at Thetford, TUCKER'S Effay on Trade, 153 WENDEBORN-Der Zustand des WEBSTER'S Discourses, landfche, &c. See HAARLEM. WHITE's Sermon at Philadelphia, WILKIN's Edition of the Heeto- WILSON'S Poft Chaife Compa- IMMERMANN's Political Sur- THE MONTHLY REVIEW, For JULY, 177 ART. I. Ariftotelis de Poetica Liber, Textu Gulftoniano; cum Pralectione, Verfione, et Notis Editoris, Gulielmi Cooke, A. M. Coll. Regal. Socii; et in Academia Cantabrigienfi Græcæ Linguæ Prælectoris. Accedit Elegia Grayiana Græcè. 8vo. 3s. 6d. Cadell. 1785. Tu O the numberlefs editions of Ariftotle's Poetics already published, from Robortellus down to Winstanley, Mr. Cooke has thought proper to add that which now comes under our confideration. In an Oration, which he delivered as Greek Profeffor, and which is given by way of Preface to this work, he tells us, that after having read and confulted the feveral commentators on Ariftotle, he was difgufted at finding, that their fentiments on paffages, which were obfcured inftead of being explained, were not only different but even repugnant to each other; and that therefore he thought it better to study the original, than interpreters, and to compare Ariftotle fometimes with himfeif, and fometimes with Horace. We approve of this as the best and most effectual way to understand the writings of any author, and Mr. Cooke's edition feems to be the refult of much attention fuccefsfully and happily applied to the confideration of the Poetics in their original. His interpretation and notes are not fo prolix as Winftanley's and Goulston's; they are, nevertheless, very clear, diftinct, and expreffive; they are fuch as become an editor of Ariftotle, who above all writers is remarkable for pregnant brevity and PREST concifeness. We will now proceed to make our remarks on particular pallages, αρξαμενοι κατα φυσιν, πρώτον απο των πρώτων ; and firft for the Preface. P. i. We wifh Mr. Cooke had mentioned, among other editors and commentators on the Poetics, the name of Winstanley. The learned world is much indebted to him for the industry and accuracy with which his edition was published. P. v. The Profeffor reprobates the idea that verfification is neceffary to poetry. We agree with him and with Ariftotle in thinking that not metre, but fiction, imagination, and imitation, are the very life and foul of poetry; yet, nevertheless, we are of opinion, that metrical poetry is more excellent, because more harmonious and more perfect than poetry without metre. VOL. LXXVII. B P. vii. P. vii. The following extract on Homer proves Mr. C. to have fully comprehended the genius of his writings: In rebus autem divinis, et ad deorum cultum pertinentibus, exuit poetam, et Je hiftoricum profitetur; et cùm vitam, mores, ufus, confuetudinefque fui temporis in lucem prafert, tum res omnes religionefque divinas verè ac fideliter traditat dubium fit, utrum plùs oblečtet poeta, quàm doceat, bioricus." It has been faid of Pope, that he never understood Homer: by which, if it be meant that he understood not the genius and fpirit of that poet, it was rightly faid. Pope and all other tranflators or commentators, who have laboured to allegorize the mythological ftories of the Iliad and Odyffey, perceived not that Homer meant to write according to the popular creed of his times, as much as Shakespeare in Macbeth availed himself of the vulgar fuperftition with respect to witches. Perhaps too, both Homer and Shakespeare were perfuaded that the popular creed was true. P. viii. The paffage from Homer concerning Air and Arn is printed without accents. No objection can reasonably be made to the difufe of accentual marks: but why is not the whole book printed without accents, for the fake of uniformity? P. ix. From that fine paffage juft mentioned, refpecting Aira and Arn, Mr. C. takes occafion to digrefs, and endeavours to prove, from various paffages of heathen writers, that the principal doctrines of chriftianity may be traced in the Gentile world. However right or wrong the Profeffor may be in his remarks on this fubject," Nunc non erat his locus;" for furely a Preface to Ariftotle's Poetics is not the place for inveftigating the myfteries of revealed religion, and for introducing the following fentences: En! hominis animam ac naturam ex concepto peccato lapfam, inquinatamque, fub Ates perfonâ graphicè admodùm et perbelle a poetâ exhibitam! P. ix. Omnes falsâ ac depravatâ naturâ nati fumus, eoque et in morbo et morte collapfi jacemus, cui nihil omnis noftra natura ad medendum fuppeditet. P. xi.' P. xii. Fanciful and injudicious is the conceit about the word Bypass, Quid vult hæc Poepwsis, quæ ab Hefychio exponitur Λίμος, Πενία, ή αγαν Λυπη? Prafat fane ipfa vox facile limam fui explicationem. Unde enim compingitur nifi ex ßu valdè, vehementer, gravitèr, et ẞpornw comedo, unde homines Pporos, e peccato, atque ipfo peccati genere id nomen nakti. Itaque vox bec B&Epwsis mala omnia et peccata ex funefto illo vetiti fructûs efu guftatuque in humanum genus profeminata complectitur.' P. xi. No lefs fantaitical is the opinion, that Homer, from mifunderstanding the meaning of Be, was led to feign the story concerning the companions of Ulyffes being deftroyed for having eaten the oxen of the fun. P. xiv. xvi. xvii. treat of him, Qui rebus humanis ægris atque afflictis remedium afferret, et hominum humanique generis vicarius vicarius fummo ipfe fupplicio maclaretur'-of the Plures Hypoftafes-of the doctrine Quid S. Spiritus, omnis boni muneris dator ac largitor, ternarium in Deo numerum conficeret, effetque fummi