narrow limits of a measure not very harmonious in the utmost perfection; the fingle parts, therefore, into which it was to be fometimes broken by paufes, were in danger of losing the very form of verfe. This has, perhaps, notwithftanding all his care, fometimes happened. As harmony is the end of poetical measures, no part of a verse ought to be fo feparated from the reft as not to remain still more harmonious than profe, or to fhew, by the difpofition of the tones, that it is part of a verfe. This rule in the old hexameter might be eafily obferved, but in English will very frequently be in danger of violation; for the order and regularity of accents cannot well be perceived in a fucceffion of fewer than three fyllables, which will confine the English poet to only five paules; it being fuppofed that, when he connects one line with another, he should never make a full paufe at lefs diftance than that of three fyllables from the beginning or end of a verse. That this rule fhould be univerfally and indifpenfably established, perhaps cannot be granted; fomething may be allowed to variety, and fomething to the adaptation of the numbers to the fubject; but it will be found generally neceflary, and the ear will feldom fail to fuffer by it's neglect. Thus when a fingle fyllable is cut off from the rest, it must either be united to the line with which the fenfe connects it, or be founded alone. If it be united to the other line, it corrupts it's harmony; if disjoined, it must stand alone, and with regard to mufick be fuperfluous; for there is no harmony in a fingle found, because it has no proportion to another. Hypocrites aufterely talk, Defaming as impure what God declares Pure; and commands to fome, leaves free to all. When two fyllables likewise are abfcinded from the reft, they evidently want fome afsociate founds to make them harmonious. -Eyes -more wakeful than to drouze, Charm'd with Arcadian pipe, the past'ral reed To re-falute the world with facred light He ended, and the fun gave fignal high First in the east his glorious lamp was feen, Dawn, and the Pleiades, before him danc'd, The fame defect is perceived in the following line, where the paule is at the fecond fyllable from the beginning. The race Of that wild rout that tore the Thracian bard When the paufe falls upon the third He, with his horrid crew, Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulph Both of loft happiness and lasting pain God with frequent intercourfe, On errands of fupernal grace. So fung It may be, I think, established as a rule, that a paufe which concludes a period fhould be made for the most part upon a ftrong fyllable, as the fourth and fixth; but thofe pautes which only fufpend the fenfe may be placed upon the weaker. Thus the reft in the third line 'of the first paffage fatisfies the ear better than in the fourth, and the close of the fecond quotation better than of the third. The evil foon Drawn back, redounded (as a food) on those From whom it sprung; impoflible to mix With blefjedness. -What we by day Cf Hermes, or his opiate rod. Meanwhile, Lop overgrown, or prune, or prop, or bind, Cc 2 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 harmony. But now at laft the facred influence Of light appears, and from the walls of heav'n Shoots far into the bofom of dim night A glimmering dawn: here nature first begins Her fartheft verge, and chaos to retire. But far above all others, if I can give any credit to my own car, is the rest upon the fixth fyllable, which taking in a com plete compafs of found, fuch as is fufficient to conftitute one of our lyrick meafures, makes a full and folemn clofe. Some pallages which conclude at this ftop, I could never read without fome ftrong emotions of delight or admiration. Before the hills appear'd, or fountain flow'd, 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 To found at general doom. If the poetry of Milton be examined, with regard to the paufes and flow of his verfes into each other, it will appear, that he has performed all that our language would admit; and the comparifon of his numbers with those who have cultivated the fame manner of writing, will show 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. N° XCI. TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1751. DULCIS INEXPERTIS CULTURA POTENTI9 AMICI, HOR. TO COURT THE GREAT ONES, AND TO SOOTH THEIR PRIDE, THE HE Sciences having long feen their votaries labouring for the benefit of mankind without reward, put up t their petition to Jupiter for a moie equitable diftribution of riches and honours. Jupiter was moved at their complaints, and touched with the approaching miferics 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 mait of trees, to hunt their prey in delerts, and to perifh CREECH. under the paws of animals stronger and fiercer than themfelves. A fynod of the celeftials was therefore convened, in which it was refolved, that Patronage fhould defcend to the afliftance of the Sciences. Patronage was the daughter of Aftrea, by a mortal father, and had been educated in the fchool of Truth, by the goddeffes, whom the was now appointed to protect. She had from her mother that dignity of afpect, which struck terror into falle merit; and from her mistress that referve which made her only acceffible to thofe whom the Sciences brought into her prefence. She came down, with the general acclamation of all the powers that