Natural.

Logical.

Ethical.

Of Goodness or Bonity.

fect Conformity of a Being to the divine Intellect or Idea, which is the grand Pattern of all created Beings. (2.) Phyfical or Natural Truth; which is when a Thing has all the Effentials requifite to its Nature, as pure Gold is faid to be true Gold. (3.) Logical Truth; as when Words are conformable to their Ideas, or Propofitions to the Things intended. (4.) Ethical or Moral Truth; as when our Words or Actions agree with our Thoughts, and our Deeds to our Words; the first is call'd Sincerity, the latter Veracity.

Goodness or Bonity is defined to be the Convenience or Agreement of Things with the Law and Standard of their Nature, fo that they poffefs all Qualities neceffary to answer the DeMetaphyfical. fign thereof. This is alfo (1.) Metaphyfical; as

Natural.

Artificial.

Moral.

Perfection what.

Of Signs, &c.

when Things are agreeable to the Will of God, and anfwer bis Defigns. So he furvey'd his Works, and behold they were very good. (2.) Phyfical or Natural; when they are capable well to answer their natural End; as Corn when fit for Seed or Food; fo Air, when fine, pure, and fit for Breathing. (3.) Artificial, as things are made or done near or agreeable to the Standard of Perfection, as good Writing, a good Picture, Clock, &c. (4.) Moral, which when it relates to Man is called Virtue, or Religion when it has a regard to God. When Truth and Goodness both unite in Things, it is call'd Perfection; when either are wanting in any Degree, the Being is imperfect.

Signs, Reprefentations and Denominations of Things are reckon'd among the Mental relative Affections of Being; but how juftly I am not here to examine. Signs are the Refemblances of fome outward real Beings, which are thereby reprefented to our Minds. Signs are of vari

cus

ous Kinds, as (1.) Natural, as a Beard is of Natural. Manhood. (2.) Divine; which is by God's Ap- Divine. pointment, as the Eucharist of the Death of Chrift. (3.) Human, or appointed by Men; Human. as Livery to denote great Men's Servants. (4.) Pigneratitious Pigneratitious, or mere Tokens or Pledges, which do not represent the Thing in its felf; as the Rainbow is a Token which is only to fhew and affure us, that the World will not any more be drowned. (5.) Antecedent, as profufe Manage- Antecedent. ment is of approaching Poverty. (6.) Concomi- Concomitant. tant; as Shivering is of an Ague prefent. (7.) Confequent. Confequent, as a Funeral is of Death. (8.) Me- Memorial. morial, as a funeral Ring is of a Perfon deceased. (9.) Commonftrative, as a Tomb of a Perfon bu- Commonftiaried there. (10.) Neceffary and certain, as the tive. Neceffary. Morning Star is of the rifing Sun. (11.) Contin- Contingent. gent and probable, as Prudence and Industry are probable Signs of a Man's thriving in the World.

(12.) Prognoftic, Diagnoftic, &c. Signs have Prognostic,&c. been already explain'd in Phyfic. Befides thefe, there are various Symbolical Signs and Reprefentations of Things invented and used by Artists; as the Characters of Algebra, Mufic, and other Arts and Profeffions.

THIS Compendium of Ontology, 'tis hoped, will Ontology rebe fufficient to fhew that this is not a dry and commended. unneceffary Science, as it is too much reputed; but, on the contrary, that it is an excellent and ufeful one; as it fupplies us with just Notions. and true Diftinctions and Differences of Things, in regard of which it merits the first Place in the Order of Sciences, and ought to be well'digefted in the Minds of all fuch as would excel in critical and polite Literature.

Of

Of the ART of POETRY.

ང་

P

OETRY or POESY is the Art, Poetry defin'd.
or rather the Faculty of making

Verfes. And a Poet is he who A Peet, who.
hath this Art, Faculty, or Skill
in its genuine Perfection. All o-

thers who write Verfes are term'd

Verfifiers, Poetafters, or Paultry Rhymers; all 4 Poetafier. which are Terms of Reproach, and imply, that he who does not write good Verfes, muft neceffarily write bad ones; and that is a Difgrace. Accordingly Boileau advises,

Rather be Mafon, ('tis an useful Art)

Than a dull Poet: For that Trade accurft
Admits no Mean betwixt the best and worst.
In other Sciences, without Difgrace
A Candidate may fill a fecond Place:
But Poetry no Medium can admit,
No Reader fuffers an indiff'rent Wit.

Verfe, especially English Verfe, is compofed of Verfe defin'd. Metre and Rhyme. Metre is when every Line is Metre, what. confined to a certain Number of Syllables, (as ten, eight, or seven, commonly) and the Words fo placed that the Accents may naturally fall on fuch peculiar Syllables as make a Sort of Harmony to the Ear. And Rhyme is the Similitude or Like- Rhyme, what. nefs of Sound in the laft Syllables, (or those next

the

the laft) of every two or every other Line. As
thus,

The Power that minifters to God's Decrees,
And executes on Earth what he forefees,
Call'd Providence, or Chance, or fatal Sway,
Comes with refiftlefs Force, or finds or makes
her Way.

IN thefe Lines the two laft Syllables in Order of every two Lines found alike, and therefore are faid to rhyme together; but in the following the penultimate Syllables, or thofe next the laft, rhyme to each other, and this is call'd double Double Rhyme. Rhyme. As,

Treble Rhyme.

Then all for Women, Painting, Rhyming,
Drinking,

Befides ten thoufand Freaks which died in
Thinking.

Or thus ;

When Pulpit, Drum Ecclefiaftick,
Was beat with Fift inftead of a Stick.

THERE are fome Verfes found to have treble Rhyme, or wherein the Antepenult, or third Syllables from the laft in every two Lines do rhyme; but as this is not worthy Practice, so it is not worthy Mention.

Some Verses rhyme to each other alternately; As,

Howe'er 'tis well that while Mankind

Through Fate's fantastic Mazes errs,
They can imagin'd Pleafures find,
To combat against real Cares.
Fancies and Notions we purfue

Which ne'er had Being but in Thought,
And, like the doating Artift, wooe
The Image we ourselves have wrought.

A Stanza