Phil. WELL-if you please let us pafs on from this Point. INFORM me, are there any other Articles befide this of Shortnefs, in which Poets may be useful? Eub. I think there are; and fome confiderable. THAT admirable Quality which diftinguished Demofthenes above all other Orators, for which our Language hath not a Name, but we may call [d] Vehemence, is greatly promoted by studying their Writings. I take this Vehemence to confift chiefly in lofty Sentiments, bold Figures, and Expreffions full of Energy. CONCERNING the first of thefe, lofty Sentiments, there is no Difficulty in fhewing that the Poets excel peculiarly in them. AN unanswerable Proof of which is, that they who have written upon Sublimity of Sentiment have drawn the Examples they cite chiefly from Poets: And this it is plain must be the Cafe, both from the Nature of the Thing, and from Fact. By a lofty Sentiment is meant, as I fuppofe, whatever conveys to the Mind an Idea of fomewhat noble and grand, whether it strike more immediately the Understanding, or, as fome love to fpeak, the moral Tafte or Senfe; or whether it ftrike the Imagination. Of the former Kind are moral Sentiments, fuch as befpeak Greatnefs of Soul, a fublime difinterested Virtue; or undaunted Courage, unbounded Ambition. Of the other Sort, are fuitable Defcriptions of magnificent Objects. Of the first is the Anfwer of Hector to Polydamas. His Sword the brave Man draws, And asks no Omen, but his Country's Cause. [4] δεινοτης. POPE. [] Iliad, Book 12. THAT of Ajax in his Prayer to Jupiter ; Grant me to fee, and in the Light destroy. SUCH likewife is that of Satan, fo well fuited to the Speaker. [f] Better to reign in Hell, than ferve in Heav'n. THIS alfo of Coriolanus, when Sentence of Banishment.had been just pronounced against him by the Tribunes, [g] I banish you. AND that which follows after, indeed truly magnanimous. Thus I turn my Back, There is a World elsewhere. NOT lefs nobly Cæfar in the Storm, You carry Cæfar. SUCH is the Infult of Macbeth over his Enemy flain, Thou wer't born of Woman. SUCH is this of Corneille,-Medea's Answer to her Attendant, who fays. Thy Lord betrays thee, [b] Athens hates,—all fly ; In this Diftrefs what is remaining?—————I. AND this admired Paffage in the Horace of the fame.-Old Horatius fays to Julia. [i] Deplore our Race now ftain'd with Infamy: (Jul.) What should he do when three oppose him? -(Hor.) Die. Or the latter Kind, fublime Sentiments that ftrike the Imagination; there are Instances innu [f] Paradife Loft, Book 1. 1. 263. merable [g] Shakespear. ΜΟΥ. [b] Votre païs vous hait, votre epoux eft fans foy: merable in the Iliad and Paradife Loft. That of Neptune is justly celebrated. I cannot help mentioning the two laft Lines of Mr. Pope's Tranflation, which deviates from the plain Magnificence of the Greek into Ovidian Elegance. [k] The parting Waves before his Courfers fly. The wond'ring Waters leave the Axle dry.— Phil. You bring to my Mind a Note of his more extraordinary, I mean the Judgment he paffeth on La Motte's Imitation of the Ceftus, which he calls wonderfully beautiful [I]; the Paffage ends with this Epigram, furely very much mifplaced here. [m] Venus prefented, Juno took the Zone, And prov'd its Pow'r, from handsome charming grown. The Smiles and Graces, at the Change amaz'd, Which was the real Venus, doubting gaz'd ; Ev'n Love mistakes, preferring Juno's Charms, And flies with erring Fondness to her Arms. BUT I ask Pardon for this Interruption :Proceed. Eub. THE eighth Book of the Iliad concludes with a glorious Comparison in this Kind, which I will repeat to you in the Tranflation of a Friend, whom we both defervedly esteem. [k] II. lib. 13. Pop. Hom. Note on the 14th Book-218th Line. Surprises cherchent Venus, doutent qui l'eft des deux : As As when the Moon with her attendant Train Of living Saphirs mounts the Cloudless Sky, Snatching from Nature's Face the Veil of Night; Sudden the Valleys wind, the Rocks afcend, And Mountains in rude Majefty; from Heav'n Burfts wide Effulgence, whilft unnumber'd Stars Gild the blue Vault: The Swains enraptur'd gaze. [n] OF this Sort alfo in Paradife Loft are the Paffage of Satan thro' Chaos, the whole Episode of Sin and Death, the Battle of the Angels, and particularly the Defcription of the Meffiah, his Victory and Return; to which I might add, if Need were, a Multitude of others equal, or little inferior. Now I afk; can a Man capable of understanding and of relishing thefe Writers be much and intimately converfant with them, without acquiring fome Spark of their noble Fire, which fhall break out fometimes, which shall shine out thro' the Gravity of Argument, and spread Warmth and Luftre even thro' the Drynefs and Coldness of Business and Questions of Law? THE fecond Article mentioned as conftituting Vehemence, was, Figures; of which I need not fay much, as they are in a Manner peculiar Poefy; it is built upon, and fubfifts by them. And it will not furely be denied, that they mightily [] Mr. Pope's Imitation is extremely beautiful; but the two laft Lines feem to lengthen out and weaken the Thought; γεγήθε δε τε φρενα ποιμην. The confcious Swains rejoicing in the Sight mightily enliven whatever they are brought to adorn. Where fo well as from the Poets fhall we learn to break out into a fpirited Apostrophe? [o] Othou that with furpaffing Glory crown'd, Lookft from thy fole Dominion, like the God Of this new World. WHERE fhall we learn to fufpend, or change beautifully the begun Şenfe. [P] Quanquam Q,-fed motos præftat componere fluctus. I will have Revenges on you both fuch Things, What they are yet I know not ; fhall be The Terrors of the Earth. I will do but they Shak. Lear WHERE fhall we learn to feign happily Alle gorick Perfons, [q) Confufion heard his Voice, AND this very fine one [q] Silence was pleased. THIS fublime one, -on his Creft [q] Sat Horror plum'd. WITH this other of the fame Kind, [q] Expectation ftood in Horror, WHO fo abundant in Tranflations as the Po¬ ets, fo rich in Comparifons, fo full of pathetick Repetitions; above all, who fo well qualified to inftruct us in an Art, upon which the Success [o] Paradife Loft, Book iii. [p] Although, Paradife Loft. of Yet let me rather ftill the Waves. |