$175. Criticism may have been abufed-yet defended, as of the last Importance to the Caufe of Literature.

But here was the misfortune of this laft fpecies of criticism. The bell of things nay país into abufe. There were numeroes corruptions in many of the finest authors, which neither ancient editions, nor manufcripts, could heal. What then was to be done ?--Were forms fo fair to remain disfigured, and be feen for ever under fuch apparent blemishes? No (fays a critic,) Conjecture can cure all-Conjecture, "whole performances are for the muil part "more certain than any thing that we can exhibit from the authority of manu"cripts." We will not ak, upon this wonderful allertion, how, if fo certain, can i: be called conjecture?—Tis enough to bferve (be it called as it may) that this pirit of conjecture has too often pailed into a intemperate excefs: and then, whatever it may have boailed, has done more mifCaiet by far than good. Authors have been taken in hand, like anatomical fubjects, only to display the skill and abilities of the atit; fo that the end of many an edition eems often to have been no more than to exhibit the great fagacity and crudition of an editor. The joy of the talk was the Lonour of mending, while corruptions were ught with a more than common arten, as each of them afforded a telimony to the editor and his art.

And here I beg leave, by way of digration, to relate a thort story concerning a noted empiric. Being once in a ballroom crowded with company, he was aked by a gentleman, what he thought of such a lady? was it not pity that the quinted P-Squint! Sir!" replied the Cattor, " I with every lady in the room quinted; there is not a man in Europe "can cure fquinting but myself."

But to return to our tubject-well indeed would it be for the cause of letters, were this bold conjectural fpirit confined to works of fecond rate, where, let it change, expunge, or add, as happens, it may be tolerably fure to leave matters, as they w.re; or if not much better, at least not much worse: but when the divine geniufes of higher rank, whom we not only applaud, bet in a manner revere, when thefe Come to be attempted by petulant correctors, and to be made the fubject of their wanton caprice, how can we but exclaim, with a kind of religious abhorrence

- procul! O! procul efte profani!

Thefe fentiments may be applied even to the celebrated Bentley. It would have become that able writer, though in literature and natural abilities among the first of his age, had he been more temperate in his criticiim upon the Paradife Loft; had he not fo repeatedly and injuriously offered viclence to its author, from an affected fuperiority, to which he had no pretence. But the rage of conjecture feems to have feized him, as that of jealoufy did Medea: a rage which the confeit herfelf unable to refit, although she knew the mifchiefs it would prompt her to perpetrate.

And now to obviate an unmerited cenfure, (as if I were an enemy to the thing, from being an enemy to its abufe) I would have it remembered, it is not either with criticifm or critics that I prefume to find fault. The arts, and its profeffors, while they practife it with temper, I truly honour; and think, that were it not for their acute and learned labours, we should be in danger of degenerating into an age of dunces.

Indeed critics (if I may be allowed the metaphor) are a fort of mafters of the ceremony in the court of letters, through whofe aflistance we are introduced into fome of the first and best company. Should we ever, therefore, by idle prejudices against pedantry, verbal accuracies, and we know hot what, come to light their art, and reject them from our favour, it is well if we do not flight allo thofe Claffics with whom criticifm converfes, becoming content to read them in tranflations, or (what is fill worfe) in tranilations of tranflations, or (what is worse even than that) not to read them at all. And I will be bold to affert, if that should ever happen, we thall speedily return into thofe days of darkness, out of which we happily emerged upon the revival of ancient literature. Harris.

$177. The Epic Writers came firfl.

It appears, that not only in Grecce, but in other countries more barbarous, the first writings were in raetre, and of an epic caft, recording wars, battles, heroes, ghosts; the marvellous always, and often the incredible. Men feemed to have thought, that the higher they foared the more important they should appear; and that the common life, which they then lived, was a thing too contemptible to merit imitation.

Hence it followed, that it was not till this common life was rendered refpectable by more refined and polished manners, that

men

with a few friends, rufhing in to the thick"eft danger-their various fuccefs till they all perish, but himself and two more -the affecting fcenes of horror and pity and Priam's palace-a fon flain at his father's feet; and the immediate maflacie of the old monarch himfelf-Encas, on feeng this, infpired with the memory of Mis own father-his refolving to return home, having now left all his companions-his feeing Helea in the way, and his defign to dispatch fo wicked a woman -Venus interpofing, and fhewing him (by removing the film from his eyes) the moit fublime, though mott direful, of "all fights; the Gods themselves bufied in Troy's deftruction; Neptune at one employ, Juno at another, Pallas at a third-It is not Helen (fays Venus) *but the gods, that are the authors of "your country's ruin-it is their incle"mency," &c.

Not lefs folemn and awful, though lefs leading to pity, is the commencement of the fixth Eneid-" The Sibyl's cavern"her frantic geftures, and prophecy-the "request of Eneas to defcend to the fhades "her answer, and information about the lofs of one of his friends-the fate of poor Mifenus-his funeral-the golden bough difcovered, a preparatory circumflance for the deicent-the facrifice "the ground bellowing under their feet -the woods in motion-the dogs of Hecate howling-the actual defcent, in all "its particulars of the marvellous, and the "terrible."