favour learning. Hope danced before her, and Liberality food at her fide, ready to fcatter by her direction the gifts which Fortune, who followed her, was commanded to fupply. As the advanced towards Parnailus, the cloud which had long hung over it, was immediately difpelled. The fhades, before withered with drought, fpread their original verdure, and the flowers that had languifhed with chillness brightened their colours, and invigorated their scents; the Mules tuned their harps and exerted their voices; and all the concert of nature welcomed her arrival. On Parnaffus the fixed her refidence, in a palace raifed by the Sciences, and adorned with whatever could delight the eye, elevate the imagination, or enlarge the understanding. Here the difperfed the gifts of Fortune with the impartiality of Juftice, and the difcernment 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 publick notice; and either diverted their attention to meaner employments, or endeavoured to fupply their deficiencies by clofer application. In time, however, the number of thofe who had mifcarried in their pretenfions grew fo great, that they became lefs afhamed of their repulfes; and inftead of hiding their difgrace in retirement, began to befiege the gates of the palace, and obftruct the entrance of fuch as they thought likely to be more careffed. The decifions of Patronage, who was but half a goddefs, had been fometimes erroneous; and though the 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 cla mour in the common caufe, and elate each other with reciprocal applause. Hope was a teady friend to the dif appointed, and Impudence incited them to accept a fecond 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 Impudence more refolutely zealous; they therefore contrived new expedients, and hoped at laft to prevail by their multitudes which were already increafing, and their perfeverance which Hope and Impudence forbade them to relax. Patronage having been long a ftranger to the heavenly affemblies, began to degenerate towards terreftrial nature, and forget the precepts of Juftice and Truth. Inftead of confining her friendship to the Sciences, the fuffered herself, by little and little, to contract an acquaintance with Pride, the fon of Falfehood, by whofe embraces the had two daughters, Flattery and Caprice. Flattery was nurfed by Liberality, and Caprice by Fortune, without any aflistance from the leffons of the Sciences. Patronage began openly to adopt the fentiments and imitate the manners of her husband, by whofe opinion fhe now directed her decifions with very little heed to the precepts of Truth; and as her daughters continually gained upon her affections, the Sciences loft their influence, till none found much reason to boat of their reception, but thofe whom Caprice or Flattery conducted to her throne. The throngs who had fo long waited, and fo often been difmiled for want of recommendation from the Sciences, were delighted to fee the power of thofe rigorous goddeffes tending to it's extinction. Their patronefes now renewed their encouragements. Hope fmiled at the approach of Caprice, and Impudence was always at hand to introduce her clients to Flattery. Patronage had now learned to procure herself reverence by ceremonics and formalities, and instead of admitting her petitioners to an immediate audience, ordered the antichamber to be crected, called among mortals, the Hall of Expectation. Into this hall the entrance was cafy to thofe whom Impudence had configned to Flattery, and it was therefore crouded with a promifcuous throng, affembled affembled from every corner of the earth, preffing forward with the utmoft cagernefs of defire, and agitated with all the anxieties of competition. They entered this general receptacle with ardour and alacrity, and made no doubt of speedy accefs, under the conduct of Flattery, to the presence of Patronage. But it generally happened that they were here left to their deftiny, for the inner doors were committed to Caprice, who opened and shut them, as it feemed, by chance, and rejected or admitted without any fettled rule of diftinction. In the mean time, the miferable attendants were left to wear out their lives in alternate exultation and dejection, delivered up to the sport of Sufpicion, who was always whispering into their ear defigns against them which were never formed, and of Envy, who diligently pointed out the good fortune of one or other of their competitors. Infamy flew round the hall, and scattered mildews from her wings, with which every one was ftained; Reputation followed her with flower flight, and endeavoured to hide the blemishes with paint, which was immediately brushed away, or feparated of itself, and left the ftains more visible; nor were the fpots of Infamy ever effaced, but with limpid water effufed by the hand of Time from a well which fprung up beneath the throne of Truth. It frequently happened that Seience, unwilling to lofe the ancient prerogative of recommending to Patronage, would lead her followers into the Hall of Expectation; but they were foon difcouraged from attending, for not only Envy, and Sufpicion inceffantly tormented them, but Impudence confidered them as intruders, and incited Infamy to blacken them. They therefore quickly retired, but feldom without fome fpots which they could fcarcely wash away, and which fhewed that they had once waited in the Hall of