is opened the body into a number of rivulets, like a garden well stocked with plenty of canals, that the veins might by this means receive their supply of the vital moisture from the heart, as the common source, and convey it through all the sluices of the body. And at the approach of death, the soul, he says, loosed, like a ship from her cables, and left at the liberty of driving at pleasure." Many other turns of the same nature in the sequel might be adjoined, but these already abundantly shew, that the Tropes are naturally endued with an air of grandeur, that Metaphors contribute very much to Sublimity, and are of very important service in descriptive and pathetic compositions. That the use of Tropes, as well as of all other things which are ornamental in discourse, may be carried to excess, is obvious enough, though I should not mention it. Hence it comes to pass, that many severely censure Plato, because oftentimes, as if he was mad to utter his words, he suffers himself to be hurried into raw undigested Metaphors, and a vain pomp of Allegory. "For is it not (says he) * easy to conceive, that a *Plato, 1. 6. de Legibus, p. 773. cd. Par. city ought to resemble a goblet replenished with a well-tempered mixture? where, when the foaming deity of wine is poured in, it sparkles and fumes; but when chastised by another more sober divinity, it joins in firm alliance, and composes a pleasant and palatable liquor." For (say they) to call water a sober divinity, and the mixture chastisement, is a shrewd argument, that the author was not very sober himself. Cecilius had certainly these trifling flourishes in view, when he h the rashness, in his Essay on Lysias, to declare him much preferable to Plato; biassed to it by two passions equally indiscreet. For though he loved Lysias as well as his own self, yet he hated Plato with more violence than he could possibly love Lysias. Besides, he was hurried on by so much heat and prejudice, as to presume on the concession of certain points which never will be granted. For Plato bcing oftentimes faulty, he thence takes occasion to cry up Lysias for a faultless and con Lysias was one of the ten celebrated orators of Athens, He was a neat, elegant, correct, and witty writer, but not sublime. Cicero calls him prope perfectum, almost perfect. Quinctilian says he was more like a clear fountain than a great river. summate writer; which is so far from being truth, that it has not so much as the shadow of it. SECTION XXXIII. But let us for once admit the possibility of a faultless and consummate writer; and then, will it not be worth while to consider at large that important question, Whether, in poetry or prose, what is truly grand in the midst of some faults, be not preferable to that which has nothing extraordinary in its best parts, correct however throughout, and faultless? And further, whether the excellence of fine writing consists in the number of its beauties, or in the grandeur of its strokes? For these points, being peculiar to the Sublime, demand an illustration. I readily allow, that writers of a lofty and towering genius are by no means pure and correct, since whatever is neat and accurate throughout, must be exceedingly liable to flatness. In the Sublime, as in great affluence of fortunc, some minuter articles will unavoidably escape observation. But it is almost impossible for a low and grovelling genius to be guilty of error, since he never endangers himself by soaring on high, or aiming at eminence, but still goes on in the same uniform secure track, whilst its very height and grandeur exposes the Sublime to sudden falls. Nor am I ignorant indeed of another thing, which will no doubt be urged, that 1 in passing our judgment upon the works of an author, we always muster his imperfections, so that the remembrance of his faults sticks indelibly fast in the mind, whereas that of his excellences is quickly worn out. For my part, I have taken notice of no inconsiderable number of faults in Homer, and some other of the greatest authors, and cannot by any means be blind or partial to them; however, I judge them not to be voluntary faults, so much as accidental slips incurred through inadvertence; such as, when the mind is intent "In passing our judgment," &c.] So Horace, Ep. I. ii. Ep. i. 262. Discit enim citiùs meminitque libentiùs illud, Aut humana parum cavit natura. 3 upon things of a higher nature, will creep insensibly into compositions. And for this reason I give it as my real opinion, that the great and noble flights, though they cannot every where boast an equality of perfection, yet ought to carry off the prize, by the sole merit of their own intrinsic grandeur. Apollonius, author of the Argonautics, was a writer without a blemish: and no one ever succeeded better in Pastoral than Theocritus, excepting some pieces where he has quitted his own province. But yet, would you choose "Though they cannot every where boast," &c.] So Mr. Pope, in the spirit of Longinus: Great wits sometimes may gloriously offend, Essay on Criticism. Apollonius was born at Alexandria, but called a Rhodian, because he resided at Rhodes. He was the scholar of Callimachus, and succeeded Eratosthenes as keeper of Ptolemy's library: he wrote the Argonautics, which are still extant. Of this poet Quinctilian has thus given his judgment, Instit. Orat. l. x. c. 1. "He published a performance, which was not despicable, but had a certain even mediocrity throughout."-Dr. Pearce. to be Apollonius or Theocritus rather than Homer? Is the poet 5 Eratosthenes, whose Erigone is a complete and delicate performance, and not chargeable with one fault, to be esteemed a superior poct to Archilochus, who flies off into many and brave irregularities; a godlike spirit bearing him forwards in the noblest career, such spirit as will not bend to rule, or easily brook control? In Lyrics, would you sooner be Bacchylides than Pindar, or Io the Chian, than the great Sophocles? Bacchylides and Io have written smoothly, delicately, and correctly; they have 6 • Eratosthenes the Cyrenean, scholar of Callimachus the poet. Among other pieces of poetry, he wrote the Erigone. He was predecessor to Apollonius, in Ptolemy's library at Alexandria.-Dr. Pearce. • Bacchylides, a Greek poet, famous for lyric verse; born at [ulis, a town in the Isle of Ceos. He wrote the Apodemics, or the travels of a deity. The Emperor Julian was so pleased with his verses, that he is said to have drawn from thence rules for the conduct of life. And Hiero the Syracusan thought them preferable even to Pindar's, by a judg ment quite contrary to what is given here by Longinus. Dr. Pearce. 7 Io the Chian, a dithyrambic poet, who, besides Odes, is said to have composed forty fables. He is called by Aristophanes, The Eastern Star, because he died whilst he was writing an Ode that began with those words.-Dr. Pearce. |