ftay any longer among the Genii, and Semidei Manes, you know where; for if once you get fo near the Moon, Sapho will want your prefence in the Clouds and inferior regions; not to mention the great lofs Drury-lane will fuftain, when Mr. Cis in the Milky way. These cœleftial thoughts put me in mind of the Priests you mention, who are a fort of Sortilegi in one fenfe, because in their Lottery there are more Blanks than Prizes; the Adventurers being at beft in an uncertainty, whereas the Setters-up are fure of fomething. Priests indeed in their Character, as they reprefent God, are facred; and fo are Constables as they represent the King; but you will own a great many of 'em are very odd fellows, and the devil a bit of likeness in 'em. Yet I can affure you, I honour the good as much as I deteft the bad, and I think, that in condemning thefe, we praife those. I am fo far from efteeming e'en the worst unworthy of my protection, that I have defended their Character (in Congreve's and Vanbrugh's Plays) ev'n against their own Brethren. And fo much for Priests in general, now for Trapp in particular whofe Tranflations from Ovid I have not fo good an opinion of as you; not (I will affure you) from any fort of preju dice to him as a Prieft, but because I think he has little of the main Characteriftick of his Author, a graceful' Eafinefs. For let the fenfe be ever fo exactly render'd, unless an author looks like himself, in his air, habit, manner, 'tis a Difguife and not a Tranflation. But as to the Pfalm, I think David is much more beholden to him than Ovid; and as he treated the Roman like a Jew, fo he has made the Jew fpeak like a Roman. Your, &c. Mr. C..... to Mr. POP E. T Decemb. 5, 1710. HE fame judgment we made on Row's 9th of Lucan will ferve for of the 6th, where I find this memorable line, his part Parq; novum Fortuna videt concurrere,bellum Atq; virum. For this he employs fix Verfes, among which is this, As if on Knightly terms in Lifts they ran. Pray can you trace Chivalry up higher than Pharamond? will you allow it an Anachro nifm?-Tickell in his Verfion of the Pho nix from Claudian, When Nature ceafes, thou shalt ftill remain, Et clades te nulla rapit, folufq; fuperftes, which plainly refers to the Deluge of Deucalion and the Conflagration of Phaeton; not to the final Diffolution. You thought of the Priefs Lottery is very fine; you play the Wit, and not the Critic, upon the errors of your brother. * Your obfervations are all very just: Virgil is eminent for adjusting his diction to his fentiments; and among the moderns, I find your Practice the Profodia of Rules. Your Poem fhews you your to be, what you fay of Voiture, with Books well-bred: The ftate of the Fair, tho' fatirical, is touch'd with that delicacy and gallantry, that not the Court of Auguftus, nor-But hold, I fhall lofe what I lately recover'd, your opinion of my Sincerity; yet I muft fay, 'tis as faultlefs as the Fair to whom 'tis addrefs'd, be fhe never fo perfect. * To a Lady, with the Works of Voiture. The The M. G. (who it feems had no right no tion of you, as you of him) tranfcrib'd it by lucubration: From fome difcourfe of yours, he thought your inclination led you to (what the men of fafhion call Learning) Pedantry; but now he fays he has no lefs, I affure you, than a Veneration for you. Your, &c. Mr. POPE to Mr. C.. Decemb. 17, 1710.3 T feems that my late mention of CraJhaw, and my quotation from him, has mov'd your curiofity. I therefore fend you the whole Author, who has held a place among my other books of this nature. for fome years; in which time having read him twice or thrice, I find him one of those whofe works may juft deferve reading. I take this Poet to have writ like а Gentleman, that is, at leisure hours, and more to keep out of idlenefs, than to eftablifh a reputation: fo that nothing regular or juft can be expected from him. All that regards Defign, Form, Fable, (which is the Soul of Poetry) all that concerns exactnefs, or confent of parts, (which is the Body) Body) will probably be wanting; only pretty conceptions, fine metaphors, glitt'ring expreffions, and fomething of a neat caft of Verfe, (which are properly the drefs, gems, or loofe ornaments of Poetry), may be found in these verses, This is indeed the cafe of most other Poetical Writers of Mifcellanies nor can it well be otherwife, fince no man can be a true Poet, who writes for diverfion only. These Authors fhou'd be confider'd as Verfifiers and witty Men, rather than as Poets; and under this head will only fall the Thoughts, the Expreffion, and the Numbers. These are only the pleafing parts of Poetry, which may be judg'd of at a view, and comprehended all at once. And (to exprefs myself like a Painter) their Colouring entertains the fight, but the Lines and Life of the Picture are not to be infpected too narrowly. This Author form'd himself. upon Petrarch, or rather upon Marino. His thoughts, one may observe, in the main, are pretty; but oftentimes far fetch'd, and too often ftrain'd and stiffned to make them appear the greater. For men are never fo apt to think a thing great, as when it is odd or wonderful; and inconfiderate Authors wou'd rather be admir'd than understood. This ambition of furprifing a reader, is the true natural caufe of all Fuftian, or Bombaft in Poetry. X 3 |