If we pass from an ancient author to a modern, what fcene more ftriking than the frit fcene in Hamlet?" The folemnity of the time, a fevere and pinching night "the folemnity of the place, a platform "for a guard-the guards themfelves; and their appofite difcourfe-yonder ftar "in fuch a pofition; the bell then beating "one-when defcription is exhaufted, "the thing ifelf appears, the Ghoft enters." From Shakespeare the tranfition to Milton is natural. What pieces have ever met a more juft, as well as univerfal applaufe, than his L'Allegro and II Penferofo?-The firit, a combination of every acident that is lively and chearful; the lecond, of every incident that is melancholy and ferious: the materials of each collected, according to their character, from rural life, from city life, from mufic, from poetry; in a word, from every part of nature, and every part of art,

To pafs from poetry to painting-the Crucifixion of Polycrates by Salvator Rofa, is "a most affecting representation of various human figures, feen under diffe"rent modes of horror and pity, as they "contemplate a dreadful spectacle, the "crucifixion above-mentioned." The Aurora of Guido, on the other fide, is "one of thofe joyous exhibitions, where "nothing is feen but youth and beauty, in every attitude of elegance and grace." The former picture in poetry would have been a deep Penferofo; the latter, a most pleafing and animated Allegro.

66

And to what caufe are we to refer these latt enumerations of ftriking effects?

To a very different one from the former not to an oppofition of contrary incidents, but to a concatenation or accumulation of many that are similar and congenial.

And why have concatenation and accumulation fuch a force?-From these most fimple and obvious truths, that many things fimilar, when added together will be more in quantity than any of them taken fingly;

confequently, that the more things are thus added, the greater will be their effect.

We have mentioned, at the fame time, both accumulation and concatenation; becaufe in painting, the objects, by existing at once, are accumulated; in poetry, as they exift by fucceffion, they are not accumulated but concatenated. Yet, through memory and imagination, even these allo derive an accumulative force, being preferved from pailing away by thofe admirable faculties, till, like many pieces of metal melted together, they collectively form one common magnitude.

It must be farther remembered, there is an accumulation of things analogous, even when thofe things are the objects of different faculties. For example-As are paí fonate geftures to the eye, fo are pafionate tones to the ear; fo are paflionate ideas to the imagination. To feel the amazing force of an accumulation like this, we muft fee fome capital actor, acting the drama of fome capital post, where all the powers of both are affembled at the fame inftant.

And thus have we endeavoured, by a few obvicus and eafy examples, to explain what we mean by the words, "seeking the caule or reafon, as often as we feel works of "art and ingenuity to affect us.”—Sec § 167. 178. Harris હું 131.

And thus things continued for a fucce

If I might advide a beginner in this elegant pursuit, it thould be, as far as poffible, to recur for principles to the most plain and fimple truths, and to extend every theorem, as he advances, to its utmost latitude, to as to make it fuit, and include, the greatest number of poffible cates.

I would advife him farther, to avoid fubtle and far-fetched refinement, which, as it is for the moit part adverie to perfpicuity and truth, may ferve to make an able So phit, but never an able Critic.

A word niere-I would advife a young Critic, in his contemplations, to turn his eye rather to the praife-worthy than the blimeaule; that is, to inve.ligate the caufes of praise, rather thin the caules of blame. For though an uninformed beginner may, in a fin le infance, happen to blame propeily, it is more than probable, that in the next he may fail, and incur the cenfure paffed upon the criticifing cobler, Ne futor altra crepidam.

Harris.

§ 182. On numerous Compofition. As Numerous Compofition arifes from a just arrangement of words, fo is that ar rangement juft, when formed upon their verbal quantity.

Now if we seek for this verbal quantity in Greek and Latin, we fhall find that, while thofe two languages were in purity, their verbal quantity was in purity allo. Every fyllable had a measure of time, either long or fhart, defined with precifion either by its conflituent vowel, or by the relation of that vowel to other letters adjoining. Syllables thus characterized, when combined, made a foot; and feet thus characterized, when combined, made a verte: fo that while a particular harmony existed in every part, a general harmony was diffufed through the whole.

Pronunciation at this period being, like other things, perfect, accent and quantity were accurately diftinguifhed; of which diftination, familiar then, though now obfcure, we venture to fuggeft the following explanation. We compare quantity to mu fical tones differing in long and short, as upon whatever line they ftand, a femibrief differs from a minim. We compare accent to mufical tones differing in high and low, as D upon the third line differs from G upon the first, be its length the fame, or be it longer or shorter.

to Virgil and Horace, during which inter val, if we add a trifle to its end, all the truly claffical poets, both Greek and Latin, flourished.

Nor was profe at the fame time neglected. Penetrating wis discovered t alfo to be capable of numerous compostion, and founded their ideas upon the fol lowing reafonings:

Though they allowed that profe Load not be trialy metrical (for then it wond be no longer profe, but poetry); yet at the fame time they afferted, if it had no Rhythm at all, fuch a vague effefwould of courfe fatigue, and the restr would feek in vain for thofe returning paufes, fo helpful to his reading, and grateful to his ear.

