The Elegy (fays Rapin) by the quality of its Nature, is deftin'd to Tears, and Complaints; and therefore ought to be of a doleful Character, which it always bore in its firft Inftitution. But afterwards it was used in Subjects of Tenderness, as in Love-Matters, and the like. The Latins have been more fuccessful in this Poem than the Greeks and among them those who have writ Elegy beft, are Tibullus, Propertius, and Qvid. This Poem thould not only have every Couplet fill'd with Fancy, but have an exact Coherence, and rife Step by Step to the most elevated height of Poetry, otherwife tis oly Epigram. i.:

Epigram is the leaft confiderable of all the Works in Verfe that Antiquity bath produc'd; and yet it has its Beauty, which confifts either in a delicate Turn upon fome tharp Hit of Fancy or Wit, or upon fome lucky word. The Greek Epigram runs upon the Turn of a Thought that is natural, but fine, and fubtle. And the Latin Epigram endea vours to furprize the Mind by fome nipping word, which is call'd a Point; but this latter is esteem'd a falfe Tafte: And Catullus's clofing a natural Thought within a delicate Turn of Words, and the Simplicity of a very foft Expreffion, is by moft Perfens judg'd preferable to Martial. This fort of Poetry does not generally reach above the Stature of two, four, or fix Lines, tho' fome of Martial's beft Pieces are longer and an Epigram, unless it be admirable, is little worth.ne

T

After Epigram, I am to examine into the Nature of Paftoral and Songs. Paftoral was the moft antient kind of Poetry and first began among Shepherds as they fed their Flocks. It being an Image o the Life of Shepherds, the matter is low: Its Bufinefs is to defcribe the Loves, the Sports, the Difputes, the Intrigues, the Paffions, the Adven

tures,

gures, and all the little Affairs of Shepherds; fo that its Character ought to be fimple, the Wit eafy, and the Expreffion common. The Manners are to be innocent, the Language pure, the Verfe flowing, and it must have nothing exquifite, unlefs it be in Paftoral Elegy. The Models to be propos'd to write well in this fort of Poetry, are Theocritus and Virgil's free fud ahead is e soci -Songs, and all fmall Works of Poetry, require that they be natural and delicate. A word may be delicate feveral ways; either by a fubtle EquiVocation, which contains in it a Myftery; or by a hidden Meaning, which speaks all out, while it pretends to fay nothing, or by fome fierce and bold Stroke under modeft Terms; or by fomething brisk and pleafant under a ferious Air; or by fome fine Thoughts, under a fimple and homely Exprefhion. In this Poem the Thoughts are to be eafy, the Fancy high, and the Words, tho' hard wrought, fhould feem to fall by Chance, which is a Beauty in all Poetry.yð án nà

I fhall finish my fhort Effay with Burlesque Poetry, Translations, and Criticism. As to Burlesque Poetry, the Grace and Beauties of it chiefly confift in a Difproportion between the Stile in which we fpeak of a thing, and its true Idea; but good Senfe and Manners ought to be preferv'd, or it finks to Buffoonry. What has corrupted our modern Poefy is that Ridicule which we find in this fort of Writing, as if nothing pleas'd but what provokes our Laughter. This Cuftom of Raillery and Ridiculing is very pernicious, not only to all Poetry, but indeed to all Virtue; and 'tis a very poor, tho' common Pretence to Merit, to make it appear by the Errors of others.

A Tranflator of Poetry, ought to be a nice Critick in his Mother-Tongue, before he attempts to tranflate a foreign Language. Neither is it fuffi

cient

cient that he be able to judge of Words and Stile but he must be a Mafter of them too and Poetical Numbers: He muft perfectly understand his Author's Tongue, and abfolutely command his own. He is to keep ftill a foot and entire the Author's true genuine Senfe, with the main Design he drives at, and to maintain the Character of his Author; but it is not a Tranflator's Bufinefs alone to trans flate Language into Language, but Poefy into Poefy and there are certain Graces and Happineffes peculiar to every Language, that gives Life and Energy to the words, without which there will remain nothing but a Caput Mortuumarsil, ushbRI

1

In respect to Criticifm, the Office of a Critick, in former times, confifted in a Defence of Poetry it was the Bufinefs of Criticksbto silluftrate obfcure Beauties; to place fome Paffages in a better Light to redeem others from malicious Interpretations To help out an Author's Modefty, and fhield hint from the Ill-Nature of those Perfons who unjustly fet up for Cenfors; but in this Age they, for the moft part, think it their principal Bufinefs to find fault. Criticifm, as 'twas firft inftituted by Aria ftotle, was meant a Standard of judging well. The chiefeft part of which is to obferve, thofe Excel lencies, which fhould delight a reafonable Reader? If the Defign, the Conduct, the Thoughts and the Expreffions of a Poem, aber generally fuch as proceed from a true Genius of Poetry the Critick ought to pass his Judgment in favour of the Aus thor'Tis malicious tocavil at fmall. Failings, from, which the Greateft ftandis not exempted: And Horace gives it as a Rule, sun is of bsobut ydd cys di SAKIT OF ITEM of sons. nommon Non ubi plura nitent in Camina, paucis s Offendi Maculis, quas aur incuria fudit, wi A Aut hamzada parum cavir Natural dis the witch syngan mend a TAHE

bibid.

289

Beaumont (Francis. s Bulkley (John) Efq; 325

Butler

ibid.

1

Eufden (Mr.) 37 Exeter (Jofeph of.)53