"barous age, to fet off wretched matter and "lame metre; grac'd indeed fince by the use "of fome famous modern poets, carried away by custom, but much to their own vexation, "hindrance, and conftraint to exprefs many things otherwise, and for the most part worse "than else they would have expreffed them. Not "without cause therefore fome both Italian and Spanish poets of prime note have rejected "rime both in longer and fhorter works, as "haye also long fince OUR BEST ENGLISH “TRAGEDIES, as a thing of itself, to all ju"dicious ears, trivial and of no true mufical delight; which confifts only in apt numbers, "fit quantity of fyllables, and the fense variously "drawn out from one verfe into another, not "in the jingling found of like endings, a fault "avoided by the learned ancients both in poetry "and Ομοιοτέλευτα. 3 'Opéra. See Quinctil. 1. IX. c. 3. To the fame purpose Mr. Afcham, in his Schoolmafter, p. 194. 66 They wish'd, as Virgil and Horace were not wedded to "follow the faults of former fathers, (a fhrewd marriage "in greater matters) but by right imitation of the perfect "Grecians, had brought poetry to perfectness alfo in the "Latin tongue; that we Englishmen likewise would ac"knowledge and understand rightfully our rude beggarly <riming, brought first into Italy by Goths and Huns, when "all good verses, and all good learning too were destroyed. "by "and all good oratory. This neglect then of "rime fo little is to be taken for a defect, tho' "by them; and after carried into France and Germany, "and at last received into England by men of excellent "wit indeed, but of small learning, and lefs judgment in "that behalf. But now when men know the difference, " and have the examples both of the best and of the worft ; furely to follow rather the Goths in riming, than the "Greeks in true verfifying, were even to eat acorns with "fwine, when we may freely eat wheat bread among men.” These chiming terminations were so industriously avoided by Virgil, that in his whole poem 'tis difficult to find one : for in Aen. IX. 634. Cava tempora ferro Trajicit. I, verbis virtutem illude fuperbis. This play on the words is properly enough put in the mouth of young Afcanius. But these verses have no jingle at all: Hic labor extremus, longar' haec meta viarum. Indeed Homer has, here and there, these fimilar founds and cadences. Π. ί. 865. Καύματα· ἐξ ἀνέμοιο δυσαές ὀρνυμένοιο. But the scarcity of them in fo long a poem plainly fhews, that Homer thought they added no kind of beauty to his verfes. The fame letters repeated fall not under this cenfure; as, Et premere, et láxas fciret dare jussus habénas. "it may seem so perhaps to vulgar readers, "that it rather is to be esteemed an example set, "the first in English, of ancient liberty, reco"vered to heroic poem from the troublesome " and modern bondage of riming." With respect to the latter part of the cenfure, of making many new and rough words, it may be very justly obferved, that this liberty, managed with difcretion and learning, adds a peculiar dignity to the diction for things are often despised for no other reason than being common. Nor are rough words to be avoided, if the subject be harsh and rough. The musicians and painters can inform us, what effect difcords have in music, and fhades in pictures. Even in profpects 4 See what Horace writes to this purpose of coining new words, and of making current the old in his art of poetry, . 406, &c. &c. And Ariftotle in his rhetoric III, 2. fays, that changing our cómmon idiom for foreign and borrowed terms, often gives grace and diguity to a language: τὸ ἐξαλλάξαν ποιεῖ φαίνεσθαι σεμνοτέραν· ὥσπες γὰρ πρὸς τὰς ξένες οἱ ἄνθρωποι καὶ πρὸς τὰς πολίτας τὸ αὐτὸ πάσχασι καὶ πρὸς τὴν λέξιν : and in his poetics, Κίφ. κβ. Δέξεως δὲ ἀρετὴ και τα σεμνὴ δὲ καὶ ἐξαλλάτωσα τὸ ἰδιωτικὸν, rò à τοῖς ξενικοῖς κεχρημένη. The words x, and ή Mould change places, and the paffage is thus to be red; oɛμvà dì, niž«λλάτισσα τὸ ἰδιωτικὸν, καὶ τοῖς ξενικοῖς κεχρημένη. That exprefion "has grace and dignity, which differs from the common idiom, and uses borrowed terms. (Nature's (Nature's landfkips) how beautifully do rough rocks and ragged hills set off the more cultivated fcenes? But however you find fault, in the name of the Muses keep your hands from the con text; be cautious how you pluck up what you may think excrefcencies, left with these you tear in pieces the poet himself. Jam parce fepulto, Parce pias fcelerare manus. SECT. IV. T feems no wonder, that the masculine and IT nervous Shakespeare, and Milton, should so little please our effeminate taft. And the more I confider our ftudies and amusements, the greater is the wonder they should ever please at all. The childish fancy and love of falfe ornaments follow us thro' life; nothing being fo difpleafing to us, as nature and fimplicity. This admiration of false ornaments is visibly seen even in our relish of books. After fuch examples, can we still admire, that rattle of the Mufes, a jingling found of like endings tag'd to every line? Whilft we have ftill preserved fome noble remains of antiquity, and are not entirely void of true genius's among our own nation, what tast must it shew, to fly for amusements to the crude productions of an enflaved nation? Yet this is our reigning taft; from hence our lawgivers are taught to form their lives and conduct, with a thorough contempt of ancient learning, and all thofe, whose inclinations lead them thro' fuch untrodden paths. But this perhaps will not appear so surprising, when 'tis confidered, that the more liberal sciences and humane letters, are not the natural growth of thefe Gothic and northern regions. We are little better than fons and fucceffors of the Goths, ever and anon in danger of relapfing into our original barbarity. And how far the corruption of even our 'public diverfions may contribute to the corruption of our manners, may be an inquiry not unworthy the civil magiftrate: lawgivers of old did not deem it beneath their care and caution. You may see what a stress is 1 Because these may be abused, fome, contrary to all rules of logic, have argued therefore they fhould entirely be abolished; as if, because my little finger pain'd me, I hould have my whole arm cut off. Prynne, with the whole tribe of puritans, reafon'd after this manner. 'Tis however a fubject worthy the moft ferious confideration, how blind zeal and fuperftition on one hand, and open profligacy and contempt of religion on the other, tend equally alike to lead us the fame road of ignorance. |