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the

together, is willing enough to make the best of it, and to efpoufe an agreeable Ravisher.

P Fair Truth.] He was a wife Man who faid Women were stronger than either the King, or Wine; but his Wisdom appcar'd moft in preferring Truth to them all. She has a Beauty out-fhining all the Art and Eloquence in the World; and I fhould not wonder to see a very Deift willing to die a Martyr for her, tho' he believ'd no Refurrection, and expected no Reward. There was one of that Principle lately among the Turks; a Man of Parts, and in nothing fantastical, who, rather than renounce fome Doctrines he maintain'd against a future Life, and the foolish Superftition of adoring MAHOMET, chose rather to die as calmly and as confiderately as SOCRATES himself.

• In this bafe Age.] 'Tis almost incredible what the Ancients have written, and really perform'd of Friendship. And therefore we fee the famous old Tragedies are often turn'd all upon that; whereas ours are only fill'd with Love; which, tho' as tender a Concern as the other, yet (a Woman being one of the Partics) is uncapable of many fublime Thoughts that arife among the Men, a Sex fo much more knowing and active in the World. And even M 3

for

for Softness itself, it will be hard to fhew a Scene more moving than that between AMYNTOR and MELANTIUS in the Maid's-Tragedy; which I fhould be forry to fee without great Emotion, fince 'tis a fhrewd fign of being both dull and ill-natur'd. No body has equall'd the Ancients on this Subject, except MONTAGNE, who on all Subjects has hardly been equall'd by the Moderns. The worst of it is, this Friendship is a Virtue which does not depend upon one's felf alone to have; for in fuch a felfish Age, one Man, tho' never so capable of it, may look about a great while before he finds out another; and this Contract will never hold, without an exact Counterpart.

* Affift ye Angels.] All Religions agree in believing that fuperiour Beings aflift us on some important Occafions; but above all Poetry, and especially this kind of it, has an establish'd Right to depend on Infpiration. To speak Truth, all Poets have endeavour'd to hide their Vanity under this Veil of pretended Modefty; nothing seeming more humble than to diftruft themselves, and implore Affiftance, while at the fame time they prefum'd that fomething like divine Infpiration might shine out in their Poems. On which occafion (thefe Notes being already a rambling fort of Rhapsody) I will

venture to say a little on a Subject, of which others, for ought I can find, have not faid much : I mean, of that which Poets call a Mufe, by whom they pretend to be infpir'd, and is by all underftood to be a Genius for Poetry; to which Genius a Poct may be allowed in fome measure to pretend, because whoever wants it, tho' with never fo good Words and fmooth Cadence, is yet little better than a player at Crambo. My imperfect Notion of a Genius is this, which I fubmit to better Judgments; I think it a happy Temper of the Brain, fo equally mix'd of Fancy and Judgment, that as great Heat of Imagination is apt to fpring all fort of Game, fo the understanding Faculty is ftill near at hand, to select the good, and to reject the reft.

How plainly.] This is according to the univerfal Opinion of Angels, that they need no Organs of Speech among themselves; and their Thoughts are communicated to one another by what the Which however true Schoolmen call Intuition.

or false, is enough for a Poet's applying it to this Subject of Friendship, which feems even among us Mortals to have fomething of divine in it.

t

A Race as far, &c.] According to the christian Faith, the Angels had a Beginning, tho' they can

have

have no End; and we have as good an Opinion of our own Souls alfo.

u

You far and fmil d.] Since Angels are suppos'd to be particularly concern'd for mankind, (tho' I confefs I think we are very unworthy of that Honour) they must needs be pleas'd with fecing in us any fort of Virtue, efpecially this fort of Friendfhip, fo much practis'd by themselves.

W

But

Life received. Befides that BRUTUS received his Life once from CESAR on the account of the Civil War, he was very much fufpected to be his Son; and the more, because of his great Fondness of him. 'Tis certain the time of CESAR's Intrigue with SERVILIA is very confiftent with it. his forgiving him at Pharfalia was not so much as the leaft Proof of it; for the Mother's past Fayours had been alone fufficient to procure a Pardon for her Son, cfpecially with fo merciful a Nature as CESAR'S.

* Obligations.] This to fome Humours is like enough to appear an over-refinement; and I expect they will rather fancy to have the pleasure of receiving good turns, let who will take the other of doing them. But I appeal to many, if they

have not found the doing a Kindness a much greater Satisfaction than receiving one. Yet I admit the latter part to be very agreeable alfo, when 'tis from worthy Perfons; being a new Instance of their .: Eftcem and Favour.

I

"All Because a Fact committed in Paffion, or by Inadvertence, is nothing in comparison with one done on Deliberation, and by a long-lay'd Defign: Which so far excus'd ALEXANDER's killing of CLYTUS, that it has leffen'd his great Fame of being generous and good-natur'd.

The Center.] This was fo great a Defign, that none but such an extraordinary Perfon as BRUTUS could have brought it about by his Influence over all the Confpirators; who being the chief Patriots among the nobleft People that ever the Sun fhin'd on, I cannot but think BRUTUS appears higher at the Head of fuch an illuftrious Party, than CÆSAR himself commanding the whole Roman Empire.

a

Ample Marks.] CÆSAR had in a publick manncr given BRUTUS the preference to CASSIUS, and to all Rome befides, by making him chief Prætor a few Days before he killed him.

• Em