: (2) When Homer, mentioning Achilles, terms him a lion, this is a metaphor, and the meaning is obvious and true, though the literal fenfe be falfe, the poet intending thereby to give his reader fome idea of the ftrength and fortitude of his hero. Had he faid, that wolf, or that bear, this had been falfe, by prefenting an image not conformable to the nature and character of a hero, &c. (3) Hyperboles are of divers forts, and the manner of introducing them is different: fome are as it were naturalized and established by a customary way of expretion; as when we fay, fuch a one's as fwift as the wind, whiter than fnow, or the like. Homer speaking of Nereus, calls him beauty itfelf. Martial of Zoilus, Lewdness itself. Such hyperboles lye indeed, but deceive us not; and therefore Seneca terms them yes that readily conduct our imagination to truths, and have an intelligible fignification, though the expreffion be trained beyond credibility. Cuftom has likewife familiarized another way for hyperboles, for example, by irony; as when we fay of fome infamous fhe's a civil perfon, where the meaning is to be taken quite oppofite to the latter. These few figures are mentioned only for example fake; it will be under.food that all others are to be used with the like woman, care and difcretion. (4) I needed not to have travelled fo far for an extravagant flight; I remember one of British growth of the like nature: See thofe dead bodies hence convey'd with care, Life may perhaps return-with change of air. But I choose rather to correct gently, by foreign examples, hoping that fuch as are confcious of the like excefles will take the hint, and fecretly reprove themfelves. It may be poffible for fome tempers to maintain rage and indignation to the laft gafp but the foul and body once parted, there must neceffarily be a determination of action, Quodcunque oftendis mihi fic incredulus odi. I cannot forbear quoting on this occafion, as an example for the prefent purpofe, two noble lines of Jafper Main's, in the collection of the Oxford Verfes printed in the year 1643, upon the death of my grandfather Sir Bevil Granville, flain in the heat of action at the battle of Landfdowne. The poet, after having defcribed the fight, the foldiers animated by the example of their leader, and enraged at his death, thus concludes: thought by any derogatory quotation to take from the merit of a writer whofe reputation is fo univerfally and fo juftly established in all nations; but as I faid before, I rather choose, where any failings are to be found, to correct my own countrymen by foreign examples, than to provoke them by inftances drawn from I cannot their own writings. Humanum eft errare. forbear one quotation more from another celebrated French author. It is an epigram upon a monument for Francis I. King of France, by way of question and anfwer, which in English is verbatim thus: Under this marble, who lies buried here? Francis the Great, a king beyond compare. Why has fo great a king fo fmall a ftone? Of that great king here 's but the heart alone. Then of this conqueror here lies but part? No-here he lies all-for he was all heart. The author was a Cafcon, to whom I can properly oppofe nobody fo well as a Welchman, for which purpose I am farther furnished from the forementioned collection of Oxford Verfes, with an epigram by Martin Lluellin upon the fame fubject, which I remember to have heard often repeated to me when I was a boy. Befides, from whence can we draw better examples than from the very feat and nursery of the Mufes ? Thus fin, thy valiant ancestor did lie, When his one bark a navy did defy; When now encompass'd round, he victor flood, And bath'd his pinnace in his conquering blood, Till all the purple current dry'd and spent, He fell, and made the waves his monument. Where fhall the next fam'd Granville's afhes ftand? Thy grandfire's fill the fea, and thine the land. I cannot fay the two laft lines, in which confifts the fting or point of the epigram, are ftrictly conformable to the rule herein fet down: the word ashes, metaphorically, can fignify nothing but fame; which is mere found, and can fill no fpace either of land or fea: The Welchman, however, must be allowed to have out-done the Gafcon. The fallacy of the French epigram appears at firft fight; but the English strikes the fancy, fufpends and dazzles the judgment, and may perhaps be allowed to pafs under the shelter of thofe daring hyperboles, which by prefenting an obvious meaning, make their way, according to Seneca, through the incredible to true. (6) Vitrix caufa Deis placuit, fed vita Catoni. The confent of fo many ages having established the reputation of this line, it may perhaps be prefump Thus he being flin, his action fought anew, of nature: it is thus only that the dead can act. (5) Le jour qu'elle ráquit, Venus bien qu'immortelle, Penja mourir de honte, en la voyant fi belle, Les graces à l'envi defcendirent des cieux This is a lover's defcription of his miftrefs, by the grez Corneille; civil to be fure, and polite as any filing can be. Let any body turn over Waller, and He will fe how much more naturally and delicately the English author treats the article of love, than this Cleorated Frenchman. I would not, however, be Cato, who is defcribed to have been a man of rigid morals and strict devotion, more refembling the Gods than men, would have chofen any party in oppofition to thofe Gods, whom he profefled to adore. The poet would give us to underftand, that his hero was too righteous a perfon to accompany the Divinities themfelves in an unjuft caufe; but to reprefent a mortal man to be either wifer or jufter than the Deity, may fhew the impiety of the writer, but add nothing * Sir Richard Granville, Vicc-Admiral of England, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, maintained a fight with his fingle ship against the whole Armada of Spain, confifting of fifty-three of their beft men of war. D 2 to to the merit of the hero; neither reafon nor religion will allow it, and