numinis tanquam apex, et cumulus.' We prefume not to difcufs fubjects of fo facred and myfterious a nature in this our critique but we muft fay again, that it is very unbecoming to introduce them in a Preface to the Poetics. The interpretation of λογον πρωταγωνιστν, p. xxxii-the reafons for retaining inayyas, p. xxxiii-and for reading parring for panxx, p. xxxvi, fhall be noticed when we come to the respective chapters of the Poetics, which contain these words. ΑΡΙΣΤΟΤΕΛΟΥΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΠΟΙΗΤΙΚΗΣ. Whatever fingularities we may find in the hypothefis which the Preface is employed to establish, we think the Latinity entitled to very high praife for correctnefs, perfpicuity and elegance; in two or three places we faw marks of inattention to the niceties of verbal criticism; but the particular defects are few and trifling; while the general excellence has been made the fubject of admiration among scholars, whofe fuffrages do honour to Mr. Cooke, and are of great weight with ourselves. c. C. 1. Tois λoyas as. On thefe words Mr. C. remarks -Vel prosâ oratione, vel metris'—agreeable to the opinion advanced in his Preface; and he confirms this interpretation by a paffage cited from Ariftotle's Rhetoric, which is pertinent, and fully proves λίγα ψίλος to mean profe. So that the Επιποιΐα may be written either in profe xoyas Viñas, or in metre n μέτρους. Goulton's interpretation feems to render the conjunction, as if it were only explanatory of λoya Viro, but certainly the critic meant to point out two diftin&t things by that particle, as in τες λόγες και την ψιλομετριαν, C. 2, and επι των εμμετρων και επι των λόγων, C. 6. σε Dans l' epopée, il n'y a que la parole, foit en profe, foit en vers;" fays Batteux, whofe tranflation is occafionally very happy, though in general, like the translations of all his countrymen, too loofe and wide from the text. With the words ψιλοις λόγοις η μετρας Mr. C. connects ουδεν γαρ αν εχοιμεν ονόμασαι κοινὸν thus: • Adimplendum eft quod deficit in hunc modum: miraris fane me dicere, epopeiam poffe prosa conftare, fine metris. At profectò ni ita effet, abfurda multa confequerentur.' We are rather of opinion that the connedion is between ουδεν γαρ, and the general definition πασαι τυγχάνεσιν εσαι μιμησεις το συνολον. We approve of what he advances when he afterwards goes on to fhew, how, according to Ariftotle's opinion, poetry confifts not fo much in writing metrically, as in imitation; and he demonftrates, that a writer, who invents and imitates, may be a poet, without metre, but that he who does not invent and imitate is no poet although he may write metre. The Dialogues of Plato are as much poems as the Mimes of Sophron, though the former are written in B 2 profe, profe, the latter in verfe. The context and the words or ποιητης κατά την Μιμησιν εςι, C. 1o, prove Mr. Cooke's opinion to be right and we think he has given the proper interpretation οί της Σωκρατικος Λογος, when in his note he calls them Platonis Dialogi.' Goulfton renders thefe words, "Fabellee Socratis alternis verfibus confcriptæ"-but where then is the contraft between the Σωφρονος Μιμοι and Σωκρατικοι Λογοι? Batteux has been fuccefsful in this paffage: Les Dialogues Philofophiques, ou l'on fait parler Socrate." C. 4. Όσον εγενετο φανερον αυτης- Quod in iis jam extat But how can auτns refer both to tragedy and comedy? The right interpretation of this place feems to be, It (i. e. comedy) was gradually improved by means of those writers, who carried it on to that ftate, in which at laft it appeared (but not to perfection). C. 4. The preface and the note on Ayou Пpwrαywny abundantly prove thofe words to mean, that Elchylus made dialogue to be the principal part, whereas, heretofore, the chorus almott occupied the whole. ου C. 6. The editor retains sayyhias in the fentence, ou d επαγγελίας, αλλα δ' ελες και φοΐς. In p. xxxiii. of the Preface he defends this reading; #ayyeλias rectè fe habet, nam επαγγέλλειν e pracipere, tradere; et επαγγελια præceptio : tragadia itaque est & di' εTayyerias, non monftrando et docendo ea, qua formidini et vel miferationi futura fint, αλλα δι' ελες και φοβε jed ex rebus ipfis formidolofis et miferandis coràm ante oculos pofitis' efficit, ut homines edifcere poffint que rectè miferari oportet, in quibus timere. His note, p. 121, is to the fame effect. This reafoning is good, but nevertheless we prefer anayyas "narratione," because, as Ariftotle deduces the definition of tragedy E TWE paper, and as among the peva it had been obferved that epic poetry differed from tragedy τῳ δε το μετρον άπλον έχειν, και Απαγγελίαν είναι, “ in having metre unaccompanied with mufic, and in being narration," it is moft probable that he would define tragedy as not confifting of narration, vid. c. 5. Moreover απαγγέλλω is the word familiar to Ariftotle: Και γαρ εν ταις αυτοίς και τα αυτα μιμεῖσθαι εςι, ότε μεν Απαγγέλλοντα, c. 3. C. 13 Tranflators differ very much about the fense of the following paflage ; εξην γαρ αν ένια και ενεγκείν, "poterat enim quædam etiam attuliffe," fays the Oxford edition 1760, by James Harris-"Quædam licebat ponere ante oculos"-Winftanley, after Goulton-"Nonnulla enim poffunt ferri: ut cùm in Tereo Sophoclis, radio vox tribuitur." Heinfius. "Le poëte cût pu tirer de fon fujet." Barteux. Licebit enim quædam proferre.' Cooke. As if perm lion might be given to the poet to bring about the αναγνώρισης αν fone σημεία produced before the Spectators, and as if Sophocks were to be commended in his Tereus for the φωνη |