The Diction of this poem is grofly familiar, and the numbers purpofely neglected, except in a few places where the thoughts by their native excellence fecure themselves from violation, being fuch as mean language cannot exprefs. The mode of verification has been blamed by Dryden, who regrets that the heroic measure was not rather chofen. To the critical fentence of Dryden the higheft reverence would be due, were not his decifions often precipitate, and his opinions immature. When he wifhed to change the meafure, he probably would have been willing to change more. If he intended. that, when the numbers were heroick, the diction fhould ftill remain vulgar,

he

he planned a very heterogeneous and unnatural compofition. If he preferred a general statelinefs both of found and

.

words, he can be only understood to with that Butler had undertaken a different work.

The meafure is quick, fpritely, and colloquial, fuitable to the vulgarity of the words and the levity of the fentiments. But fuch numbers and fuch diction can gain regard only when they are used by a writer whofe vigour of fancy and copioufnefs of knowledge entitle him to contempt of ornaments, and who, in confidence of the novelty and juftness of his conceptions, can afford to throw metaphors and epithets away. To another that conveys common.

thoughts

thoughts in carelefs verfification, it will?

only be faid, "Pauper videri Cinna "vult, & eft, pauper." The meaning and diction will be worthy of each other, and criticifm may justly doom them to perish together.

Nor, even though another Butler fhould arife, would another Hudibras obtain the fame regard. Burlefque con-fifts in a disproportion between the file and the fentiments, or between the adventitious fentiments and the fundamental fubject. It therefore, like all bodies compounded of heterogeneous parts, contains in it a principle of corruption. All difproportion is unnatural, and from what is unnatural we can derive only the pleasure which novelty produces.

We

We admire it awhile as a ftrange thing; but, when it is no longer ftrange, we perceive its deformity. It is a kind of artifice, which by frequent repetition detects itself; and the reader, learning in time what he is to expect, lays

down his book, as the fpectator turns away from a fecond exhibition of those

tricks, of which the only ufe is to fhew that they can be played.