Some figures monftrous and mis-shap'd appear, 175 Which, but proportion'd to their light, or place, 1.80 See, from each clime the learn'd their incenfe bring! Hear, in all tongues confenting Pæans ring! 185 In praise so just let ev'ry voice be join'd, And fill the gen'ral chorus of mankind. Hail, VER. 175. A prudent chief, etc.] Ofór ti wonder of Φρόνιμοι τρατηλάται κατὰ τὰς τάξεις τῶν τρατευμάτων — Dion. Hal. De ftruct. orat. VER. 180. Nor is it Homer nods, but re that dream.] Modefte, et circumfpecto judicio de tantis viris pronunciandum eft, ne (quod plerifque accidit) damnent quod non intelligunt. Ac fi neceffe eft in alteram errare partem, omnia eorum legentibus placere, quam multa difplicere maluerim. Quint. P. VER. 183. Secure from flames, from envy's fiercer rage, Deftructive war, and all-involving age.] The Poet here alludes to the four great causes of the ravage amongst ancient writings: The deftruction of the Alexandrine and Palatine libraries by fire; the fiercer rage of Zoilus and Mævius and their followers against Wit; the irruption of the Barbarians into the empire; and the long reign of Ignorance and Superftition in the cloisters, Hail, Bards triumphant! born in happier days; 190 195 (That on weak wings, from far, purfues your flights; 205 What wants in blood and fpirits, fwell'd with wind. 210 If VER. 189. Hail, Bards triumphant!] There is a pleafantry in this title, which alludes to the state of warfare that all true Genius must undergo while here upon earth. VER. 209. Pride where Wit fails fteps in to our defence, And fills up all the mighty void of fenfe.] A very fenfible French writer makes the following remark on this fpecies of pride. "Un homme qui fçait plufieurs 66 Langues, qui etend les Auteurs Grecs et Latins, qui " s'eleve même jufqu' à la dignité de SCHOLIASTE; "fi cet homme venoit à peser son véritable mérite, il "trouveroit If once right reafon drives that cloud away, 215 A little learning is a dang'rous thing; Drink deep, or tafte not the Pierian spring: There fhallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely fobers us again. Fir'd at first fight with what the Muse imparts, In fearless youth we tempt the heights of Arts, While from the bounded level of our mind, Short views we take, nor fee the lengths behind; But more advanc'd, behold with strange surprize New distant scenes of endless science rise ! So pleas'd at firft the tow'ring Alps we try, 225 Mount o'er the vales, and seem to tread the fky, Th' eternal fnows appear already paft, And the firft clouds and mountains feem the laft: 221 But trouveroit fouvent qu'il fe réduit à avoir eu des yeux "et de la mémoire, il fe garderoit bien de donner le nom "refpectable de science à une érudition fans lumiere. y a une grande difference entre s'enrichir des mots ou "des chofes, entre alleguer des autoritez ou des raisons. "Si un homme pouvoit fe furprendre à n' avoir que "cette forte de mérite, il en rougiroit plûtôt que d'en * être vain." VER. 217. There shallow draughts, etc.] The thought was taken from Lord Verulam, who applies it to more ferious enquiries. VER. 225 VARIATIONS. So pleas'd at firft the tow'ring Alps to try, The Traveller beholds with chearful eyes 'The lefs'ning vales, and feems to tread the skies.. But, thofe attain'd, we tremble to furvey 240 A perfect Judge will read each work of Wit With the fame spirit that its author writ: Survey the WHOLE, nor feek flight faults to find Where nature moves, and rapture warms the mind; Nor lofe, for that malignant dull delight, The gen'rous pleasure to be charm'd with wit. But in fuch lays as neither ebb, nor flow, Correctly cold, and regularly low, That fhunning faults, one quiet tenour keep; We cannot blame indeed—but we may sleep. In Wit, as Nature, what affects our hearts Is not th' exactnefs of peculiar parts; 'Tis not a lip, or eye, we beauty call, But the joint force and full result of all. Thus when we view fome well-proportion'd dome, (The world's just wonder, and ev'n thine, O Rome!) H 3 245 No VER. 233. A perfect Judge, etc.] Diligenter legendum eft, ac pane ad fcribendi follicitudinem: Nec per partes modo fcrutanda funt omnia, fed perlectus liber utique ex integro refumendus. Quin. VER. 235. Survey the Whole, nor feek flight faults to find, Where nature moves, and rapture warms the mind; The fecond line, in apologizing for those faults which the firft fays fhould be overlooked, gives the reason of the precept. For when a writer's attention is fixed on a general view of Nature, and his imagination warm'd with the contemplation of great ideas, it can hardly be but that there must be fmall irregularities in the difpofition both of matter and ftyle, because the avoiding these requires a coolness of recollection, which a writer fo bufied is not master of. No fingle parts unequally furprize, 250 No monftrous height, or breadth, or length appear; The Whole at once is bold, and regular.. Whoever thinks a faultlefs piece to fee, Thinks what ne'er was, nor is, nor e'er shall be. 255 Since none can compass more than they intend; 260 265 Once on a time, La Mancha's Knight, they say, Produc'd his Play, and begg'd the Knight's advice; 275 All VER. 261. verbal Critic] Is not here ufed in its common fignification, of one who retails the sense of fingle words; but of one who deals in large cargo's of them without any fense at all. |