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See Dionyfius Homer's thoughts refine, And call new beauties forth from ev'ry line! Fancy and art in gay Petronius please,

The scholar's learning, with the courtier's ease.

In grave Quintilian's copious work, we find 670 The jufteft rules, and clearest method join'd: Thus useful arms in magazines we place, All rang'd in order, and difpos'd with grace, But lefs to please the eye, than arm the hand, Still fit for ufe, and ready at command.

675

Thee, bold Longinus! all the Nine infpire,
And blefs their Critic with a Poet's fire.
An ardent Judge, who zealous in his truft,
With warmth gives sentence, yet is always just ;
Whose own example strengthens all his laws;
And is himself that great Sublime he draws.

680

Thus long fucceeding Critics justly reign'd,

Licence reprefs'd, and useful laws ordain'd.

Learning and Rome alike in empire grew ;

684

And Arts ftill follow'd where her Eagles flew ;

From the fame foes, at laft, both felt their doom,
And the fame age faw Learning fall, and Rome.
With Tyranny, then Superstition join'd,
As that the body, this enflav'd the mind;
Much was believ'd, but little understood,
And to be dull was conftru'd to be good;

VER. 666. See Dionyfius] Of Halicarnaffus.

VARIATIONS.

690

A fecond

P.

Between ver. 691 and 692, the author omitted these

two,

Vain Wits and Critics were no more allow'd,

When none but Saints had licence to be proud. P.

A fecond deluge Learning thus o'er-run,
And the Monks finish'd what the Goths begun.

At length Erafmus, that great injur'd name,
(The glory of the Priesthood, and the fhame!)
Stem'd the wild torrent of a barb'rous age,
And drove thofe holy Vandals off the stage.

€96

But fee! each Mufe, in LEO's golden days, Starts from her trance, and trims her wither'd bays, Rome's ancient Genius, o'er its ruins fpread, 700 Shakes off the duft, and rears his rev'rend head. Then Sculpture and her fifter-arts revive;

Stones leap'd to form, and rocks began to live;

With fweeter notes each rifing Temple rung;

A Raphael painted, and a Vida fung.

705

Immortal Vida: on whofe honour'd brow
The Poet's bays and Critic's ivy grow:
Cremona now fhall ever boaft thy name,
As next in place to Mantua, next in fame!

709

But

VER. 69. The glory of the Priesthood and the shame,] Our author elsewhere lets us know what he eftcems to be the glory of the Priesthood as well as of a Chriftian in general, where, comparing himself to Erafmus, he fays,

In MODERATION placing all my glory,

and confequently, what he efteems to be the fame of it. The whole of this character belong'd most eminently and almoft folely to Erafmus: For the other Reformers, fuch Las Luther, Calvin, and their followers, understood fo little in what true Chriftian Liberty confifted, that they carried with them, into the reformed Churches, that very fpirit of perfecution, which had driven them from the church of Rome.

IMITATIONS.

VER. 708. As next in place to Mantua,] Alluding to
Mantua ve miferæ nimium vicina Cremona. Virg.

715

But foon by impious arms from Latium chas'd, Their ancient bounds the banish'd Mufes pafs'd; Thence Arts o'er all the northern world advance, But Critic-learning flourish'd most in France: The rules a nation, born to serve, obeys; And Boileau still in right of Horace sways. But we, brave Britons, foreign laws despis'd, And kept unconquer'd, and unciviliz❜d; Fierce for the liberties of wit, and bold, We still defy'd the Romans, as of old. Yet fome there were, among the founder few Of those who lefs prefum'd, and better knew, 721 Who durft affert the jufter ancient cause, And here reftor'd Wit's fundamental laws, Such was the Mufe, whofe rules and practice tell, "Nature's chief Master-piece is writing well.” 725

Such

VER 724. Such was the Mufe-] Efay on Poetry by the Duke of Buckingham. Our Poet is not the only one of his time who complimented this Essay, and its noble Author. Mr. Dryden had done it very largely in the Dedication to his tranflation of the Eneid; and Dr. Garth in the first Edition of his Dispensary says,

The Tyber now no courtly Gallus fees,

But fmiling Thames enjoys his Normanbys.

J

Tho' afterwards omitted, when parties were carried fo high in the reign of Queen Anne, as to allow no commendation to an oppofite in Politics. The Duke was all his life a fteady adherent to the Church of England Party, yet an enemy to the extravagant measures of the Court in the reign of Charles II. On which account after having firongly patronized Mr. Dryden, a coolnefs fucceeded between them on that poet's abfolute attachment to the Court, which carried him fome lengths beyond what the Duke could approve of. This Nobleman's

true

Such was Roscommon, not more learn'ḍ than good, With manners gen'rous as his noble blood;

To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known,
And ev'ry author's merit, but his own.

Such late was Walsh-the Muse's judge and friend,
Who juftly knew to blame or to commend;
To failings mild, but zealous for defert;

The clearest head, and the fincereft heart.

731

This humble praife, lamented fhade! receive,
This praise at least a grateful Muse may give: 735
The Muse, whofe early voice you taught to fing,
Prefcrib'd her heights, and prun'd her tender wing,
(Her guide now loft) no more attempts to rise,
But in low numbers fhort excurfions tries:
739
Content, if hence th' unlearn'd their wants may view,
The learn'd reflect on what before they knew:
Careless of cenfure, nor too fond of fame;

Still pleas'd to praife, yet not afraid to blame;
Averfe alike to flatter, or offend;

Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend.

744

true character had been very well marked by Mr. Dryden before,

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Our Author was more happy, he was honour'd very young with his friendship, and it continued till his death in all the circumftances of a familiar efteem.

ТНЕ

RAPE of the LOCK.

A N

HEROI-COMICAL

POE E M.

Written in the Year M DCC XII.

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