14. INCEPTIS GRAVIBUS, &C.] These preparatory observations concerning the laws of poetic compofition at large have been thought to glance more particularly at the epic poetry: Which was not improper: For, 1. The drama, which he was about to criticise, had its rife and origin from the epos. Thus we are told by the great critic, that Homer was the first who invented dramatic imitations, μόνος—ὅτι μιμήσεις δρασ ματικὰς ἐποίησε. And to the fame purpofe Plato : ἔοικε μὲν τῶν καλῶν ἀπάνων τέτων τῶν τραγικῶν πρῶτος διδάσκαλος καὶ ἡγεμὼν γενέσθαι. [Όμηρος.] De Rep. 1. x. Hence, as our noble critic obferves, "There was no more left for tragedy to "do after him, than to erect a stage, and draw "his dialogues and characters into fcenes; "turning in the fame manner upon one princi"pal action or event, with regard to place and "time, which was fuitable to a real fpectacle." [Characterist. vol. i. p. 198.] 2. The feveral cenfures, here pointed at the epic, would bear ftill more directly against the tragic poem; it being more glaringly inconfiftent with the genius of the drama to admit of foreign and digreffive ornaments, than of the extended, epifodical epopoeia. For both these reafons it was altogether pertinent to the poet's purpofe, in a criticifm on the drama, to expofe the vicious practice of the models. Though, to preferve the unity of

apic

4

his piece, and for the reafon before given in note on 1. 1. he hath artfully done this under the cover of general criticism.

19. SED NUNC NON ERAT HIS LOCUS.] If one was to apply this obfervation to our dras matic writings, I know of none which would afford pleasanter inftances of the abfurdity, here expofed, than the famous ORPHAN of Otway. Which, notwithstanding its real beauties, could hardly have taken fo prodigiously, as it hath done, on our stage, if there were not fomewhere a defect of good taste as well as of good morals.

23. DENIQUE SIT QUIDVIS: SIMPLEX DUN, TAXIT ET UNUM.] Is it not ftrange that he, who delivered this rule in form, and, by his manner of delivering it, appears to have laid the greateft ftrefs upon it, fhould be thought capable of paying no attention to it himself, in the con duct of this epiftle?

25-28. BREVIS ESSE LABORO, Obscurus FIO: SECTANTEM LENIA NERVI DEFICIUNT ANIMIQUE PROFESSUS GRANDIA TURGET SERPIT HUMI TUTUS NIMIUM TIMIDUSQUE PROCELLAE.] If these characters were to be exemplified in our own poets, of reputation, the first, I fuppofe, might be justly applied to Donne

the

the fecond, to Parnell; the third, to Thomson; and the fourth, to Addison. As to the two following lines:

Qui variare cupit rem prodigialiter unam,

Delphinum felvis adpingit, fluctibus aprumz they are applicable to fo many of our poets, that, to keep the reft in countenance, I will but juft mention Shakespeare himfelf; who, to enrich his fcene with that variety, which his exu+ berant genius fo largely fupplied, hath deformed his beft plays with thefe prodigious incongruities,

CUPIT REM PRODI

29. QUI VARIARE GIALITER UNAM, &c.] Though I agree with M. Dacier that prodigialiter is here used in a good fenfe, yet the word is fo happily chofen by our curious fpeaker, as to carry the mind to that fictitious monfter, under which he had before allufively fhadowed out the idea of abfurd and inconfiftent compofition, in 1. 1. The application, however, differs in this, that, whereas the monfter, there painted, was intended to expofe the extravagance of putting together incongruous parts, without any reference to a whole, this pro digy is defigned to characterize a whole, but deformed by the ill-judged pofition of its parts. The former is like a monfter, whofe feveral members, as of right belonging to different animals, could, by no difpofition, be made to com

ftitute

ftitute one confiftent animal. The other, like a landfkip, which hath no objects abfolutely irrelative, or irreducible to a whole, but which a wrong pofition of the parts only renders prodigious. Send the boar to the woods; and the dolphin to the waves; and the painter might shew them both on the fame canvass,

Each is a violation of the law of unity, and a real monster the one, because it contains an affemblage of naturally incoherent parts; the other, because its parts, though in themselves coherent, are misplaced, and disjointed.

34. INFELIX OPERIS SUMMA: QUIA PONERE TOTUM NESCIET.] This observation is more peculiarly applicable to dramatic poetry, than to any other, an unity and integrity of action being of its very effence.-The poet illuftrates his obfervation very happily in the case of statuary; but it holds of every other art, that hath a whole for its object. Nicias, the painter, used to fay [a], "That the fubject was to him, what the

fable is to the poet." Which is just the fentiment of Horace, reverfed. For by the fubject is meant the whole of the painter's plan, the totum, which it will be impoffible for those to express, who lay out their pains fo follicitoufly in finish

[a] See Victor. Comm. in Dem. Phaler. P. 73. Florent, 1594.

ing fingle parts. Thus, to take an obvious example, the landskip-painter is to draw together, and form into one entire view, certain beautiful, or ftriking objects. This is his main care. It is not even essential to the merit of his piece, to labour, with extreme exactnefs, the principal conftituent parts. But for the reft, a shrub or flower, a ftraggling goat or sheep, thefe may be touched very negligently. We have a great modern inftance. Few painters have obliged us with finer fcenes, or have poffeffed the art of combining woods, lakes, and rocks, into more agreeable pictures, than G. POUSSIN: Yet his animals are obferved to be scarce worthy an ordinary artist. The use of these is fimply to decorate the scene; and fo their beauty depends, not on the truth and correctness of the drawing, but on the elegance of their difpofition only. For, in a landskip, the eye carelefly glances over the finaller parts, and regards them only in reference to the furrounding objects. The painter's labour therefore is loft, or rather mifemployed, to the prejudice of the whole, when it ftrives to finish, fo minutely, particular objects. If fome great mafters have fhewn themselves ambitious of this fame, the objects, they have laboured, have been always fuch, as are inoft confiderable in themselves, and have, befides, an effect in illuftrating and fetting off the entire fcenery. It is chiefly

in