§ 183. On other Decorations of Preft be fides Profaic Feet; as Alliteration.

there are other decorations, admifible int English compofition, fuch as Alliteratio. and Sentences, efpecially the Period.

Befides the decoration of Profaic Feet,

Firft therefore for the firft; I mean Alliteration.

finer illuftration of this figure, than luAmong the claffics of old, there is to cretius's defcription of those blest abodes. where his gods, detached from providenu: cares, ever lived in the fruition of divine ferenity:

Apparet divum numen, fedefque quietæ,
Qas neque concutiunt venti, neque nubila

bis

The fublime and accurate Virgil did not contemn this decoration, though he used it with fuch pure, unaffected fimplicity, that we often feel its force without contemof infinite, with which his works abound: plating the caufe. Take one inflance out

Aurora interea miferis mortalibus almam Extulerat lucem, referens opera atque labores. Æn. XI. v. 183. To Virgil we may add the fuperior authority of Homer:

Ητοι ο καππεδίον τὸ ̓Αλεῖον οἷος ̓Αλάτι, “Ον θυμὸν κατέδων πάτιν ̓Αθρώπων ̓Αλεξαν. IX. 8. 201. Hermogenes, the rhetorician, when he quotes thefe lines, quotes them as an ex

mple of the figure here mentioned, but All it by a Greek name, ΠΑΡΗΧΗΣΙΣ. Cicero has tranfl.ted the above verfes legantly, and given us too Alliteration, cugh not under the fame letters:

Qimifer in campis errabat folus Alæis,
1ste fuum cor edens, hominum veftigia vitans.

CIC.

Ariftotle knew this figure, and called it APOMOINZIE, a name perhaps not fo ecife as the other, because it rather exrefles refemblance in general, than that ..ch arifes from found in particular. His ample is. ΑΓΡΟΝ γὰς ἔλαβεν, ΑΡΓΟΝ airy.

The Latin rhetoricians ftyled it Annotio, and give us examples of fimilar aracter.

But the mott fingular fact is, that fo rly in our own hiftory, as the reign of cry the fecond, this decoration was eem d and cultivated both by the Engand the Welth. So we are informed Giraleus Cambrenfis, a contemporary ter, who, having firth given the Welsh Fance, fubjoins the English in the foling verle

God is together Gammen and Wifdóme. that is, God is at once both joy and

cm.

He calls the figure by the Latin name Prominatio, and adds, "that the two nations were to attached to this verbal ornament in every high-finished compolition, that nothing was by them elleemed elegantly delivered, no diction confidered but as rude and ruftic, if it were not first amply refined with the polishing art of this figure."

'Tis perhaps from this national tale of , that we derive many proverbial fimiwhich, if we except the found, feem to are no other merit-Fine as hve-pence -Round as a Robir-&c.

Lven Spenfer and Shakespeare adopted
he practice, but then it was in a manner
Lutable to fuch geniufe..
Spenfer fays-

For not to have been d'pt in Lethe lake
Could fave the fon of Thetis from to die;
But that Elind bard did him immortal make
With verfes dipt in dew of Caftilie.

Shakespeare fays

Ha! my fweet Harry had but half their numbers, day might I, hanging on Hotípur's neck, Fave talked, &c.-Hen. IVth, Part zd, Act. 21.

Milton followed them.

For cloquence, the foul; fong charms the fenfe.
P. L. II. 556.

and again,

Behemoth, biggest born of earth, upheav'd
His vaftnefs-
P. L. VII. 471.

From Dryden we felect one example out of many, for no one appears to have employed this figure more frequently, or, Jike Virgil, with greater fimplicity and strength.

Better to hunt in fields for health unbought,
Than fee the doctor for a naufeous draught.
The wife for cure on exercife depend;
God never made his work for man to mend.
DRY D. Fables.

Pope fings in his Dunciad

ali ;

'Twas chatt'ring, grinning, mouthing, jabb'ring And noife, and Norton; brangling, and Brevall; Dennis, and diffonance

Which lines, though truly poetical and humorous, may be fufpected by fome to fhew their art too confpicuoufly, and too nearly to refemble that verfe of old Ennius.

O! tite, tute, tati, tibi tanta, tyranne, tulifti.
Script. ad. Herenn. 1. iv. f. 18.

Gray begins a fublime Ode,

Ruin feize thee, ruthlefs king, &c. We might quote alfo Alliterations from profe writers, but thofe we have alledged

we think fufficient.

§ 184. On the Period.

Harris.

Nor is elegance only to be found in fingle words, or in fingle feet; it may be found, when we put them together, in our peculiar mode of putting them. 'Tis out of words and feet thus compounded, that we form fentences, and among fentences none fo ftriking, none fo pleafing as the Period. The reafon is, that, while other fentences are indefinite, and (like a geometrical right line) may be produced indefinitely, the Period (like a circular line) is always circumfcribed, returns, and terminates at a given point. In other words, while other fentences, by the help of commen copulatives, have a fort of boundlefs effufion; the conflituent parts of a Period have a fort of reflex union, in which union the fentence is fo far complete, as neither to require, nor even to admit, a farther extention. Readers find a pleafure in this grateful

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