next in place to Mantua, next in fame!

COMMENTARY.

705

709

This

019 VER. 698. fee, each Mufe in Leo's golden days!) prefents us with fecond period in which the true Critic appear'd; of whom he has given us a perfect idea in the fingle example of Marcus Hieronymus Vida: For his fubject being poetical Criticism, for the use principally of a critical Poet; his example is an emi nent poetical Critic, who had written of that Art in verfe. Yevonor is bas

NOTES.

VER, 695 The glory of the Priesthood and the shame!) Our author elsewhere lets us know what he esteems to be the glory of the Priesthood as well as of a Christiane in general, where, comparing himself to Erasmus, he fays,

In MODERATION placing all my glory, and confequently, what he esteems to be the fhame of it. whole of this character belong'd moft eminently and almoft folely

The

VER. 709. As next in place to Mantua,) He alludes to Mantua væ miferæ nimium vicina Cremona.

Virg.

But foon by impious arins from Latium chas'd, Their ancient bounds the banish'd Muses pafs'd; Thence Arts o'er all the northern world advance, But Critic-learning flourish'd moft in France; The rules a nation, born to ferve, obeys;

COMMENTARY.

VER. 710. But foon by impious arms, etc.) This brings us to the third period, after learning had travelled ftill farther weft; when the arms of the Emperor, in the fack of Rome by the Duke of Bourbon, had driven it out of Italy, and forced it to pass the Mountains. The Examples he gives in this period, are of Boi-, leau in France, and of the Lord Rofcommon and the Duke of Bukingham in England: And these were all Poets, as well as Critics in verfe. It is true, the laft inftance is of one who was no eminent poet, the late Mr. Walsh. This fmall deviation might be well overlooked, was only for its being a pious office to the memory of his Friend. But it may be farther juftified as it was an homage paid in particular to the MORALS of the Critic, nothing being more amiable than the character here drawn of this excellent perfon. He being our Author's Judge and Cenfor, as well as Friend, it gives him a graceful opportunity to add himself to the number of the latter Critics; and with a charatter of his own genius and temper, sustained by that modefty and dignity which it is fo difficult to make confiftent, this performance concludes.

I have given a fhort and plain account of the Effay on Criti eifi, concerning which i have but one thing more to acquaint the reader: That when he confiders the regularity of the plan, the masterly conduct of each part, the penetration into Nature, and the compass of Learning, fo confpicuous throughout, he should at the fame timę know, it was the work of an Author, who had not attained the twentieth year of his age.

NOTES.

to Erafmus: For the other Reformers, fuch as Luther, Calvin, and their followers, understood fo little, in what true Christian Liberty confifted, that they carried with them, into the reformed Churches, that very spirit of perfecution, which had driven them from the Church of Rome.