275 Scimus inurbanum lepido seponere dicto, Nil intentatum nostri liquere poëtae: 10. Nec minimum meruere decus, vestigia Graeca COMMENTARY. 285 289 history of the principal improvements of the Greek tra gedy and comedy; which was artfully contrived to insinuate the defective state of the Roman drama, and to admonish his countrymen, how far they had gone, and what yet remained to complete it. And hence with the advantage of the easiest transition he slides into the last part of the epistle; the design of which, as hath been observed, was to reprove an incorrectness and want of care in the Roman writers. For, having just observed their defect, he goes on, in the remaining part of the epistle, to sum up the several causes, which seem to have produced it. And this gives him the opportunity, Quam lingua, Latium ; si non offenderet unum- L 295 Si tribus Anticyris caput insanabile numquam 300 COMMENTARY. under every head, of prescribing the proper remedy for each, and of inserting such further rules and precepts for good writing, as could not so properly come in before. The whole is managed with singular address, as will appear from looking over particulars. PART III. A CARE AND DILIGENCE IN WRITING RECOMMENDED, I. [from 1. 295 to 1. 383] THE poet ridicules that false notion, into which the Romans had fallen, that poetry and possession were nearly the same thing: that nothing more was required in a poet, than some extravagant starts and sallies of thought; that coolness and reflexion were inconsistent with his character, and that poetry was not to be scanned by the rules of sober sense. This they carried so far, as to affect the outward port and air of Nil tanti est. ergo fungar vice cotis, acutum Reddere quae quae ferrum valet, exsors ipsa secandi. 305 COMMENTARY. 315 madness, and, upon the strength of that appearance, to set up for wits and poets. In opposition to this mistake, which was one great hindrance to critical correctness, he asserts wisdom and good sense to be the source and principle of good writing: for the attainment of which he prescribes, 1. [from v. 310 to 312] A careful study of the Socratic, that is, moral wisdom: and, 2. [from v. 312 to 318] A thorough acquaintance with human nature, that great exemplar of manners, as he finely calls it, or, in other words, a wide extensive view of real, prac-' tical life. The joint direction of these two, as means of acquiring moral knowledge, was perfectly necessary.` For the former, when alone, is apt to grow abstracted and unaffecting the latter, uninstructing and superficial. The philosopher talks without experience, and 320 Interdum speciosa locis, morataque recte COMMENTARY. 325 the man of the world without principles. United they supply each other's defects; while the man of the world borrows so much of the philosopher, as to be able to adjust the several sentiments with precision and exactness ; and the philosopher so much of the man of the world as to copy the manners of life (which we can only do by experience) with truth and spirit. Both together furnish a thorough and complete comprehension of human life; which manifesting itself in the just, and affecting, forms that exquisite degree of perfection in the character of the dramatic poet; the want of which no warmth of genius can atone for, or excuse. Nay such is the force of this nice adjustment of manners [from l. 319 to 323] that, where it has remarkably prevailed, the success of a play hath sometimes been secured by it, without one single excellence or recommendation besides, II. He shews [from 1. 323 to 333] another cause of their incorrectness and want of success, in any degree, answering to that of the Greek writers, to have been the 330, Semis. An haec animos aerugo et cura peculî Neu COMMENTARY. low and illiberal education of the Roman youth; who, while the Greeks were tang it to open all their mind to glory, were cramped in their genius by the rust, of gain, and, by the early infusion of such sordid principles, became unable to project a great design, or with any care and mastery to complete it. III. A third impediment to their success in poetry [from 1. 333 to 346] was their inattention to the entire scope and purpose of it, while they contented themselves with the attainment of one only of the two great ends, which are proposed by it. For the double design of poetry being to instruct and please, the full aim and glory of the art cannot be attained without uniting them both: that is, instructing so as to please, and pleasing so as to instruct. Under either head of instruction and entertainment the poet, with great address, insinuates the main art of each kind of writing, which consists, 1. in instructive or didactic poetry [from v. 335 to 338] in the conciseness of the precept: and, 2. in works of fancy and entertainment |