"Now under hanging mountains, "Unheard, unknown, A reader of nice ear, will readily perceive that the measure, in these lines, is much too sprightly for the fentiment. The too frequent returns of rhyme, are highly improper for any fevere or ferious paffion: the difference between the fubject and the modulation is very fenfibly felt *. The effayift, however, candidly admits that the fupplicating fong at the beginning of the fifth ftanza is highly pathetic and poetical. By the ftreams that ever flow, See Elements of Criticifm, "By "By the heroes armed fhades, Glitt'ring through the gloomy glades; By the youths that dy'd for love, "Wand'ring in the myrtle grove, "Reftore, restore Eurydice to life: "Oh take the husband, or return the wife !" These images he obferves are picturesque and appropriated, and the notes are fuch as might- "Draw iron tears from Pluto's cheek, "And make hell grant what love did feek. " Our bard, likewise, compofed two chorufes in the lyric ftrain, at the defire of the Duke of Buckingham, to embellish a very bad play which his grace had altered from Shakespeare. They had, as the editor obferves, the ufual effects of + Thefe lines, which the critic has taken from Milton's Il Penferofo, are not accurately tranfcribed. Milton has said more properly," down Pluto's cheek.” It may be observed, however, that the auxiliary verb did, in the focond line, is extremely inelegant and unpoetical. I am very far, however, from the prefumption of making this remark with the petulant defign of carping at the writings of this immortal bard. But though the fplendid beauties may more than atone for the blemishes and inequalities of a great genius, yet they ought not to pafs unnoticed, left the reverence which is paid to their authority, fhould mislead the public taste and judgment, and incline the hafty and injudicious, not only to admire, but to imitate imperfections. 9 ill adjusted ornaments, only ferving to make the meanness of the fubject more confpicuous. Nevertheless, they were fet to mufick many years afterwards by the famous Bononcini, and performed at Buckingham-house. Thefe lyric pieces alone, are fufficient to prove Mr. POPE's abilities for this fpecies of poetry, and it is to be lamented that he did not profecute his purpose of executing fome plans of this nature, which he had chalked out. But the characters of the managers of the play-houses at that time, determined him, as he faid, to lay afide all thoughts of that kind. Other confiderations likewife probably co-operated to render him averfe from having any thing to do with the ftage. He remembered that Pliny, or fome other antient author, had delivered down to us this extraordinary particular, concerning the conftruction of Pompey's magnificent theatre; that the feats of it were fo contrived, as to ferve at the fame time for fteps to the entrance of the Temple of Venus, which he had joined to his theatre. The moral poet could not but fpeculate on a circumftance, where the Xoyos and the pufos of the story were as clofely united as the two edifices. Among other beauties in the lyric pieces under confideration, there is fomething very bold and masterly in the ollowing lines, where, defcribing the effects of the arts in Britain, he fays "See Arts her favage fons controul, "And Athens rifing near the pole! "Till fome new Tyrant lifts his purple hand, "And civil madness tears them from the land." In the two laft lines, there is a happy and noble combination of imagery and fentiment. But the next chorus affords a beauty of the softer kind, where the poet thus feelingly defcribes the delights of connubial love. "Oh fource of ev'ry focial tye, "United with, and mutual joy! "What various joys on one attend, "As fon, as father, brother, husband, friend? "Whether his hoary fire he spies, "While thousand grateful thoughts arife; "Or meets his fpoufe's fonder eye; "Or views his fmiling progeny; "What tender paffions take their turns, "What home-felt raptures move? "His heart.now melts, now leaps, now burns, "With rev'rence, hope, and love." A mind endued with the leaft fenfibility, cannot fail of being affected by the delicacy and tendernefs of thefe fentiments, as well as charmed by the force and propriety of the epithets, and the elegance and harmony of the numbers. The next piece which falls under confideration, is the Essay on Criticifm, which, extraordinary as it may feem, was written before our poet had attained his twentieth year; and published within two years afterwards, being as fhort a time as he ever suffered any thing to lie by him. It had not probably been published fo foon, but for the importunity of his old friend Sir William Trumball, to whom he fent a copy of it, and who was was fo charmed with it, that, in a letter which he addreffed to him in return, he concludes thus, "All I can add is, that if your excefs of modefty "should hinder you from publishing this effay, "I fhall only be forry I have no more credit with you, to perfuade you to oblige the public, and "in particular, Dear Sir, &c. This poem, the writer of the effay candidly allows to be a mafter-piece of its kind, and that notwithstanding the partial commendation of Mr. Addison, who remarks that "the obfervations "follow one another, like thofe of Horace's Art "of poetry*, without that methodical regularity, "which would have been neceffary in a profe "writer," yet it is evident that the plan is regular, and the conduct of it mafterly. Indeed, it is difficult, as our poet's learned. friend and commentator obferves, to conceive any prerogative in verfe, to difpenfe with method and regularity. Befides, in truth, our poet laid the plan, and digested all the matter in profe; and then, as he has been heard to say, he turned it into verfe with great rapidity. The general order and defign of this work is fully delineated in the admirable commentary fubjoined to it. But it would not be confiftent with the profeffed plan of this hiftory, fhould I omit to point out its moft diftinguished beauties and defects, which cannot be done, without giving a fhort analysis of the poet's chain of argument: That Horace attended to method in his Art of Poetry, has been fhewn by a learned critic. See Mr. H rd's comment on the Epistle to the Pilos. F 2 and |