is in this place rendered faulty by the choice of words, which cannot be pronounced with rapidity, yet if it was compofed of epithets which would run with fluency, the Alexandrine would be the measure beft calculated to exemplify swiftnefs; because it would then moft naturally exhibit the act of paffing through a long space in a fhort time. It may, on this occafion, be worth remarking too, that though unbending be indeed fluggish, and ill-adapted, by its found, to exemplify fwiftnefs; yet, if we attend to the fenfe, it will appear, that nothing could be more happily chofen. It is impoffible to convey a higher idea of the rapidity of Camilla's motion, than by defcribing her to have flown fo faft, that the corn did not even bend to the impreffion fhe made in her flight. The fame happiness of expreffion is likewise obfervable in the close of the line, where the is reprefented fkimming along the main. But one of the beft exemplifications of celerity, is to be found in the celebrated line of the Odyffey. « Αυτίς επειτα πεδονδε Κυλινδετολαας αναίδης. Yet, after all, perhaps, the adapting the found of the words to the fenfe, is, in moft cafes, more the effect of chance, than art; nay, I know not whether, in defcribing boifterous images efpecially, fuch adaption is not rather a matter of neceflity, than defign: for I believe it would be difficult to express fuch images in words, which are are not rough and fonorous. In fhort, the fkill, in the feveral instances of adapting the found to the fense, seems to lie rather in the arrange ment, than in the choice of the words. The laft caufe which the poet enumerates, as tending to obftru&t the judgment, is Partiality; which he confiders in its various branches, as it begets prejudices against particular things or perfons: First, as it induces critics to prefer foreign writers, before our own; the antients, before the moderns "And force that fun but on a part to fhine, "Which not alone the fouthern wit fublimes, "But ripens fpirits in cold northern climes." Thefe lines are very poetical, and convey a juft cenfure of a failing, to which not only the unlearned, to whom the poet particularly applies them, but even the learned, are too apt to incline. When men have bestowed a great deal of time and attention to make themselves acquainted with claffic lore, they frequently set too high a value on the acquifition. They are often partial to the merit of the antients, while they difregard excellence among the moderns. Perhaps felf-love may induce them, to prefer what has coft them moft pains to acquire. Our author next proceeds to expose the inftances of partiality in the learned, fuch as fingularity and novelty, and in the laft place expreffes his hi's indignation against party rage and envy, for which he had a natural abhorrence. The comparison between envied merit, and the fun eclipfed, is most happily conceived, and the last lines are even fublime. "Envy will merit, as its fhade, purfue; "But like a fhadow, proves the Subftance true: "For envy'd Wit, like Sol eclips'd, makes "known "Th' oppofing body's groffnefs, not its own. "When first that fun too pow'rful beams dif"plays, "It draws up vapours which obfcure its rays; "But ev'n thofe clouds at laft adorn its way, "Reflect new glories, and augment the day." Having expofed those deteftable principles, our author next, with an amiable liberality of mind, warns the true critic to be the firft to befriend true merit. As our language, he obferves, is failing and changeable, the date of modern fame is in its nature fhort. This he illustrates by a comparison, which is most incomparably fine. "So when the faithful pencil has defign'd "Some bright Idea of the mafter's mind, "Where a new world leaps out at his com "mand, "And ready Nature waits upon his hand; "When the ripe colours foften and unite, "And fweetly melt into just shade and light; “When "When mellowing years their full perfection give, "And each bold figure juft begins to live, "The treach'rous colours the fair art betray, "And all the bright creation fades away יין Nothing, as the effayift candidly admits, was ever fo happily expreffed on the art of painting: a fubject on which POPE always fpeaks con amore, being himself, as will be shown, a practitioner, in that pleafing art. But if, fays our author, any dregs of the four critical humour ftill remain, let them be vented againft abfcenity and impiety. Here he takes occafion to brand the fat age of pleasure "When Love was all an easy monarch's care." There is great merit in the following beautiful lines, in which the poet at once cenfures the prurient tafte of the dramatic writers of thofe days, and the indelicacy of the fair fex, to whom that tafte had ceafed to be offenfive. "The Fair fate panting at a Courtier's play, "And not a Mafk went unimprov'd away: "The modeft fan was lifted up no more, "And Virgins smil'd at what they blush'd "before." There is a fweetnefs and melody in these lines, which give the e' the fentiment, a pec. nce and delicacy of In In the third part, our author confiders the Morals of the critic; under which are comprehended candour, modefty, and good breeding. Without the first effential requifite, he fhews that all other talents are infufficient.--- "'Tis not enough, tafte, judgment, learning, join; "In all you speak, let truth and candour shine." The truth likewife must be communicated with modefty--- "Be filent always, when you doubt your fense; "And fpeak, though fure, with feeming diffi"dence." To make the truth palatable, it must likewife be offered with good-breeding: "Without Good-Breeding, truth is disapprov'd, "That only makes superior sense belov'd *. The poet, having established the foregoing precepts, proceeds to illuftrate them by examples drawn from the antients, and opens this part of his subject, with a striking apoftrophe, in which he has drawn a finished picture of a true critic. *This paffage reminds me of a beautiful thought of Dr. Young's, who fays "Good-breeding is the bloffom of good fenfe." "But |