The reft in the fifth place has the fame inconveni ence as in the feventh and third, that the fyllable is weak. Beaft now with beast 'gan war, and fowl with fowl, Of man, but fled him, or with countenance grim, The noblest and most majestick paufes which our verfification admits, are upon the fourth and fixth fyllables, which are both strongly founded in a pure and regular verfe, and at either of which the line is fo divided, that both members participate of harnony. But now at laft the facred influence Of light appears, and from the walls of heav'n A glimmering dawn: here nature first begins But far above all others, if I can give any crędit to my own ear, is the reft upon the fixth fyllable, which taking in a complete compafs of found, fuch as is fufficient to conftitute one of our lyrick measures, makes a full and folemn clofe. Some paffages which conclude at this stop, I could never read without fome ftrong emotions of delight or admiration. Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd, Or Or other worlds they seem'd, or happy isles, He blew His trumpet, heard in Oreb fince, perhaps When God defcended; and, perhaps, once more If the poetry of Milton be examined, with regard to the pauses and flow of his verfes into each other, it will appear, that he has performed all that our language would admit; and the comparison of his numbers with those who have cultivated the fame manner of writing, will fhew that he excelled as much in the lower as the higher parts of his art, and that his skill in harmony was not lefs than his invention or his learning. NUMBA 91. TUESDAY, January 29, 1751. Dulcis inexpertis cultura potentis amici, Expertus metuit. To court the great ones, and to footh their pride, HOR. But those that have, know well that danger's near. CREECH THE SCIENCES having long feen their votaries labouring for the benefit of mankind without reward, put up their petition to Jupiter for a more equitable diftribution of riches and honours. Jupiter was moved at their complaints, and touched with the approaching miseries of men, whom the SCIENCES, wearied with perpetual ingratitude, were now threatening to forfake, and who would have been reduced by their departure to feed in dens upon the mast of trees, to hunt their prey in deserts, and to perish under the paws of animals stronger and fiercer than themselves. A fynod of the celeftials was therefore convened, in which it was refolved, that PATRONAGE should defcend to the affiftance of the SCIENCES. PATRONAGE was the daughter of ASTREA, by a mortal father, and had been educated in the school of TRUTH, by the Goddeffes, whom she was now appointed to pratect. She had from her mother that dignity of afpect, which ftruck terror into false merit, and from her mif that referve, which made her only acceffible to thofe whom the SCIENCES brought into her prese nce. She She came down, with the general acclamation of all the powers that favour learning. HOPE danced before her, and LIBERALITY ftood at her fide, ready to scatter by her direction the gifts which FORTUNE, who followed her, was commanded to fupply. As fhe advanced towards Parnaffus, the cloud which had long hung over it, was immediately dispelled. The fhades, before withered with drought, fpread their original verdure, and the flowers that had languished with chilnefs brightened their colours, and invigorated their scents; the Muses tuned their harps and exerted their voices; and all the concert of nature welcomed her arrival. On Parnaffus fhe fixed her refidence, in a palace raised by the SCIENCES, and adorned with whatever could delight the eye, elevate the imagination, or enlarge the understading. Here the difperfed the gifts of FORTUNE with the impartiality of JUSTICE, and the discernment of TRUTH. Her gate ftood always open, and HOPE fat at the portal, inviting to entrance all whom the SCIENCES numbered in their train. The court was therefore thronged with innumerable multitudes, of whom, though many returned disappointed, feldom any had confidence to complain; for PATRONAGE was known to neglect few, but for want of the due claims to her regard. Thofe, therefore, who had folicited her favour without fuccefs, generally withdrew from public notice, and either diverted their attention to meaner employments, or endeavoured to fupply their deficiencies by clofer application. In time, however, the number of those who had miscarried in their pretenfions grew fo great, that they they became less afhamed of their repulfes; and instead of hiding their disgrace in retirement, began to besiege the gates of the palace, and obstruct the entrance of such as they thought likely to be more careffed. The decifions of PATRONAGE, who was but half a Goddess, had been fometimes erroneous; and though fhe always made hafte to rectify her mistakes, a few inftances of her fallibility encouraged every one to appeal from her judgment to his own and that of his companions, who are always ready to clamour in the common caufe, and elate each other with reciprocal applause. HOPE was a steady friend to the disappointed, and IMPUDENCE incited them to accept a second invitation, and lay their claim again before PATRONAGE. They were again, for the most part, fent back with ignominy, but found HOPE not alienated, and IмPUDENCE more refolutely zealous; they therefore contrived new expedients, and hoped at laft to prevail by their multitudes which were always increas ing, and their perfeverance which HOPE and IMPUDENCE forbad them to relax. PATRONAGE having been long a ftranger to the heavenly affemblies, began to degenerate towards terrestrial nature, and forget the precepts of JUSTICE and TRUTH. Inftead of confining her friendship to the SCIENCES fhe fuffered herfelf, by little and little, to contract an acquaintance with PRIDE, the son of FALSEHOOD, by whofe embraces fhe had two daughters, FLATTERY and CAPRICE. FLATTERY was nurfed by LIBERALITY, and CAPRICE by FORTUNE, without any affiftance from the leffons of the SCIENCES. PATRONAGE |