ed, and that the honour of their judgments (as fome brutals imagine of their courage) confifts in quarrelling with every thing. We are therefore wonderful wife men, and have a fine bufi ness of it, we, who spend our time in poetry I do fometimes laugh, and am often angry with myself, when I think on it; and if I had a fon inclined by nature to the fame folly, I believe I fhould bind him from it, by the ftri&teft conjurations of a paternal bleffing. For what can be more ridiculous, than to labour to give men delight, whilst they labour, on their part, more earnestly, to take offence? To expofe one's felf voluntarily and frankly to all the dangers of that narrow paffage to unprofitable fame, which is defended by rude multitudes of the ignorant, and by armed troops of the malicious? If we do ill, many difcover it, and all defpife us; if we do well, but few men find it out, and fewer entertain it kindly. If we commit errors, there is no pardon; if we could do wonders, there would be but little thanks, and that too extorted from unwilling givers. Bur fome perhaps may fay, Was it not always thus? do you expect a particular privilege, that was never yet enjoyed by any poet? were the antient Grecian, or noble Roman authors, was was VIRGIL himself, exempt from this poffibility. : Qui multis melior, quam tu, fuit, improbe, rebus, who was, in many things, thy better far, thou impudent pretender? as was faid by LUCRETIUS to a perfon, who took it ill that he was to die, though he had seen so many do it before him, who better deferved immortality and this is to repine at the natural condition of a living poet, as he did at that of a living mortal. I do not only acknowledge the pre-eminence of VIRGIL (whofe footsteps I adore), but fubmit to many of his Roman brethren; and I confefs, that even they, in their own times, were not fo fecure from the affaults of detraction (though HORACE brags at last, Jam dente minus mordecr invido); but then the barkings of a few were drowned in the applause of all the reft of the world, and the poifon of their bitings extinguished by the antidote of great rewards and great encouragements, which is a way of curing now out of use; and I really profess, that I neither expect, nor think I deserve it. Indolency would ferve my turn instead of pleasure; but the cafe is not fo well; for though I comfort myself with some affurance of the favour and affection of very many candid and good-natured (and yet too judicious and even critical) perfons; yet this I do affirm, that from all which I have written I never received the leaft benefit, of the least advantage, but, on the contrary, have felt sometimes the effects of malice and misfortune. POEMS 7HAT: fhall I do to be for ever known, Wand make the age, to come my own? [a] Hence all the flattering vanities, that lay Nets of rofes in the way. Hence the defire of honours, or estate; › And all, that is not above fate. Hence love himself, that tyrant of my days, Which intercepts my coming praise. Come, my best friends, my books, and lead me on; 'Tis time that I were gone. Welcome, great Stagirite, and teach me now All I was born to know. [a] Some lines of the original are left out. Thy Thy fcholar's vict'ries thou dost far out-do: He conquer'd th' earth; the whole world, you [b]. Welcome, learn'd Cicero, whose bleft tongue and wit Preferves Rome's greatness yet. Thou art the firft of orators; only he, Who beft can praise thee, next must be [c]. Welcome the Mantuan fwan, Virgil the wife, Whose verse walks highest, but not flies [d]. [b] He conquer'd th' earth; the whole world, you.] Earth, means this habitable globe: world, the fyftem of universal nature. But the compliment is not a little extravagant! like that of Mr. Pope to Newton "God faid, let Newton be, and all was light" for which the Poet is very justly reprehended by his learned Commentator. only be, [c] Who beft can praife thee, next must be] i. e. he must be only next; for none but Cicero himfelf was equal to the fubject. The poet glances at what Livy faid of the great Roman orator vir magnus, acer, memorabilis, et in cujus laudes fequendas Cicerone laudatore opus fuerit. A fragment, preferved by the elder Seneca, [d] Whofe verfe walks bigbeft, but not flies.] i. e. which keeps within the limits of nature, and is fublime without being extravagant. Virgil's epic Muse is here juftly characterized: the Lyric, is a fwan of another fpecies, of which the poet fays nobly, elfewhere "Lo, how the obfequious wind and swelling air "The Theban Swan does upwards bear "Into the walks of clouds, where he does play, "And with extended wings opens his liquid way." Pindaric Odes. The praife of Pindar. Who |