120

His Fable, Subject, scope in ev'ry Page;
Religion, Country, genius of his Age;
Without all thefe at once before your eyes,
Cavil you may, but never criticize.

VARIATIONS.

VER. 123. Cavil you may, but never criticize.] The author after this verfe originally inferted the following, which he has however omitted in all the editions:

Zoilus, had thefe been known, without a Name
Had dy'd, and Perault ne'er been damn'd to fame;
The sense of found Antiquity had reign'd,
And facred Homer yet been unprophan'd.
None e'er had thought his comprehenfive mind
To modern customs, modern rules confin'd;
Who for all ages writ, and all mankind.

COMMENTARY.

P.

without the ftudy of Homer and Virgil. These therefore he principally recommends to complete the Critic in his Art. But as the latter of thefe Poets has, by fuperficial judges been confidered rather as a copier of Homer, than an original, our Author obviates that common error, and fhews it to have arisen (as often error does) from a truth, viz. that Homer and Nature were the fame; and how that the ambitious young Poet, though he scorned to floop at any thing fhort of Nature, when he came to understand this great truth, had the prudence to contemplate Nature in the place were fhe was feen to moft advantage, collected in all her charms in the clear mirror of Homer. Hence it would follow, that though Virgil ftudied Nature, yet the vulgar reader would believe him to be a copier of Homer, and though he copied Homer, yet the judicious reader would fee him to be an imitator of Nature: the fineft praife which any one, who came after Homer, could receive.

Be Homer's works your ftudy and delight,
Read them by day, and meditate by night;

125

Thence form your judgment, thence your maxims

bring,

131

And trace the Mufes upward to their spring.
Still with itself compar'd, his text peruse;
And let your comment be the Mantuan Muse.
When firft young Maro in his boundless mind
A work t'outlaft immortal Rome defign'd,
Perhaps he feem'd above the Critic's law,
And but from Nature's fountains fcorn'd to draw:
But when t' examine ev'ry part he came,
Nature and Homer were, he found, the fame. 135
Convinc'd, amaz'd, he checks the bold defign:
And rules as ftri&t his labour'd work confine,
As if the Stagirite o'erlook'd each line.
Learn hence for ancient rules a just esteem;

To copy nature is to copy them.

VER. 130.

VARIATIONS.

When firft young Maro fung of Kings and Wars
Ere warning Phoebus touch'd his trembling ears,

NOTES.

140

VER. 130. When firft young Maro, etc.] Virg. Eclog. vi. Cum canerem reges et prælia, Cynthius aurum

Vellit.

It is a tradition preferved by Servius, that Virgil began with writing a poem of the Alban and Roman affairs; which be found above his years, and defcended first to imitate Theocritus on rural fubjects, and afterwards to copy Homer in Heroic poetry. P.

Some beauties yet no Precepts can declare,
For there's a happiness as well as care.
Music resembles Poetry, in each

145

Are nameless graces which no methods teach,
And which a master-hand alone can reach.
If, where the rules not far enough extend,
(Since rules were made but to promote their end)

COMMENTARY.

}

VER. 141. Some beauties yet no Precepts can declare, etc.] Our author, in these two general directions for studying Nature and her Commentators, having confidered Poetry as it is, or may be reduced to Rule; left this fhould be miftaken as fufficient to attain PERFECTION either in writing or judging, he proceeds [from ver. 140 to 201.] to point up to thofe fublimer beauties which Rules will never reach, nor enable us either to execute or tafle: beauties, which rife fo high above all precept as not even to be defcribed by it; but being entirely the gift of Heaven, Art, and Reason have no further share in them than just to moderate their operations. Thefe Sublimities of Poetry, like the Mysteries of Religion (fome of which are above Reafon, and some contrary to it) may be divided into two forts, fuch as are above Rules, and fuch as are contrary to them.

