weakens the vigor of the mind? For the antients seem to be confidered by us as fo many guards to prevent the free excurfions of imagination, and set bounds to her flight. Whereas they ought rather to be looked upon (the few, I mean, who are themselves originals) as encouragements to a full and uncontrouled exertion of her faculties. But if here or there a poet has courage enough to trust to his own unaffifted reach of thought, his example does not seem so much to incite others to make the fame adventurous attempts, as to confirm them in the humble difpofition of imitation. For if he fucceeds, he immediately becomes himself the occafion of a thousand models: if he does not, he is pointed out as a difcouraging inftance of the folly of renouncing those established leaders which antiquity has authorized. Thus invention is depreffed and genius enflaved: the creative power of poetry is loft, and the ingenious, instead of exerting that productive faculty which alone can render them the juft objects of admiration, are humbly contented with borrowing both the materials and the plans of their mimic ftructures. I am, &c.

LET

LETTER VI.

To ORONTES.

March 10, 1729.

HERE is nothing perhaps, where

T in mankind are more frequently

mistaken, than in the judgments which they pafs on each other. The stronger lines, indeed, in every man's character, must always be marked too clearly and diftinctly to deceive even the most careless obferver; and no one, I am perfuaded, was ever esteemed in the general opinion of the world as highly deficient in his moral or intellectual qualities, who did not justly merit his reputation. But I speak only of those more nice and delicate traits which distinguish the feveral degrees of probity and good-sense, and ascertain the quantum (if I may fo express it) of human merit. The powers of the foul are fo of ten concealed by modefty, diffidence, timidity, and a thousand other accidental affections; and the nice complexion of her moral operations depends fo entirely on thofe internal principles from whence they proceedi

C 4

proceed; that thofe who form their notions of others by cafual and diftant views, must unavoidably be led into very erroneous judgments. Even Orontes, with all his candor and penetration, is not, I perceive, entirely fecure from mistakes of this fort; and the sentiments you expreffed in your laft letter concerning Varus, are by no means agreeable to the truth of his cha

racter.

It must be acknowledged at the fame time, that Varus is an exception to all general rules: neither his head nor his heart are exactly to be discovered by those indexes, which are usually supposed to point directly to the genius and temper of other men. Thus with a memory that will scarce ferve him for the common purposes of life, with an imagination even more flow than his memory, and with an attention that could not carry him thro the easiest propofition in Euclid; he has a found and excellent understanding joined to a refined and exquisite tafte. But the rectitude of his fentiments feems to arife lefs from reflection than fenfation; rather from certain fuitable feelings which the objects that

pre

fent

fent themselves to his confideration instantly occafion in his mind, than from the energy of any active faculties which he is capable of exerting for that purpose. His conversation is unentertaining: for tho he talks a great deal, all that he utters is delivered with labor and hesitation. Not that his ideas are really dark and confused; but because he is never contented to convey them in the firft words that occur. Like the orator mentioned by Tully, metuens ne vitiofum colligeret, etiam verum fanguinem deperdebat, he expreffes himself ill by always endeavoring to exprefs himself better. His reading cannot fo properly be faid to have rendered him knowing, as not ignorant it has rather enlarged, than filled his mind.

His temper is as fingular as his genius, and both equally mistaken by those who only know him a little. If you were to judge of him by his general appearance, you would believe him incapable of all the more delicate fenfations: nevertheless, under a rough and boisterous behavior, he conceals a heart full of tenderness and humanity. He has a fenfibility of nature, in

deed,

deed, beyond what I ever observed in any other man; and I have often seen him affected by those little circumstances, which would make no impreffion on a mind of lefs exquifite feelings. This extreme senfibility in his temper influences his fpeculations as well as his actions, and he hovers between various hypotheses without fettling upon any, by giving importance to those minuter difficulties which would not be strong enough to fufpend a more active and vigorous mind. In a word, Varus is in the number of those whom it is impoffible not to admire, or not to defpife; and at the fame time that he is the efteem of all his friends, he is the contempt of all his acquaintance. I am, &c,

LETTER VII.

To HORTENSIUS.

OUR excellent brawn wanted no ad

Yo

ditional recommendation to make it more acceptable, but that of your company. However, tho I cannot share it with.

my