it is impoffible for a corrupt being to be more excellent than a divine: Succefs implies permiffion, and not approbation; to place the Gods always on the thriving fide, is to make them partakers of all fuccefsful wickednefs: To judge right, we must wait for the conclufion of the action; the catastrophe will beft decide on which fide is Providence, and the violent death of Cæfar acquits the Gods from being companions of his ufurpation. DEFINITION OF LOVE. LOVE is begot by fancy, bred WOMEN. WOMEN to cards may be compar'd; we play A round or two, when us'd we throw away, Take a fresh pack; nor is it worth our grieving, Lucan was a determined republican; no wonder Who cuts or thuffles with our dirty leaving. he was a free-thinker. (7) Mr. Dryden, in one of his prologues, has thefe two lines: He's bound to please, not to write well, and knows There is a mode in plays, as well as clothes. From whence it is plain where he has expofed himfelf to the crities; he was forced to follow the fashion to humour an audience, and not to please himself. A hard facrifice to make for prefent fubfiftence, efpecially for fuch as would have their writings live as well as themselves. Nor can the poet whofe labours are his daily bread, be delivered from this cruel neceffity, unlefs fome more certain encouragement can be provided than the bare uncertain profits of a third day, and the theatre be put under fome more impartial management than the jurifdiction of players. Who write to live, muft unavoidably comply with their tafte by whofe approbation they fubfift; fome generous Prince, or Prime Minister like Richlieu, can only find a remedy. In his Epiftle Dedicatory to the Spanish Friar, this incomparable poet thus cenfures himself: "I remember fome verfes of my own, Maximin << and Almanzor, which cry vengeance upon me for << their extravagance, &c. All I can fay for those "paffages, which are I hope not many, is, that I "knew they were bad enough to pleafe, even when "I wrote them; but I repent of them among my << fins: And if any of their fellows intrude by "chance into my prefent writings, I draw a ftroke over thofe Dalilahs of the theatre, and am refolved "I will fettle myfelf no reputation by the applaufe "of fools: 'Tis not that I am mortified to all ambi"tion, but I fcorn as much to take it from half-witted judges, as I fhould to raise an eftate by cheating of bubbles: Neither do I difcommend the lofty style in Tragedy, which is pompous and magnificent; but nothing is truly fublime, that is not just and proper.' 66 Sent to CLARINDA with a Novel, intitled, TO THE SAME. IN vain a thousand flaves have try'd Love perfuading, Follow nature, Youth's a treafure, ON THE SAME, Clarinda, with a haughty grace, HER NAME. Had ne'er been fung, had the been seen. EPIGRAMS AND CHARACTERS, &c. Believe me, for by Heav'ns 'tis true! The Sun in all his ample view Who can this be?--'Tis HOWARD--or BALLENDEN. THE Her weighty train two pages fcarce can bear; Perfia, and both the Indies muft provide, To grace her pomp, and gratify her pride; Of rich brocade a fhining robe she wears, And gems furround her lovely neck, like ftars; Beholding thus, O happy as a queen! We Works thro' her fkin, and burfts in bloating stains; And, guiltless of the caufe, relates her pains. The confcious hufband, whom like fymptoms feize, Bids her confefs, calls her ten thousand names; In vain the kneels, fhe weeps, protefts, exclaims; Such is the vengeance the juft Gods provide Ye guardian Powers! the arbiters of bliss, Reform that failing, and protect her ftill; THE WILD BOAR'S DEFENCE. A BOAR who had enjoy'd a happy reign For many a year, and fed on many a man, For what am I condemn'd? My crime's no more But are in truth worse brutes than all of us; Purchas'd with fo much pains and coft, Pimps, whores and bawds, a thanklefs crew, For what we frankly give, for ever is our own. CORINNA. NORINNA, in the bloom of youth C Regardless of the tendereft truth, Mankind was hers, all at her feet Lay proftrate and adoring ; The witty, handfome, rich, and greit, But now grown old, fhe would repair Inviting every gazer. སྐ But love's a fummer flower, that dies With the first weather's changing, The lover, like the fwallow, flies From fun to fun, ftill ranging. Myra, let this example move Your foolish heart to reafon; Youth is the proper time for love, And age is virtue's feafon. W HY pines my dear? To Fulvia his young bride, Who weeping fat, thus aged Cornus cry'd, Alas! faid fhe, fuch vifions break my reft, The ftrangeft thoughts! I think I am poffeft: My fymptoms I have told to men of skill, And if I would-they fay-I might be well. Take their advice, faid he, my poor dear wife, Blushing, the would excufe, but all in vain, I'll buy at any rate thy precious life. A Doctor must be fetch'd to eafe her pain. Hard prefs'd, the yields: From White's, or Will's, or Tom's, No matter which, he's fummon'd, and he comes. Something the dame would fay: The ready Knight ON AN ILL-FAVOURED LORD. TH HAT Macro's looks are good, let no man doubt, Which I, his friend and fervant-thus make out. In every line of his perfidious face, The fecret malice of his heart we trace; CLOE. COR. INNA. 10 well Corinna likes the joy, She vows fhe'll never more be coy, She drinks eternal draughts of pleasure ; Eternal draughts do not fuffice, O give me, give me more, the cries, 'Tis all too little, little measure. Thus wifely the makes up for time Mifpent, while youth was in its prime : So travellers who wafte the day, Careful and cautious of their way, Noting at length the setting fun, They mend their pace as night comes on, Double their speed to reach their inn, And whip and spur through thick and thin. TO MY FRIEND MR. JOHN DRYDEN, On his feveral excellent Tranflations of the ancient Poets A S flowers tranfplanted from a fouthern sky, But hardly bear, or in the raifing die, Milling their native fun, at best retain But a faint odour, and furvive with pain: That every genius was reviv'd in thee. As Britain in rich foil, abounding wide, } I M |