to the low retailer of the law, difcover the fraudulent practices of different profeffions.

What series of events he would have formed, or in what manner he would have rewarded or punished his hero, it is now vain to conjecture. His work must have had, as it feems, the defect which Dryden imputes to Spenfer; the action could not have been one; there could only have been a fucceffion of incidents, each of which might have happened without the reft, and which could not all co-operate to any fingle conclufion.

The difcontinuity of the action might however have been eafily forgiven, if there had been action enough; but I

believe every reader regrets the paucity

of events, and complains that in the poem of Hudibras, as in the hiftory of Thucydides, there is more faid than

done.

The scenes are too feldom changed, and the attention is tired with long converfation.

It is indeed much more eafy to form dialogues than to contrive adventures. Every pofition makes way for an argument, and every objection dictates an anfwer. When two difputants are engaged upon a complicated and extenfive question, the difficulty is not to continue but to end the controversy. But whether it be that we comprehend but few of the poffibilities of life, or that life itself affords little variety, every

man

man who has tried knows how much

labour it will coft to form fuch a com

bination of circumstances, as shall have of novelty and credi

at once the

grace

bility, and delight fancy without vio

lence to reafon.

is

Perhaps the dialogue of this poem not perfect. Some power of engaging the attention might have been added to it, by quicker reciprocation, by feafonable interruptions, by fudden queftions, and by a nearer approach to dramatic fpritelinefs; without which, fictitious fpeeches will always tire, however sparkling with fentences, and however variegated with allufions.

The great fource of pleasure is variety. Uniformity muft tire at laft, though

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though it be uniformity of excellence.. We love to expect; and,. when expecta-tion is disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting. For this. impatience of the prefent, whoever would please, must make provifion. The fkilful writer irritat, mulcet, makes a due diftribution of the ftill and animated parts. It is for want of this artful intertexture, and thofe neceffary changes, that the whole of a book may be tedious, though all the parts are praised.

If unexhauftible wit could give perpetual pleasure, no eye would ever leave half-read the work of Butler; for what poet has ever brought fo many remote images fo happily together? It is fcarce

ly

ly poffible to perufe a page without finding fome affociation of images that was never found before. By the first paragraph the reader is amused, by the next he is delighted, and by a few more ftrained to aftonishment; but afto-nishment is a toilfome pleasure : he is foon weary of wondering, and longs to. be diverted..

Omnia vult belle Matho dicere, dic aliquando

Et bene, dic neutrum, dic aliquando male..

Imagination is useless without know-ledge nature gives in vain the power of combination, unless study and obfervation fupply materials to be combined. Butler's