These leave the sense, their learning to display, And those explain the meaning quite away. You then whofe judgment the right courfe would fteer, Know well each ANCIENT's proper character; COMMENTARY. VER. 118. You then whofe judgment, etc.] He comes next to the ancient Poets, the other and more intimate commentators of Nature. And fhews [from 117 to 141.] that the ftudy of These must indispensably follow that of the ancient Critics, as they furnish us with what the Critics, who only give us general rules, cannot fupply: while the ftudy of a great original Poet in His Fable, Subject, scope in ev'ry page; Religion, Country, genius of his Age; will help us to thofe particular rules, which only can conduct us NOTES. having found the claffic writers miferably mangled by the hands of monkish Librarians, very commendably employed their pains and talents in reftoring them to their native purity. The fecond, the plagiaries from the French, who had made fome admirable Commentaries on the ancient critics. But that acumen and tafte, which feparately conftitute the diftinct value of thofe two fpecies of foreign Criticism, make no part of the character of these paltry mimics at home, defcribed by our Poet in the following lines, These leave the fenfe, their learning to display, Which species is the leaft hurtful, the Poet has enabled us to determine in the lines with which he opens his poem, But of the two lefs dang'rous is th' offence To tire our patience than mislead our sense. From whence we conclude, that the reverend Mr. Upton was much more innocently employed, when he quibbled upon Epictetus, than when he commented upon Shakespear. 120 His Fable, Subject, fcope in ev'ry page; VARIATIONS. VER. 123. Cavil you may, but never criticize.] The author after this verse originally inferted the following, which he has however omitted in all the editions: Zoilus, had these been known, without a Name COMMENTARY. P. } fafely through every confiderable work we undertake to examine; and, without which, we may cavil indeed, as the poet truly obferves, but can never criticize. We might as well fuppofe that Vitruvius's book alone would make a perfect Judge of Architecture, without the knowledge of fome great mafter-piece of science, fuch as the Rotonda at Rome, or the Temple of Minerva at Athens; as that Ariftotle's fhould make a perfect Judge of wit, without the ftudy of Homer and Virgil. These therefore he principally recommends to complete the Critic in his Art. But as the latter of thefe Poets has, by fuperficial judges, been confidered rather as a copyer of Homer, than an original, our Author obviates that common error, and fhews it to have arifen (as often error does) from a truth, viz. that Homer and Nature were the fame; and how that the ambitious young Poet, though he fcorned to ftoop at any thing fhort of Nature, when he came to understand this great truth, had the prudence to contemplate Nature in the place where fhe was feen to most advantage, collected in all her charms in the clear mirror of Ho Be Homer's works your study and delight, Read them by day, and meditate by night; 125 Thence form your judgment, thence bring, your maxims your And trace the Mufes upward to their spring. Still with itself compar'd, his text peruse; And let your comment be the Mantuan Mufe. When firft young Maro in his boundless mind A work t'outlaft immortal Rome defign'd, 13 Perhaps he seem'd above the Critic's law, And but from Nature's fountains fcorn'd to draw VER. 130. VARIATIONS. When firft young Maro fung of Kings and Wars, COMMENTARY. ture, yet the vulgar reader would believe him to be a copier Homer; and though he copied Homer, yet the judicious read would fee him to be an imitator of Nature: the finest pra which any one, who came after Homer, could receive. NOTES. VER. 130. When firft young Maro, etc.] Virg. Eclog. vi. Cum canerem reges et prælia, Cynthius aurem Vellit. It is a tradition preferved by Servius, that Virgil began w writing a poem of the Alban and Roman affairs; which found above his years, and defcended firft to imitate Theo tus on rural fubjects, and afterwards to copy Homer in He poetry. P. But when t'examine ev'ry part he came, Some beauties yet no Precepts can declare, 140 Are nameless graces which no methods teach, COMMENTARY. VER. 141. Some beauties yet no Precepts can declare, etc.] Our Author, in these two general precepts for ftudying Nature and her Commentators, having confidered Poetry as it is, or may be reduced to Rule; left this fhould be mistaken as fufficient to attain PERFECTION either in writing or judging, he proceeds [from 140 to 201.] to point up to thofe fublimer beauties which Rules will never reach, that is, enable us either to execute or tafte: and which rife fo high above all precept as not even to be defcribed by it; but being entirely the gift of Heaven, Art and Reafon have no further share in their production than just to moderate their operations. These Sublimities of Poetry, like the Mysteries of Religion (fome of which are above Reafon, and fome contrary to it) may be divided into two forts, fuch as are above Rules, and fuch as are contrary to them. Be Homer's works your ftudy and delight, Read them by day, and meditate by night; I Thence form your judgment, thence your maxi bring, And trace the Muses upward to their spring. Still with itself compar'd, his text peruse; And let your comment be the Mantuan Muf When firft young Maro in his boundless m A work t'outlaft immortal Rome defign'd, Perhaps he seem'd above the Critic's law, And but from Nature's fountains fcorn'd to VER. 130. VARIATIONS. When firft young Maro fung of Kings and Wars, COMMENTARY. ture, yet the vulgar reader would believe him to be a Homer; and though he copied Homer, yet the judicio would fee him to be an imitator of Nature: the fin which any one, who came after Homer, could receiv NOTES. VER. 130. When firft young Maro, etc.] Virg. Ecle It is a tradition preferved by Servius, that Virgil b. |