Nor fuffers Horace more in wrong Translations

爨

By Wits, than Critics in as wrong Quotations.
See Dionyfius Homer's thoughts refine,
And call new beauties forth from ev'ry line!
Fancy and art in gay Petronius please,
The scholar's learning, with the courtier's ease.
In grave Quintilian's copious work, we find
The jufteft rules, and clearest method join'd:
Thus afeful arms in magazines we place,
All rang'd in order, and difpos'd with grace,
But lefs to please the eye, than arm the hand,
Still fit for use, and ready at command.

665

670

Thee, bold Longinus! all the Nine infpire, 675 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; Whofe own example strengthens all his laws; And is himself that great Sublime he draws.

Thus long fucceeding Critics juftly reign'd, "Licenfe reprefs'd, and ufeful laws ordain'd.

680

Learning and Rome alike in empire grew;
And Arts ftill follow'd where her Eagles flew ;
From the fame foes, at laft, both felt their doom, 685
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;

VER. 665. See Dionyfius] Of Halicarnaffus.

VARIATION S.

Between ver. 690 and 691. the Author omitted these two:
Vain Wits and Critics were no more allow'd,
When none but Saints had license to be proud.

A fecond deluge Learning thus o'er-run,
And the Monks finish'd what the Goths begun.
At length Erafmus, that great injur❜d name,
(The glory of the Priesthood, and the shame!)
Stem'd the wild torrent of a barb'rous age,
And drove those holy Vandals off the stage.

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,
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 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 Critic's ivy grow:
Cremona now fhall ever boaft thy name,
As next in place to Mantua, next in fame!
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 moft in France:
The rules a nation, born to serve, obeys;
And Boileau ftill in right of Horace sways.
But we, brave Britons, foreign laws despis'd,
And kept unconquer'd, and unciviliz'd;
Fierce for the liberties of wit, and bold,
We ftill defy'd the Romans, as of old.
Yet fome there were, among the founder few
Of those who lefs prefum'd, and better knew,
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."

695

705

715

720

VER. 723. Such was the Mufe]-Efay on Poetry by the Duke of Buckingham. Our Poct is not the only one of his time whe

726

Such was Rofcommon, not more learn'd than good,
With manners gen'rous as his noble blood;
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 justly knew to blame or to commend ; 730
To failings mild, but zealous for defert;
The clearest head, and the fincerest heart.
This humble praife, lamented fhade! receive,
This praise at least a grateful Mufe may give :
The Mufe, whofe early voice you taught to fing, 735
Prefcrib'd her heights, and prun'd her tender wing,
(Her guide now loft) no more attempts to rife,
But in low numbers fhort excurfions tries:
Content, if hence th' unlearn'd their wants may view,
The learn'd reflect on what before they knew: 740
Careless of cenfure, nor too fond of fame;
Still pleas'd to praife, yet not afraid to blame;
Averfe alike, to flatter or offend;

Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend.

complimented this Effay, and its noble Author. Mr. Dryden had done it very largely in the Dedication to his Tranflation of the Eneid; and Dr. Garth, in the first edition of his Dispensary, says,

The Tyber now no courtly Gallus fees,

But fmiling Thames enjoys his Normanbys.

Tho' afterwards omitted, when parties were carried fo high in the reign of Queen Anne, as to allow no commendation to an oppofite in Politics. The Duke was all his life a fteady adherent to the Church of England Party, yet an enemy to the extravagant mea. fures of the Court in the reign of Charles II. On which account, after having ftrongly patronized Mr. Dryden, a coolness succeeded between them on that poet's abfolute attachment to the Court, which carried him fome lengths beyond what the Duke could approve of. This Nobleman's true character had been very well marked by Mr. Dryden before,

The Mufe's friend,
Himself a Mufe. In Sanadrin's debate

True to his Prince, but not a flaye of state. Abf, and Achit. Our Author was more happy, he was honour'd very young with his friendship, and it continued till his death in all the circumnces uf familiar esteem,