that the Reader may himself judge of the Abilities of the feveral Authors, by Proofs from what themselves have Written. Befides, by this means the Publick will have Lan agreeable Entertainment, and the Satiffaction of obferving the Progrefs and Improvement of our English Poetry. C As a faithful Register of Facts, I bave every where adventur'd to tell Truth, in the most favourable Sense, as well of the Authors, as of their Writings; tho' probably I may have mentioned fome Pieces, not worthy a particular Notice, and I may bave omitted others which deferve Place in a Treatife of this Nature; but I hope all Objections of this kind will vanish, when the infinite Number of Poems extant is well confider'd; fo that the best Care and greatest Diligence may look over Jome Things, tho' not very material to the Subject.

If one confiderable Character happens to refemble another in the following Work, where there are so many, tis no more than what is natural to expect, and it would be

as

as injudicious to pretend to make that a Fault, as in a flourishing Garden, where all forts of Fruits are brought to Maturi ty, itwould be ridiculous to call a Peach by any other Name, on account of the Quan tity of that kind of Fruit; 'twould be high. ly abfurd to wrong it with the Name of an Apple or Crab, or, on the contrary, to give a Crab the Denomination of a Peach or a Nectorine.

This Work has been delay'd fome time for Memoirs from Perfons at a Distance, and who could not be immediately advis'd of the Undertaking but I hope the Advantage my Performance bas by this means receiv'd, will attone for the Delay in its Publication; and as fome Gentlemen were late in communicating their Accounts, fo that the Prefs bad gone thro' that Part of the first Alphabet which should have related to them, I hope if they find themfelves in the Second Alphabet at the end of the Book, they will at least be pleafed with their Company.

The

The following Introductory Effay is chiefly taken from Rapin, and the Writings of Mr. Dryden, the Duke of Buckingham, Sir William Temple, and others, whofe Fudgments may be looked upon as Authentick. There are fome Obfer vations of my orem, with feveral Allu fions and Similes; and, I prefume, tho' many ingenious Gentlemen may be acquainted with the greatest part of what I bave mention'd therein, yet, by the Method I have purfued, in reducing the whole to fo fmall an Extent, it will be of use to thofe very Perfons, and, in general, accep table to the Publick.

Introductory ESSAY,

ON or vliuostuna dol 90 bolalaro09

The RISE, PROGRESS, BEAUTY, &c. of all Sorts of POETRY.

JA

S to the Rife and Antiquity of Poetry we, Places, read that Orphens and in man Eumolphus were famous for their Poems before the Trojan War; and those who date Poetry only from that time, are fo far from being in the right, that the beft Opinions make it as old as the World it felf."

It is generally affirm'd, that Poefy was the moff antient of all artificial Literature, efpecially amongst the Grecians: Pherecides was the firft who writ Profe in the Greek Language, and he liv'd a bout the time of Cyrus, which was fome Hun dreds of Years after Homer and Hefiod; and Straba undertakes to prove, that Profe is only an Imitation of Poefy

Salwords The firft Specimen of Poetry was fhewn 11 Hymns and Prayers to the Deity, and began in

a

Wild

Wild Notes, before the Invention of Feet and Meatures: That Poefy is still most fublime and lafting, where the Subjects and Ideas are Religious, without which the Dignity Effential cannot be fupported. And if we confider Poetry in her firft Inftitution, e'er fhe became a Proffitute to Luft, Flattery, and Ambition, we fhall find her giving Laws to Religion, Politicks, and Manners.

In her Cuftody was that Fountain, whence all the profitable Rules for the Oeconomy of Life were to be drawn: The greatest Princes: form'd their Courts to hers; nor was the Divine Mistress lefs courteously receiv'd in the Camp. Hence Mighty Generals had the best Instructions both for their Valour, and were encourag'd by Conduct? the Records of Antiquity, faithfully preferv'd by fome Poet's Hand, to fignalize themfelves in fuch famous Acts, as fhould render them worthy the like Praife of PoßerityЯ ТВО

10

From this it is that Alexander, Scipio, Julius Cafar, Auguftus, and other great Perfonages, in the earliest of Times, have been affected therewith. And by this the Heroes of all Ages have been immortaliz'd; whereas without it perhaps we fhould hardly have known there had been any fuch Men, at least very obfcurely: And indeed Poetry of all Arts is the most perfect, for the Perfection the of other Arts is limited, but this of Poefy has no Bounds: So that 'tis no wonder that many Perfons fhould find fuch charming Emotions, upon reading Virgil, and the reft of the antient Poets; and that the Paffions fhould be extremely touch'd at the Tragedies of Shakespear, and fome other of our Dramatick Poets, both Antient and Modern.

The Power of Poetry is univerfally known and acknowledged, and fufficiently juftifies the Foundation of those Opinions of old, which deriv'd it

from