Expectation. The reft continued to expect the happy moment, at which Caprice should beckon them to approach; and endeavoured to propitiate her, not with Homerical harmony, the representation of great actions, or the recital of noble sentiments, but with foft and voluptuous melody, intermingled with the praises of Patronage and Pride, by whom they were heard at once with pleasure and contempt. Some were indeed admitted by Caprice, when they least expected it, and heaped by Patronage with the gifts of Fortune, but they were from that time chained to her foot-ftool, and condemned to regulate their lives by her glances and her nods; they feemed proud of their manacles, and seldom complained of any drudgery, however fervile, or any affront, however contemptuous; yet they were often, notwithstanding their obedience, feized on a fudden by Caprice, divested of their ornaments, and thrust back into the Hall of Expectation. Here they mingled again with the tumult, and all, except a few whom experience had taught to feek happiness in the regions of liberty, continued to spend hours, and days, and years, courting the fmile of Caprice by the arts of Flattery; till at length new crowds preffed in upon them, and drove them forth at different outlets into the habitations of Difeafe, and Shame, and Poverty, and Defpair, where they paffed the rest of their lives in narratives of promises and breaches of faith, of joys and forrows, of hopes and difappointments. The Sciences, after a thousand indignities, retired from the palace of Patronage, and having long wandered over the world in grief and distress, were led at laft to the cottage of Independence, the daughter of Fortitude; where they were taught by Prudence and Parfimony to fupport themselves in dignity and quiet. N° XCII. N° XCII. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1751. T has been long obferved, that the idea of beauty is vague and undefined, different in different minds, and diversified by time or place. It has been a term hitherto ufed to fignify that which pleases us we know not why, and in our approbation of which we can juftify ourselves only by the concurrence of numbers, without much power of enforcing our opinion upon others by any argument, but example and authority. It is, indeed, fo little fubject to the examinations of reafon, that Pafchal fuppofes it to end where demonftration begins, and maintains, that without incongruity and abfurdity we cannot fpeak of geometrical beauty. To trace all the fources of that various pleasure which we afcribe to the agency of beauty, or to difentangle all the perceptions involved in it's idea, would, perhaps, require a very great part of the life of Ariftotle or Plato. It is, however, in many cafes, apparent that this quality is merely relative and comparative; that we pronounce things beautiful because they have fomething which we agree, for whatever reafon, to call beauty, in a greater degree than w have been accustomed to find it in other things of the fame kind; and that we transfer the epithet as our knowledge increases, and appropriate it to higher excellence, when higher excellence comes within our view. we Much of the beauty of writing is of this kind; and therefore Boileau juftly remarks, that the books which have ftood the test of time, and been admired through all the changes which the mind of man has fuffered from the various revolutions of knowledge, and the prevalence of contrary customs, have a better claim to our regard than any modern can boast, because the long continuance of their reputation proves that they are adequate to our faculties, and agreeable to nature. FRANCIS. It is, however, the task of criticism to establish principles; to improve opinion into knowledge; and to distinguish those means of pleafing which depend upon known caufes and rational dediction, from the nameless and inexplicable elegancies which appeal wholly to the fancy, from which we feel delight, but know not how they produce it, and which may well be termed the enchantreffes of the foul. Criticifin reduces thofe regions of literature under the dominion of fcience, which have hitherto known only the anarchy of ignorance, the caprices of fancy, and the tyranny of prefcription. There is nothing in the art of verfifying fo much expofed to the power of imagination as the accommodation of the found to the fenfe, or the reprefentation of particular images, by the flow of the verfe in which they are expreffed. Every ftudent has innumerable paffages, in which he, and perhaps he alone, difcovers fuch refemblances; and fince the attention of the prefent race of poetical readers feems particularly turned upon this fpecies of elegance, I fhall endea vour to examine how much these conformities have been obferved by the poets, or directed by the criticks, how far they can be established upon nature and reafon, and on what occafions they have been practifed by Milton. Homer, the father of all poetical beauty, has been particularly celebrated by Dionyfius of Halicarnaffus, as he that, of all the poets, exhibited the greateft variety of found; For there are,' fays he, innumerable paffages, in which length of time, bulk of body, extre. mity of paffion, and ftillness of repofe; or, in which, on the contrary, brevity, fpeed, and eagerness, are evidently marked out by the found of the fyllables. Thus the anguish and flow pace with which the blind Poly6 pheme |