In puteum, foveamve; licet, Succurrite, longum
Clamet, io cives: non fit qui tollere curet. 460
Si curet quis opem ferre, et demittere funem ;
Qui fcis, an prudens huc fe projecerit, atque
Servari nolit? dicam: Siculique poëtae
Narrabo interitum. Deus inmortalis haberi
Dumcupit Empedocles, ardentem frigidus Aetnam
Infiluit. fit jus, liceatque perire poëtis.
Invitum qui fervat, idem facit occidenti.
Nec femel hoc fecit; nec fi retractus erit jam,
Fiet homo, et ponet famofae mortis amorem,
Nec fatis adparet, cur verfus factitet; utrum 470
Minxerit in patrios cineres, an triste bidental
Moverit inceftus: certe furit, ac velut urfus
Objectos caveae valuit fi frangere clathros,
Indoctum doctumque fugat recitator acerbus.
Quem vero arripuit, tenet, occiditque legendo, 475
Non miffura cutem, nifi plena cruoris, hirudo.

COMMENTARY,

METHODE NI AUCUNE LIAISON DE PARTIES DANS

CE TRAITE', qui même n'a jamais été achevé, Horace n'ayant pas eu le tems d'y mettre la derniere main, ou, ce qui eft plus vraisemblable, n'ayant pas voulu s'en donner la peine." [Mr. Dacier's Introd. Remarks to the Art of Poetry.] The softest thing that can be faid of fuch a critic, is, that he well deferves the cenfure, he fo juftly applied to the great Scaliger, s'IL L'AVOIT BIEN

.ENTENDU, IL LUI AUROIT RENDU PLUS DE JUSTICE, ET EN AUROIT PARLE PLUS MODESTEMENT.

NOTES

NOTE S

ON THE

ART OF POETRY,

D 3

T

HE text of this epiftle is given from Dr. BENTLEY's edition, except in fome few places, of which the reader is advertised in the notes. Thefe, that they might not break in too much on the thread of the Commentary, are here printed by themfelves. For the reft, let me apologize with a great critic: Nobis viri docti ignofcent, fi hæc fufius: præfertim fi cogitent, veri critici effe, non literulam alibi ejicere, alibi innocen tem fyllabam et que nunquàm male merita de patria fuerit, per jocum et ludum trucidare et configere'; verùm recte de autoribus et rebus judicare, quod et folida et abfoluta eruditionis eft. HEINSIUS,

1, HUMANO CAPITI, &c.] It is feen, in the comment, with what elegance this first part [to 1. 89] is made preparatory to the main fubject, agreeably to the genius of the Epistle. But elegance, in good hands, always implies proD 4 priety

priety; as is the cafe here. For the critic's rules must be taken either, I, from the general ftanding laws of compofition; or, 2. from the peculiar ones, appropriated to the kind. Now the direction to be fetched from the former of thefe fources will of courfe precede, as well on account of its fuperior dignity, as that the mind itself delights to defcend from universals to the confideration of particulars. Agreeably to this rule of nature, the poet, having to correct, in the Roman drama, these three points, 1. a mif conduct in the difpofition; 2. an abuse of language; and, 3. a difregard of the peculiar characters and colourings of its different fpecies, hath chofen to do this on principles of univerfal nature; which, while they include the cafe of the drama, at the fame time extend to poetic compofition at large. These prefatory, univerfal obfervations being delivered, he then proceeds, with advantage, to the fecond fource of his art, viz. the confideration of the laws and rules peculiar to the kind.

9. -PICTORIBUS ATQUE POETIS-QUID

LIBET AUDENDI SEMPER FUIT AEQUA POTESTAS] The modern painter and poet will obferve that this aphorifm comes from the mouth of an objector,

14. IN