No more the mounting larks, while Daphne sings, Or hushed with wonder, hearken from the sprays: Her fate is whispered by the gentle breeze, Swelled with new passion, and o'erflows with tears; But see!where Daphne wond'ring mounts on high' Above the clouds, above the starry sky! Eternal beauties grace the shining scene, Fields ever fresh, and groves for ever green! There while you rest in amaranthine bow'rs, Or from those meads select unfading flow'rs, Behold us kindly, who your name implore, Daphne, our goddess, and our grief no more! LYCIDAS. How all things listen, while thy muse complains! Such silence waits on Philomela's strains, In some still ev'ning, when the whisp'ring breeze Pants on the leaves, and dies upon the trees. To thee, bright goddess, oft a lamb shall bleed,2 If teeming ewes increase my fleecy breed. While plants their shade, or flow'rs their odours give, Thy name, thy honour, and thy praise shall live! THYRSIS. But see, Orion sheds unwholesome dews: 1 Virg. Ecl. V.: "miratur limen Olympi, Sub pedibusquc videt nubes et sidera Daphnis."-Pope. 2 Virg. Ecl. I. : "illius aram Sæpe tener nostris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus."-Pope. 3 Virg. Ecl. X. : "solet esse gravis cantantibus umbra; Juniperi gravis umbra."-Pope, Sharp Boreas blows, and nature feels decay, AN ESSAY ON CRITICISM. WRITTEN IN THE YEAR 1709. PUBLISHED 1711. CONTENTS. PART I. Yodoction-that it is as great a fault to judge as to write ill, and an dangerous one to the public, v. 1. That a true taste is as rare to be found as a true genius, v. 9 to 18. That most men are born with some taste, but spoilt by false education, v. 19 to 25. The multitude of critics and causes of them, v. 26 to 45. That we are to study our own taste, and know the limits of it, v. 46 to 67. Nature the best guide of judgment, v 68 to 87. Improved by art and rules, which are but methodised nature, v. 88. Rules derived from the practice of the an cient poets, v. 38 to 110. That therefore the ancients are necessary to be studied by cities, particularly Homer and Virgil, v. 120 to 138. Of Licenses and the use of them by the ancients, v. 140 to 180. Rever ence due to the cents and praise of them, v. 181, &c. PART II. Causes hindering a true judgment. (1). Pride, v. 208. (2). Imperfect learning, v. 215. 3). Judging by parts and not by the whole, v. 233 to 288. Critice in vit, language, versification only, v. 288, 305, 339, &c. (4). Being too hard to please or too apt to admire, v. 384. (5). Partiality-too much. love to a sect-to the ancients or moderns, v. 324. (6). Prejudice or prevention, v. 408. (7). Singularity, v. 424. (8). Inconstancy, v. 430. (9). Party, v. 452, &c. (10). Envy, v. 466. Against envy and in praise of good nature, v. 508, &c. When severity is chiefly to be used by critics, v. 76. PART III. Rules for the conduct of muners in a critic. (1), Candour, v. 563. Modesty, v. 566. Good breeing, v. 572. Sincerity and freedom of advice. v. 578. (2). When one's counsel is to be restrained, v. 584. Character of an incorrigible poet, y. 699. And of an impertinent critic, v. 610, &c. Character of a good er tic, v. 629. The history of criticism and characters of the best critic, Aristotle, v. 645. Horace, v. 653. Dionysius. v, 665. Petronius, v. 66. Quintilion, v, 670. Longinus, v. 675. Of the decay of Criticism and ts revival; Erasmus, v. 693. Vida, v. 705. Boileau, v. 714. Lord Roscommon, &c. v. 725. Conclusion. 1 These four last lines allude to the several subjects of the four pas torals, and to the several scenes of them, particularised before in each."-Pope, 'Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill But, of the two, less dang'rous is the offence True taste as seldom is the critic's share; Yet if we look more closely we shall find The lines, though touched but faintly, are drawn right. But as the slightest sketch, if justly traced, There are, who judge still worse than he can write. As heavy mules are neither horse nor ass. Plus sine doctrina prudentia, quam sine prudentia valet doctrina Quin,-Pope, And wisely curbed proud man's pretending wit. First follow nature and your judgment frame Though meant each other's aid, like man and wife, 'Tis more to guide, than spur the muse's steed; Restrain his fury, than provoke his speed; The winged courser, like a generous horse, By the same laws which first herself ordained. By doctor's bills to play the doctor's part, You then whose judgment the right course would steer, Know well each ancient's proper character; His fable, subject, scope in ev'ry page; Religion, country, genius of his age; Without all these at once before your eyes, 1 Nec enim artibus editis factum est ut argumenta inveniremus, sed dicta sunt omnia antequam præciperentur; mox ea scriptores obser vata et collecta ediderunt. Quin.-Pope. ? Prescriptions. 3 The author after this verse originally inserted the following, which he has, however, omitted in all the editions: |