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684

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 Superftition join'd,

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.

VARIATIONS.

690

Between ver. 690. and 691. the author omitted these two, Vain Wits and Critics were no more allow'd,

When none but Saints had licence to be proud. P.

COMMENTARY.

at the revival and restoration of letters in the Weft. This occafions his giving a fhort hiftory [from ver. 683 to 710.] of the decline and re-establishment of arts and sciences in Italy. He fhews that they both fell under the fame enemy, defpotic power; and that when both had made fome little efforts to reftore themselves, they were foon again overwhelmed by a fecond deluge of another kind, Superftition; and a calm of Dulness finish'd upon Rome and Letters what the rage of Barbarism had begun :

"A fecond deluge learning thus o'er-run,

"And the Monk finish'd what the Goth begun. When things had been long in this condition, and all recovery now seemed 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.

At length Erafmus, that great injur'd name, (The glory of the Priesthood, and the fhame!) Stem'd the wild torrent of a barb'rous age, And drove thofe holy Vandals off the stage.

695

But fee! each Mufe, in LEO's golden days, Starts from her trance, and trims her wither'd bays,

COMMENTARY.

VER. 697. But fee! each Mufe, in Leo's golden days!] This prefents us with the 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 ufe principally of a critical Poet; his example is an eminent poetical Critic, who had written of that Art in verfe.

NOTES.

VER. 693. At length Erafmus, etc.] Nothing can be more artful than the application of this example: or more happy than the turn of the compliment. To throw glory quite round the Character of this admirable Perfon, he makes it to be (as in fact it really was) by his affiftance chiefly, that Leo was enabled to restore letters and the fine arts in his Pontificate.

VER. 694. The glory of the Priesthood, and the shame!] Our author elsewhere let us know what he efteems to be the glory of the Priesthood as well as of a Chriftian in general, where comparing himself to Erafmus, he says,

"In MODERATION placing all my glory,

and confequently what he esteems to be the fame of it, The whole of this character belong'd eminently and almoft folely to Erafmus: For the other Reformers, fuch as Luther, Calvin, and their followers, understood fo little in what true Chriftian Liberty confifted, that they carried with them, into the reformed Churches, that very fpirit of perfecution, which had driven them from the church of Rome. VER. 696. And drove thofe holy Vandals off the ftage.] In this attack on the established ignorance of the times, he fucceeded fo well, as to bring good Letters into fashion: to

Rome's ancient Genius, o'er its ruins spread,
Shakes off the duft, and rears his rev'rend head. 700
Then sculpture and her fifter-arts revive;

Stones leap'd to form, and rocks began to live;
With sweeter notes each rifing Temple rung;
A Raphael painted, and a Vida fung.
Immortal Vida: on whose honour'd brow
The Poet's bays and Critic's ivy grow:
Cremona now fhall ever boaft thy name,
As next in place to Mantua, next in fame!

NOTES.

705

which he gave new fplendor, by preparing for the prefs correct Editions of many of the best ancient writers, both ecclefiaftical and prophane. But having laughed and fhamed his age out of one folly, he had the mortification to fee them run headlong into another. The VIRTUOSI of Italy, in a fuperftitious dread of that monkish barbarity which he had so severely handled, would now use no term (for now almost every man was become a Latin writer) not even when they treated of the highest mysteries of Religion, which had not been confecrated in the Capitol, and difpenfed unto them from the facred hand of CICERO. Erafmus obferved the growth of this oppofite folly with the greater concern, as he difcovered under all their attention to the language of old Rome, an equal fondness for a growing impiety, which disposed them in Religion, to think irreverently of the Chriftian Faith. And he no fooner difcovered it than he fet upon reforming it; which he did fo effectually in the Dialogue, intitled CICERONIANUS, that he brought the age back to that just temper, which he had been, all his life, endeavouring to mark

I MITATIONS.

VER. 708. As next in place to Mantua,] Alluding to

Mantua væ miferæ nimium vicina Cremona. Virg.

But foon by impious arms from Latium chas'd, Their ancient bounds the banish'd Mufes pafs'd; 710 Thence Arts o'er all the northern world advance, But Critic learning flourish'd most in France; The rules a nation, born to serve, obeys; And Boileau ftill in right of Horace sways. But we, brave Britons, foreign laws defpis'd, 715 And kept unconquer'd and unciviliz'd;

Fierce for the liberties of wit, and bold,

We still defy'd the Romans, as of old.

Yet fome there were, among the founder few
Of those who lefs prefum'd, and better knew, 720

COMMENTARY.

VER. 709. 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 Boileau in France, and of the Lord Rofcommon and the duke of Buckingham 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 it only for its being a pious office to the memory of his friend: But it may be farther justified, as it was an homage paid in particular to the MORALS of the Critic, nothing being more amiable than the character

NOTES.

out to it: Purity, but not Pedantry, in LETTERS; and Zeal, but not Bigotry, in RELIGION. In a word, by employing his great talents of genius and literature on fubjects of general importance; and by oppofing the extremes of all parties in their turns; he completed the rare character of a TRUE CRITIC and HONEST MAN.

Who durft affert the jufter ancient cause,
And here reftor'd Wit's fundamental laws.

Such was the Mufe, whofe rules and practice tell,
"Nature's chief Mafter-piece is writing well."
Such was Rofcommon, not more learn'd than good,
With manners gen'rous as his noble blood; 726
To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known,
And ev'ry author's merit, but his own.
Such late was Walsh-the Mufe's judge and friend,
Who juftly knew to blame or to commend;

To failings mild, but zealous for desert ;

730

The clearest head, and the fincereft heart.
This humble praife, lamented fhade! receive,
This praise at least a grateful Muse may give: 734

COMMENTARY.

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 later Critics; and with a character of his own genius and temper, fuftained by that modefty and dignity which it is fo difficult to make confiftent, this performance concludes.

I have here given a fhort and plain account of the Essay on Criticism; 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 compafs of Learning throughout, he fhould at the fame time know, it was the work of an Author who had not attained the twentieth year of his age.

NOTES.

VER. 723. Such was the Mufe-] Efay on Poetry by the Duke of Buckingham. Our Poet is not the only one of his time who complimented this Elay, and its noble Au

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