"But where's the man, who counsel can beftow, "Still pleas'd to teach, and yet not proud to "know?

"Unbiafs'd, or by favour, or by fpite;

"Not dully prepoffefs'd, nor blindly right; "Tho' learn'd, well-bred; and tho' well-bred "fincere ;

"Modeftly bold, and humanly severe; "Who to a friend, his faults can freely fhow, "And gladly praise the merit of a foe? "Bleft with a tafte exact, yet unconfin'd; "A knowledge both of books and human "kind;

"Gen'rous converfe; a foul exempt from pride; "And love to praise, with reafon on his fide?"

The poet then anfwers the queftion himself, and fhews that fuch critics were to be found in the better ages of Athens and Rome, and points out their characters, beginning firft with Ariftotle, whom he defcribes in the following bold metaphor.

"The mighty Stagirite first left the shore, "Spread all his fails, and durft the deeps "explore;

"He fteer'd fecurely, and discover'd far, "Led by the light of the Mæonian ftar."

With the Stagirite, Horace is contrafted, and his character is justly and happily described in two lines.

"Horace

"Horace ftill charms with graceful negligence, "And without Method talks us into fenfe."

That of Dionyfius fucceeds—

"See Dionyfius Homer's thoughts refine, “And call new beauties forth from ev'ry

"line!"

These verses are cenfured by the Effayift, not only as fpiritlefs, and profaic, but as the character they exprefs, is not equal to the merit of the critic whom they are intended to celebrate. Nevertheless, though they do not excel in point of verfification, they are fraught with a great deal of meaning. In the first of these lines, on which the other depends, is described that moft material and useful part of an able critic's office, who (like the Refiner) purifies the rich ore of an original writer. For fuch an one, bufied in creating, often neglects to separate and refine the mass, and pours out his riches rather in bullion, than in fterling.

I know not whether the Effayift is not too nice in his objections to the character of Petronius, of whom POPE fays

"Fancy and art in gay Petronius pleafe,

"The fcholar's learning, with the courtier's "eafe."

The Effavift remarks, that the chief merit of Petronius, is that of telling a flory with grace and

and ease: But the Poet is not here speaking (nor was it for his purpose to speak) of the chief merit of Petronius, but in what his merit as a critic confifted, which was foftening the art of a scholar with the eafy fancy of a courtier. And whoever reads and understands the critical parts of his abominable licentious fragments will fee, that the poet has truly characterized him.

It is obfervable likewife, that though the eflayift confines the merit of Petronius to the art of telling a story with grace and eafe, yet he immediately adds, "that his own ftile is more "affected, than even that of his cotemporaries." How the effayift can reconcile the grace and eafe which he admits, with the affectation which he objects to him, I own I am at a loss to conceive.

Indeed the effayift obferves, with good reason, that many of Petronius's metaphors are far fetched and mixed, of which he produces a very glaring inftance. But this is fo far from contradicting POPE's judgment of him, that it rather tends to establish it. Such as write with the court-like eafe which Mr. POPE fpeaks of, are most apt to fall into a confufion of metaphors. It is not the correctnefs and accuracy, but the fancy and ease of Petronius, which our poet commends, and which in truth the effayift admits.

Our author's character of Quintilian, also falls short of the effayift's eftimate.

* In

"In grave Quintilian's copious work, we find "The jufteft rules, and cleareft method join'd.”

Whoever studies and practifes Compofition, cannot pay too much attention to the Inftitutes of Quintilian, whofe rules will lead to perfection in this part of literature. This is amongst the highest praises a critic can deferve. And this is given to him, in these two very lines.

Nevertheless, the effayift remarks, that Quin. tilian deferves a more appropriate and poetical character: And indeed, confidering that our author has, in the piece before us, been indebted to him for many of the precepts which he has so fo admirably illuftrated, it is to be wifhed that his juft encomium on the critic's merit, had been fomewhat more amplified. But he seems to have referved his ftrength to characterize the great Longinus; whom he addreffes with an abruptnefs, which at once furprizes and charms us.

Thee, bold Longinus! all the Nine inspire, "And blefs their Critic with a Poet's fire. "An ardent Judge, who, zealous in his trust, "With warmth gives fentence, yet is always "just:

"Whofe own example strengthens all his laws; "And is himself that great Sublime he draws."

The fpirit, energy, and propriety of thefe lines*. are equally admirable; and as the

*There feems, nevertheless, to be a grammatical inaccuracy in these lines, in making the copulative follow the genitive cafe of the pronoun.

effayift

effayift candidly obferves, more fuitable to the character of the perfon addreffed, than if he had coldly fpoken of him in the third perfon.

The poet then gives a fhort, but animated hiftory, of the decline of arts and sciences under defpotic power; and obferves, that though they afterwards made fome little efforts to revive, they were again overwhelmed :

"A fecond deluge Learning thus o'er-run, "And the Monks finifh'd what the Goths begun."

Then he turns towards that fecond period, in which the true critic again appeared at the revi val of letters in the weft.

“But fee! each Muse, in LEO's golden days, "Starts from her trance, and trims her wither'd "bays,

"Rome's antient Genius, o'er its ruins spread, "Shakes off the duft, and rears his rev'rend "head."

With

These lines are perfectly poetical. what awful imagery the genius of Rome is reprefented! Nothing can be finer than this descriptive perfonification. It is truly fublime.

Nevertheless, the excellence of this compofition did not fecure it against the malice of criticifm. Mr. Dennis, and others, vented their fpleen against it; but chiefly Mr. Dennis, a furious

H