! weakens the vigor of the mind? For the antients seem to be confidered by us as fo many guards to prevent the free excurfions of imagination, and set bounds to her flight. Whereas they ought rather to be looked upon (the few, I mean, who are themselves originals) as encouragements to a full and uncontrouled exertion of her faculties. But if here or there a poet has courage enough to trust to his own unaffisted reach of thought, his example does not feem so much to incite others to make the fame adventurous attempts, as to confirm them in the humble disposition of imitation. For if he succeeds, he immediately becomes himself the occafion of a thousand models: if he does not, he is pointed out as a discouraging instance of the folly of renouncing those established leaders which antiquity has authorized. Thus invention is depressed and genius enslaved: the creative power of poetry is loft, and the ingenious, instead of exerting that productive faculty which alone can render them the full objects of admiration, are humbly contented with borrowing both the materials and the plans of their mimic structures. I am, &c. : LETTER LETTER VI. To ORONTES. March 10, 1729. THERE is nothing perhaps, where in mankind are more frequently mistaken, than in the judgments which they pass on each other. The stronger lines, indeed, in every man's character, must always be marked too clearly and distinctly to deceive even the most careless observer; and no one, I am perfuaded, was ever esteemed in the general opinion of the world as highly deficient in his moral or intellectual qualities, who did not justly merit his reputation. But I speak only of those more nice and delicate traits which distinguish the several degrees of probity and good-sense, and afcertain the quantum (if I may so express it) of human merit. The powers of the foul are so often concealed by modefty, diffidence, timidity, and a thousand other accidental affections; and the nice complexion of her moral operations depends so entirely on those internal principles from whence they C4 proceed proceed; that those who form their notions of others by casual and distant views, must unavoidably be led into very erroneous judgments. Even Orontes, with all his candor and penetration, is not, I perceive, entirely secure from mistakes of this fort; and the sentiments you expressed in your last letter concerning Varus, are by no means agreeable to the truth of his character. It must be acknowledged at the same time, that Varus is an exception to all general rules: neither his head nor his heart are exactly to be discovered by those indexes, which are usually supposed to point directly to the genius and temper of other men. Thus with a memory that will scarce serve him for the common purposes of life, with an imagination even more flow than his memory, and with an attention that could not carry him thro' the easiest proposition in Euclid; he has a found and excellent understanding, joined to a refined and exquifite taste. But the rectitude of his sentiments seems to arise less from reflection than sensation; rather from certain suitable feelings which the objects that prefent ; fent themselves to his confideration instantly occafion in his mind, than from the energy of any active faculties which he is capable of exerting for that purpose. His conversation is unentertaining: for though he talks a great deal, all that he utters is delivered with labor and hefitation. Not that his ideas are really dark and confused; but because he is never contented to convey them in the first words that occur. Like the orator mentioned by Tully, metuens ne vitiofum colligeret, etiam verum fanguinem deperdebat, he expresses himself ill by always endeavouring to express himself better, His reading cannot so properly be faid to have rendered him knowing, as not ignorant: it has rather enlarged, than filled his mind. His temper is as fingular as his genius, and both equally mistaken by those who only know him a little. If you were to judge of him by his general appearance, you would believe him incapable of all the more delicate sensations: nevertheless, under a rough and boisterous behavior, he conceals a heart full of tenderness and humanity. He has a sensibility of nature, indeed, deed, beyond what I ever observed in any other man; and I have often seen him affected by those little circumstances, which would make no impression on a mind of less exquisite feelings. This extreme sensibility in his temper influences his speculations as well as his actions, and he hovers between various hypotheses without settling upon any, by giving importance to those minuter difficulties which would not be strong enough to suspend a more active and vigorous mind. In a word, Varus is in the number of those whom it is impoffible not to admire, or not to despise; and at the fame time that he is the esteem of all his friends, he is the contempt of all his acquaintance. I am, &c. : LETTER VII. To HORTENSIUS, YOUR excellent brawn wanted no additional recommendation to make it more acceptable, but that of your company. However, tho' I cannot share it with my |