Geoffrey of Monmouth, concerning the arrival of Brutus the fuppofed grandson of Æneas into our island, and the fettlement of the first foundations of the British monarchy, of which more hereafter. Mr. POPE's next poetical effay, after this epic piece of Alcander, was his Paftorals, which he wrote at the age of fixteen: and he used to fay pleafantly, that herein he literally followed the paffage in Virgil, where he says, “Cum canerem reges et praelia," &c. Being now come to fuch part of his works, as have undergone the trials of criticism; it remains agreeably to the plan proposed, to examine the several pieces refpectively, in the order they stand in the octavo edition. This examination, however, will not be made with the partial bias of a panegyrift, in order to rescue his writings from juft cenfure; but to measure them by the fcale of candid criticism, the better to afcertain the nature, force and extent of his genius. The name of a critic, being generally received in an ill fenfe, is become odious, because the office hath been abused by half learned or envious witlings; who have been curious to detec blemishes, forgetting the other and more pleafing task of a critic, which is to point out beauties. Many Many of those who have occafionally criticifed on our poet, have written only to expofe Peace to the their ignorance or their ill nature. remains of futility and envy! There is one however, (the author of An Efay on the genius and writings of Pope) who* has undertaken the office in form; and has, fo far as he has gone, executed it, at least with politenefs and elegance. If I am inclined to difpute fome of his principles, and cannot always fubfcribe to the propriety of his applications, I fhall at leaft, wherever I diffent from him, endeavour to exprefs myself with the fame temper, and with the fame decorum. Perfuaded as I am, that the learned writer meant • This work is anonymous, but the name of the author is well known to the learned world. As he has himself, however, thought proper to conceal it from the public, I do not think myself at liberty to proclaim it: for though the merit of the work is fuch, as, upon the whole, might do credit to any name, yet it is but decent to allow every writer to be the best judge of what conduces to his own intereft and reputation. At the fame time, I will be free to obferve, that though this effay is evidently the work of an elegant critic and polite fcholar; yet it by no means answers to the title. Paffages are frequently cited from Mr. POPE, without the leaft remark upon them; and only ferve to introduce a ftring of anecdotes and quotations concerning fo reign writers, .or perhaps foreign fubjects. This method, it is true, is extremely entertaining to readers of a certain clafs; but it is rather too mifcellaneous and digreffive: and, let it be faid, without envy or ill-manners, that it favours too much of a lavish display of erudition, to which a writer, of fuch approved learning, might have deemed himself fuperior. to to fix the true merit of our poet, and to ferve the cause of literature; and being conscious that I am influenced by the fame motives, I shall freely animadvert on the errors and inaccuracies of the critic, and as candidly admit the juftice of his cenfure, and the propriety of his corrections. In this critique, however, I fhall purfue a different method from the author of the Effay for before he enters into any examination of our poet's writings, he, in his dedication to Dr. Young, and in other places, more than hints his opinion of the nature and extent of our poet's genius. But I propose first to analyze Mr. POPE's writings, and from thence fhall attempt to afcertain the nature and force of his genius for as I fhould blush to mislead, fo I equally fcorn to prepoffefs the reader. The paftorals are the first pieces which fall under the examination of our critic; and with respect to thefe, he obferves in the very opening, "that it is fomewhat ftrange that in the paftorals of a young poet, there should not be "found a fingle rural image that is new." As the effayift, in the courfe of his criticisms, frequently objects a barrennefs of invention to Mr. POPE, it is to be wished that he had previously defined what invention is, or at least what he intended by the ufe of that word. As he has omitted it however, an attempt will be made in its proper place, to afcertain the meaning of invention, the better to determine how far the want of it may be imputed to Mr. Porr. Ar At prefent it is fufficient to obferve, that was it true as the critic objects, that there is not a fingle rural image in thefe paftorals that is new, it is no more than what our poet himfelf premises, with that candor and modesty which is ever attendant on genuine merit. For in his excellent difcourfe prefixed to these paftorals, he concludes with the following declaration. "But after all, if they have any merit, it is to "be attributed to fome good old authors, whose "works as I had leisure to study, fo I hope I "have not wanted care to imitate." Notwithstanding this modeft declaration, perhaps fome paffages may be juftly deemed original. It is obfervable that a paftoral is appropriated to each season of the year, and that the fcene as well as the hour of the day, is artfully diftinguished in each, which in fome inftances gives a peculiar beauty to the imagery; as in the following couplet defcribing the fummer feafon: the scene is by a river fide; and the time of the day, noon. "Where dancing fun-beams on the waters play'd, "And verdant Alders form'd a quiv'ring fhade. Thefe lines are perfectly picturefque, nor are the following inferior. "Soft as he mourn'd, the ftreams forgot to flow, "The flocks around a dumb compaffion fhow, "The naiads wept in ev'ry watry bow'r, "And Jove confented in a filent show'r." Though Though it may be allowed that the new images in these pastorals are not frequent, yet in truth, it is too much to fay, that they do not afford a fingle image that is new. Let any reader of fenfibility attend to the following lines in the second paftoral, where the poet describes the charms of his mistress's voice. "But would you fing and rival Orpheus' ftrain, "The wond'ring foreft foon fhould dance again, "The moving mountains hear the pow'rful call, "And headlong ftreams hang lift'ning in their fall." The laft line furely presents a new image, and a bold one too *. The following couplet likewise from the fourth paftoral, defcribing the effects occafioned by the *Perhaps it will be thought that Mr. POPE had Milton's Mafque in remembrance, wherein the latter fpeaks of Thyrfis, "—whose artful ftrains have oft delay'd "The huddling brook to hear his madrigal." But this, compared to Mr. POPE's, is rather narrative than defcriptive. Mr. POPE prefents us with the image of attention which is purely his own. I cannot avoid taking notice of thefe beautifully plaintive lines in the fame pastoral, which are not imitations of any writer I know of. "Once I was skill'd in ev'ry plant that grew, death |