fome envy, I was loth to be informed how an epic poem fhould be written, or how a tragedy fhould be “contrived and managed in better verfe, and with more “judgment, than I could teach others. I gave the unknown author his due commendation, "I must confefs; but who can anfwer for me, and for "the rest of the poets who heard me read the poem, "whether we should not have been better pleased to have "feen our own names at the bottom of the title-page? "Perhaps we commended it the more, that we might "feem to be above the cenfure, &c. 66 DRYDEN, Ibid. "This is but doing juftice to my country, part of "which honour will reflect on your lordship, whofe thoughts are always juft, your numbers harmonious, your words chofen, your expreffions ftrong and manly, your verfe flowing, and your turns as happy as they are eafy. If you would fet us more copies, your example would make all precepts needlefs. In the I meantime, that little you have writ is owned, and "that particularly by the poets (who are a nation not "over-lavish of praife to their contemporaries) as a par"ticular ornament of our language: but the fweetest "effences are always confined in the finalleft glasses." DRYDEN, Dedication to Aurengzebe. How great and manly in your lordship is your contempt of popular applaufe, and your retired virtue, which fhines only to a few, with whom you live fo cafily and freely, freely, that you make it evident you have a foul which is capable of all the tenderness of friendship, and that you only retire yourfelf from those who are not capable of returning it! Your kindness, where you have once placed it, is inviolable; and it is to that only I attribute my happiness in your love, This makes me more easily forfake an argument on which I could otherwife delight to dwell; I mean your judgment in your choice of friends, because I have the honour to be one. After which, I am fure, you will more easily permit me to be filent in the care you have taken of my fortune, which you have rescued, not only from the power of others, but from my worst of enemies, my own modefty and lazinefs which favour, had it been employed on a more deferving fubject, had been an effect of juftice in your nature; but as placed on me, is only charity. Yet withal it is conferred on fuch a man, as prefers your kindne itself before any of its confequences; and who values, as the greatest of your favours, thofe of your love, and of your converfation. From this conftancy to your friends I might reasonably assume, that your refentments would be as ftrong and lafting if they were not reftrained by a nobler principle of good-nature and generofity; for certainly it is the fame compofition of mind, the fame refolution and courage, which makes the greatest friendfhips and the greatest enmities. To this firmness in all your actions (though you are wanting in no other ornaments of mind and body, yet to this) I principally ascribe the intereft your merits have acquired you in the royal family. A prince who is conftant to himself, and fteady B 4 [S] fteady in all his undertakings; one with whom the character of Horace will agree: Such a one cannot but place an esteem, and repose a confidence on him whom no adverfity, no change of courts, no bribery of interest, or cabal of factions, or advantages of fortune, can remove from the folid foundations of honour and fidelity. "Ille meos, primus qui me fibi junxit, amores "Abftulit, ille habeat fecum, fervetque fepulcro." How well your lordship will deferve that praise, I need no infpiration to foretel. You have already left no room for prophecy your early undertakings have been fuch, in the fervice of your king and country, when you offered yourself to the most dangerous employment, that of the fea; when you chofe to abandon thofe delights to which your youth and fortune did invite you, to undergo the hazards, and which was worse, the company of common feamen; that you have made it evident you will refufe no opportunity of rendering yourself useful to the nation, when either your courage or conduct fhall be required. Bishop BURNET, Preface to Sir T. More's Utopia. Our language is now certainly properer and more natural than it was formerly, chiefly since the correction that was given by the Rehearsal; and it is to be hoped that the Effay on Poetry, which may be well matched with the best pieces of its kind that even Augustus's age produced, will have a more powerful operation, if clear fense, joined with home but gentle reproofs, can work more on our writers than that unmerciful expofing of them has done. ADDISON, Spectator, No 253. We have three poems in our tongue, which are of the same nature, and each of them a mafter-piece in its kind the Effay on Tranflated Verfe, the Effay on Poetry, and the Effay on Criticism. : Lord LANSDOWNE, Effay on Unnatural Flights, &c. Rofcommon firft, then Mulgrave rofe, like light, To clear our darkness, and to guide our flight: With fteady judgment, and in lofty founds, They gave us patterns, and they set us bounds. The Stagyrite and Horace laid aside, Inform'd by them we need no foreign guide; Who feek from poetry a lasting name, May from their lessons learn the road to fame. PRIOR, Alma, Cant. 2. Happy the poet! bleft the lays! Which Buckingham has deign'd to praise. GARTH, Difpenfary. Now Tyber's ftreams no courtly Gallus fee, POPE, POPE, Effay on Criticism. Yet fome there were among the founder few, POPE, Mifcellanies. Mufe, 'tis enough; at length thy labour ends, Let Dennis write, and nameless numbers rail: POEMS |