Aut nimium teneris juvenentur verfibus umquam, Aut inmunda crepent ignominiofaque dicta. Offenduntur enim, quibus eft equus, et pater, et res; Nec, fi quid fricti ciceris probat et nucis emtor, Primus ad extremum fimilis fibi: non ita pridem, COMMENTARY. regular tragedy [from ✯ 251 to 275] the laws and use of the iambic foot; reproving, at the fame time, the indolence or ill-tafte of the Roman writers in this refpect, and fending them for inftruction to the Grecian models. Having introduced his critique on the ftage-mufic, and fatyric drama, with fome account of the rife and progrefs of each, the poet very properly concludes this C 3 whole 270 Idcircone vager, fcribamque licenter? ut omnis COMMENTARY. whole part [from ỷ 275 to 295] with a short, incidental hiftory of the principal improvements of the Greek tragedy and comedy; which was artfully contrived to infinuate the defective ftate 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 eafieft tranfition he flides into the laft part of the epiftle; the defign of which, as hath been observed, was to reprove an incorrectness and want of care in the Roman writers. For, having juft observed their defect, he goes on, in the remaining part of the epiftle, to fum up the feveral caufes, which feem to have produced it. And this 285 Succeffit vetus his Comoedia, non fine multa 281 COMMENTARY. 295 this gives him the opportunity, under every head, of en prefcribing the proper remedy for each, and of infert-ing fuch further rules and precepts for good writing, as could not so properly come in before. The whole is managed with fingular addrefs, as will appear from looking over particulars. PAR R T III. A CARE AND DILIGENCE IN WRITING RECOM MENDED. I. [from 1. 295 to. I. 323] THE poet ridicules that falfe notion, into which the Romans had fallen, C4 that Non barbam: fecreta petit loca, balnea vitat. V that poetry and possession were nearly the fame thing: that nothing more was required in a poet, than some extravagant starts and fallies of thought; that cool, ness and reflexion were inconsistent with his character, and that poetry was not to be scanned by the rules of fober fenfe. This they carried fo far, as to affect the outward port and air of madness, and, upon the ftrength of that appearance, to set up for wits and poets. In oppofition to this mistake, which was one great hinderance to critical correctness, he afferts wif dom and good fenfe to be the fource and principle of good writing for the attainment of which he prescribes, 1. [from 310 to 312] A careful ftudy of the Socratic, that is, moral wifdom: and, 2. [from 312 to 318] A thorough acquaintance with human nature, that great exemplar of manners, as he finely calls it, or, Verbaque provifam rem non invita fequentur.311 Qui didicit patriae quid debeat, et quid amicis; Quo fit amore parens, quo frater amandus et hofpes; Quod fit confcripti, quod judicis officium; quae Partes in bellum miffi ducis; ille profecto 315 Reddere perfonae fcit convenientia cuique. Refpicere exemplar vitae morumque jubebo Doctum imitatorem, et vivas hinc ducere voces, Interdum fpeciofa locis, morataque recte COMMENTARY. in other words, a wide, extensive view of real, practical life. The joint direction of these two, as means of acquiring moral knowledge, was perfectly neceffary. For the former, when alone, is apt to grow abstracted and unaffecting the latter, uninftructing and fuperficial. The philofopher talks without experience, and the man of the world without principles. United they fupply each other's defects; while the man of the world borrows fo much of the philofopher, as to be able to adjust the feveral fentiments with precifion and exactness; and the philofopher fo much of the man of the world as to copy the manners of life (which we can only do by experience) with truth and fpirit. Both together furnifh a thorough and complete comprehenfion of human life; which manifefting itself in the juft, and affecting, forms that exquifite degree of perfection in the character of the dramatic poet; the want of which no warmth of genius can atone for, or excufe. Nay fuch is the force of this nice adjustment of manners [from l. 319 to |