VER. 146. If, where the rules, etc.] The firft fort our author defcribes [from ver. 145 to 158.] and fhews, that where a great beauty is in the Poet's view, which no stated Rules will direct him how to reach, there, as the purpose of rules is only to attain an end like this, a lucky Licence will fupply the want of them: nor can the Critic fairly object to it, fince this Licence, for the reafon given above, has the proper force and authority of a Rule.

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NOTES.

VER. 146. I, where the rules, etc.] "Neque enim rogationibus plebifve fcitis fancta funt ifta præcepta, fed "hoc, quicquid eft, Utilitas excogitavit. Non negabo "autem fic utile effe plerumque ; verum fi eadem VOL, I.

K

Some lucky licence answer to the full

Th' intent propos'd, that Licence is a rule,
Thus Pegafus, a nearer way to take,
May boldly deviate from the common track;
From vulgar bounds with brave disorder part,
And fnatch a grace beyond the reach of art,
Which without paffing thro' the judgment, gains
The heart, and all its end at once attains.

In prospects thus, fome objects please our eyes,
Which out of nature's common order rife,
The fhapeless rock, or hanging precipice.

NOTES.

150

155

}

"illa nobis aliud fuadebit Utilitas, hanc, relictis magi"ftrorum autoritatibus, fequemur." Quintil. lib. ii. cap. 13. P.

VER. 150. Thus Pegasus, etc.] We have observed how the precepts for writing and judging are interwoven throughout the whole Poem. The fublime flight of a Poet is first described, foaring above all vulgar bounds, to fnatch a Grace directly which lies beyond the reach of a common adventurer. And afterwards, the effect of that grace upon the true Critic: whom it penetrates with an equal rapidity; going the nearest way to his beart, without paffing through his Judgment. By which is not meant that it could not stand the teft of Judgment; but that, as it was a beauty uncommon, and above rule, and the Judgment habituated to determine only by rule, it makes its direct appeal to the heart; which, when once gained, foon brings over the Judgment, whofe concurrence (it being now enlarged and fet above forms) is eafily procured. That this is the Poet's fublime conception appears from the concluding words:

" and all its end at once attains. For Poetry doth not attain all its end, till it hath gained the Judgment as well as Heart,

160

Great Wits fometimes may gloriously offend,
And rife to faults true Critics dare not rend.
But tho' the Ancients thus their rules invade,
(As Kings difpenfe with laws themselves have made)
Moderns, beware! or if you must offend
Against the precept, ne'er tranfgrefs its End;
Let it be feldom, and compell'd by need;
And have, at least, their precedent to plead.
The Critic elfe proceeds without remorse,
Seizes your fame, and puts his laws in force.

165

I know there are, to whofe prefumptuous thoughts Those freer beauties, ev'n in them, feem faults. 170

COMMENTARY.

VER. 159. Great Wits fometimes may gloriously offend, etc.] He describes next the fecond fort, the beauties against rule. And even here, as he obferves (from ver. 158 to 169.] the offence is fo glorious, and the fault fo fublime, that the true Critic will not dare either to cenfure or reform them. Yet ftill the Poet is never to abandon himself to his imagination: The rules laid down for his conduct in this refpect, are these; 1. That though he tranfgrefs the letter of fome one particular Precept, yet that he be ftill careful to adhere to the end or spirit of them all; which end is the creation of one uniform perfect Whole. And 2. That he have, in each inftance, the authority of the dif penfing power of the Ancients to plead for him. These rules obferved, this licence will be feldom ufed, and only when he is compelled by need: which will difarm the Critic, and screen the offender from his laws..

VER. 169. I know there are, etc.] But as fome modern Critics have had the prefumption to fay, that this laft reafon is only justifying one fault by another, our author goes on [from ver. 168 to 18.] to vindicate the Ancients; and to fhew that this severity of opinion proceeds from mere Ignorance. As where their partiality will not let them fee that this licence is fometimes neceffary for the fymmetry