But where's the man who counsel can bestow,

Still pleas'd to teach, and yet not proud to know;

Unbiafs'd or by favour or by fpite,

Not dully prepoffefs'd nor blindly right;

Tho' learn'd, well-bred; and tho' well-bred, fincere;

Modeftly bold, and humanely fevere;

636

Who to a friend his faults can freely show,
And gladly praife the merit of a foe;
Blefs'd with a tafte exact, yet unconfin'd,
A knowledge both of books and human-kind;
Gen'rous converfe; a foul exempt from pride;
And loves to praise with reafon on his fide?
Such once were Critics; fuch the happy few
Athens and Rome in better ages knew.
The mighty Stagirite first left the shore,
Spread all his fails, and durft the deeps explore;
He fteer'd fecurely, and discover'd far,

Led by the light of the Mæonian star.
Poets, a race long unconfin'd and free,
Still fond and proud of favage liberty,

650

Receiv'd his laws, and ftood convinc'd 'twas fit,
Who conquer'd Nature should prefide o'er wit.

Horace ftill charms with graceful negligence,
And without method talks us into fenfe;
Will, like a friend, familiarly convey
The trueft notions in the easiest way.
He who, fupreme in judgment as in wit,

Might boldly cenfure as he boldly writ,

655

Yet judg'd with coolness, tho' he fung with fire;
His precepts teach but what his works inspire.
Our critics take a contrary extreme,

Nor fuffers Horace more in wrong translations

660

They judge with fury, but they write with phlegm;

By wits, than critics in as wrong quotations.
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
The jufteft rules and cleareff method join'd.

R 3

665

670

Thus

Thus ufeful arms in magazines we place,
All rang'd in order, and dispos'd with grace;
But lefs to pleafe the eye than arm the hand,
Still fit for use, and ready at command.

Thee, bold Longinus! all the Nine inspire,
And bless their critic with a poet's fire:
An ardent judge, who, zealous in his truft,
With warmth gives fentence, yet is always juft;
Whofe own example ftrengthens all his laws,
And is himself that great Sublime he draws.
Thus long fucceeding critics juftly reign'd,
License reprefs'd, and useful laws ordain'd:
Learning and Rome alike in empire grew,
And arts still follow'd where her Eagles flew;
From the fame foes at last both felt their doom,
And the fame age faw Learning fall and Rome.
With Tyranny then Superftition 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 :
A fecond deluge Learning thus o'er-ran,
And the Monks finish'd what the Goths began.

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

675

680

685

690

695

But fee! each Mufe in Leò's golden days Starts from her trance, and trims her wither'd bays; Rome's ancient Genius o'er its ruins spread, 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;

700

With fweeter notes each rifing temple rung;
A Raphael painted, and a Vida fung:
Immortal Vida! on whofe honour'd brow
The poet's bays and critic's ivy grow!
Cremona now fhall ever boaft thy name,

705

As next in place to Mantua, next in fame!

But foon by impious arms from Latium chas'd,

Their ancient bounds the banish'd Mufes pafs'd: 710

Thence

1

715

Thence arts o'er all the northern world advance,
But critic learning flourish'd most in France:
The rules a nation born to ferve obeys,
And Boileau fill in right of Horace fways.
But we, brave Britons! foreign laws defpis'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,'
Who durft affert the jutter ancient cause,
And here reftor'd Wit's fundamental laws.
Such was the Mufe whofe rules and practice tell,
"Nature's chief masterpiece is writing well."
Such was Rofcommon, not more learn'd 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.

720

726

730

Such late was Walsh--the Mufe's judge and friend,
Who justly knew to blame or to commend;
To failings mild, but zealous for defert;
The clearest head, and the fincerest heart.
This humble praife, lamented Shade! receive;
This praise at least a grateful Muse may give;
The Muse whofe early voice you taught to fing, 735
Prefcrib'd her heights, and prun'd her tender wing,
(Her guide now loft) no more attempts to rife,
But in low numbers fhort excurfions tries;

740

Content if hence th' ulearn'd their wants may view,
The learn'd reflect on what before they knew:
Careless of cenfure, nor too fond of tame;
Still pleas'd to praise, yet not afraid to blame;
Averfe alike to flatter or offend;

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

744

OCCASIONED BY THE

DEATH OF MR. POPE.

INSCRIBED TO

MR. WARBURTON.

BY J. BROWN, A. M.

CONTENTS.

PART I.

OF the end and efficacy of Satire. The love of glory and fear of fhame univerfal, ver. 29. This paffion, implanted in man as a fpur to virtue, is generally perverted, ver. 41. and thus becomes the occafion of the greatest follies, vices, and miferies: ver. 61. It is the work of Satire to rectify this pasfion, to reduce it to its proper channel, and to convert it into an incentive to wifdom and virtue, ver. 89. Hence it appears that Satire may influence those who defy all laws, human and divine, ver. 99. An objection answered, ver. 131.

PART II.

Rules for the conduct of Satire. Juftice and truth its chief and effential property, ver. 169. Prudence in the application of wit and ridicule, whofe province is not to explore unknown but to enforce known truths, ver. 191. Proper subjects of Satire are the manners of the prefent times, ver. 239. Decency of expreffion recommended, ver. 255. The different methods in which folly and vice ought to be chaftifed, ver. 269. The variety of style and manner which these two subjects require, ver. 277. The praife of virtue may be admitted with propriety, ver. 315. Caution with regard to panegyric, ver. 329. The dignity of true Satire, ver. 341.

PART

PART III.

The hiftory of Satire. Roman Satirifts, Lucilius, Horace, Perfius, Juvenal, ver. 357, &c. Causes of the decay of literature, particularly of Satire, ver. 389. Revival of Satire, ver. 401. Erafmus one of its principal rettorers, ver. 405. Donne, ver. 411. The abuse of Satire in England during the licentious reign of Charles II. ver. 415. Dryden, ver. 429. The true ends of Satire purfued by Boileau in France, ver. 439. and by Mr. Pope in England, ver. 445.