And lastly what elegance and ftrokes of the mafter here: Quifnam igitur liber? fapiens fibique imperiofus ; Quem neque pauperies, neque mors, neque vincula terrent: Refponfare cupidinibus, contemnere honores In quem manca ruit femper fortuna— Who then is free of all mankind? One wife, and master of his mind, -- Can terrify who corresponds With heav'n and virtue, to defy Gainst whom dame Fortune is at fault, * Whene'er fhe makes her worst affault! * This fubject of Impreffion is altogether a copious one and to use the words of Mr. Hurd, upon another occafion, wou'd require a volume to do it juftice; but Mr. Smart had not on opportunity of confidering it in its latitude here.- I come now to a piece of claffical hiftory, which feems to have been à fecret to all the commentators of Horace from the beginning, and yet I make no doubt, but the fact I am about to infift upon, will fhortly be as evident to the Reader as it is to me. It is the indifpenfible bufinefs of a fkilful editor to difcover the drift of his author's intention, when there are fufficient materials for that purpofe. It is univerfally allowed, that Horace his art of poetry is not upon poetry in general, but chiefly the Drama, and certain other particulars. To retard the reader no longer the first part of that effay is a manifest ridicule of the Metamorphofes of Ovid, who was in high esteem at the Court of Auguftus for that work, which, however beautiful for mufic and painting, had nothing to recommend it to the judgment and taste of Horace, who well know that the bufinefs of poetry is to exprefs gratitude, reward merit, and promote moral edification. The Metamorphofes are made up of incredible prodigies, and impoffible transformations, ever shocking common fense, and seducing imagination into a wildernefs of fruitlefs perplexities. Poetry and nature ought never to be fet at a distance, but when a writer is fummoned to fuch a task by real miracles and divine tranfcendency. When a new work is made, published, and is uncommonly successful in its propagation and applause amongst the people, it is too much the fubject of common converfation, not not to fufpend the very idea of things, bearing an older date, unless they be revived by invidious comparisons or private connections. It was no small mortification to Horace, that this was the cafe with regard to his poems and thofe of Ovid- but to the proofs : 1 Humano capiti cervicem Pictor equinam A horfe's neck with plumage fwol'n, Which for a beauteous dame was meant, Wou'd not your laughter be outright? These lines are in open contempt of Ovid, who has done all these extravagances to a tittle, in his fifth Book of the Metamorphofes. As for example: Vobis, Acheloides, unde Pluma pedefque avium cum virginis ore geratis? Here you have got the feathers and limbs of birds, the virgin's face and the fifh's-tail, which are inevitably implied by the Mermaids, with a pair of horfes heads easily fuggefted to the fancy by an idea of Pluto's chariot, and the rape of Proferpine. But who cou'd grace You, charming Sirens, with a Maiden face Yet Yet left your voice, contriv'd to charm the ear, And you your old harmonious air retain. Sewell's Ovid. Inceptis gravibus plerumque & magna profeffis Purpureus late qui fplendeat unus & alter Affuitur pannus — quum lucus & ora Dianæ. And a little after : Pluvius defcribitur arcus. In pompous proems big with threat Is that they place, to make one ftare, Nothing can be more folemn than the beginning of the Metamorphofes, where Ovid adjures the immortal Gods to affift his undertaking, for they themselves performed all those wonders-nam vos mutaftis & illas. And as for the fplendid patch-work, it means the whole chain of Rhapsodies, from one end of the book to the other.- -But to go on As when the fane and facred wood In |