being an inveterate folly among his countrymen, he
gives it no quarter. Through all his critical works,
he employs the utmost force of his wit and good
sense to expose it: And his own writings, being at
the same time supremely correct, afforded his ene-
mies (which would provoke them still more) no
advantage against him. Yet they attempted, as
they could, to repay his perpetual reproaches on the
popular writers for their neglect of limae labor, by
objecting to him, in their turn, that what he wrote
was sine nervis: and this, though they felt his force
themselves, and though another set of men were
complaining, at the same time, of his severity.
Sunt quibus in satyrá videor nimis ACER—
SINE NERVIS altera quicquid

Composui pars esse putat, similesque meorum
Mille die versus deduci posse-

His detractors satirically alluding, in these last words, to his charge against Lucilius

in horâ saepè ducentos, Ut magnum, versus dictabat, stans pede in uno. It is not my purpose, in this place, to enlarge further on the character of Lucilius, whose wordy satires gave occasion to our poet's criticism. Several of the ancient writers speak of him occasionally, in terms of the highest applause; and without doubt, he was a poet of distinguished merit. Yet it will hardly be thought, at this day, that it could be any discredit to him to be censured, rivalled, and excelled by Horace.

410 NOTES ON THE EPISTLE TO AUGUSTUS.

What I have here put together is only to furnish the young reader with the proper KEY to Horace's critical works, which generally turn on his own vindication, against the enemies of satire-the admirers of Lucilius-and the patrons of loose and incorrect composition.

In managing these several topics, he has found means to introduce a great deal of exquisite criticism. And though his scattered observations go but a little way towards making up a complete critical system, yet they are so luminous, as the French speak, that is, they are so replete with good sense, and extend so much further than to the case to which they are immediately applied, that they furnish many of the principles on which such a system, if ever it be taken in hand, must be constructed: And, without carrying matters too far, we may safely affirm of these Critical Discourses, that, next to Aristotle's immortal work, they are the most valuable remains of ancient art upon this subject.

The End of the Notes on the Epistle to AUGUSTUS.

THE END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

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