Neglect the rules each verbal critic lays,
For not to know some trifles is a praise.
Moft critics fond of fome fubfervient art,
Still make the whole depend upon a part,

265

They talk of principles, but notions prize,
And all to one lov'd folly facrifice.

Once, on a time, la Mancha's knight, they say,

270

A certain bard encount'ring on the way,

Discours'd in terms as juft, in looks as fage,

As e'er cou'd Dennis, of the Grecian ftage;

Concluding all were defp'rate fots, and fools,
That durft depart from Aristotle's rules.
Our author happy in a judge fo nice,

Produc'd his play, and begg'd the knight's advice;
Made him observe the subject, and the plot,

275

The manners, paffions, unities, what not?

All which, exact to rule, were brought about,

280

Were but a combat in the lifts left out

"What! leave the combat out?" exclaims the knight; Yes, or we must renounce the Stagyrite.

"Not fo, by heav'n! (he answers in a rage)

Knights, fquires, and steeds, muft enter on the stage."

The stage can ne'er so vaft a throng contain. "Then build a-new, or act it on a plain."

286

Thus critics of lefs judgment than caprice,

Curious, not knowing, not exact, but nice,

6

Form

Neglige, quas criticus, verborum futilis auceps,
Leges edicit: nugas nefcire decorum eft.
Artis cujufdam tantum auxiliaris amantes
Partem aliquam plerique colunt vice totius; illi
Multa crepant de judicio, nihilominus iftam
Stultitiam, fua quam fententia laudat, adorant.

280

QUIXOTUS quondam, fi vera eft fabula, cuidam

Occurrens vati, criticum certamen inivit

285

Docta citans, graviterque tuens, tanquam arbiter alter
DENNISIUS, Graii moderatus fræna theatri;

Acriter id dein afferuit, ftultum effe hebetemque,

Quifquis Ariftotelis poffet contemnere leges.
Quid?---talem comitem nactus felicitèr author,
Mox tragicum, quod compofuit, proferre poema
Incipit, et critici scitari oracula tanti.

290

295

Jam μυθον, τα παθη, τ' ήθη, προβλημα, λυσινque &
Cætera de genere hoc equiti defcribat hianti,
Quæ cuncta ad norman quadrarent, inter agendum
Si tantum prudens certamen omitteret author.
"Quid vero certamen omittes? excipit heros;
Sic veneranda Sophi fuadent documenta.
Armigerumque equitum que cohors fcenam intret, oportet,"
Forfan, at ipfa capax non tantæ fcena catervæ eft:
"OEdificave aliam---vel apertis utere campis."

Sic ubi fuppofito morofa fuperbia regnat Judicio, criticæque tenent faftidia curæ

I

Quid ergo,

300

Vana

Form fhort ideas, and offend in arts

290

(As most in manners) by a love to parts.

Some to conceit alone their tafte confine,
And glitt'ring thoughts ftruck out at ev'ry line;
Pleas'd with a work, where nothing's juft or fit,
One glaring chaos, and wild heap of wit.
Poets like painters, thus unskill'd to trace
The naked nature, and the living grace,
With gold and jewels cover ev'ry part,

And hide with ornaments their want of art.
True wit is nature to advantage dress'd,

What oft was thought, but ne'er so well express'd;

Something, whofe truth convinc'd at fight, we find,
That gives us back the image of our mind.

As fhades more sweetly recommend the light,
So modeft plainness fets off sprightly wit:

For works may have more wit than does them good,
As bodies perish through excefs of blood.

Others, for language all their care express, And value books, as women men, for drefs: Their praise is still---the style is excellent ; The fense they humbly take upon content.

295

300

305

310

Naturam intueamur, hanc fequamur; id facillime accipiunt animi

agnofcunt.

qued QUINTIL. lib. 8. cap. 3.

2

Words

Vana locum, curto modulo æftimat omnia cenfor,
Atque modo perverfus in artibus errat eodem,

Moribus ac multi, dum parte laborat in unâ.

Sunt, qui nil fapiant, falibus nifi quæque redundet
Pagina, perpetuoque nitet diftincta lepore,

Nil aptum foliti juftumve requirere, latè
Si micet ingenii chaos, indifcretaque moles.
Nudas naturæ veneres, vivumque decorem

Fingere, qui nequeunt, quorundam exempla secuti

Pictorum, haud gemmis parcunt, haud fumptibus auri,
Ut fefe abfcondat rutilis infcitia velis.

Vis veri ingenii, natura eft cultior, id quod
Senferunt multi, fed jam fcite exprimit unus,

30.5

310

315

Quod primo pulchrum intuitu, rectumque videtur
Et mentis menti fimulachra repercutit ipfi.

Haud fecus ac lucem commendant fuavitur umbræ,
Ingenio fic fimplicitas fuperaddit honorem:

320

Nam fieri poffit mufa ingeniofior æquo,

Et pereant tumidæ nimio tibi fanguine vena.

Nonnulli vero verborum in cortice ludunt,

Ornatufque libri folos muliebriter ardent.

Egregium ecce! ftylum clamant! fed femper ocellis 325 Prætereunt malé, fi quid ineft rationis, inuncis.

Words are like leaves, and where they most abound,
Much fruit of fenfe beneath is rarely found.
Falfe eloquence, like the prifmatic glass,
Its gaudy colours spreads on ev'ry place;
The face of nature we no more furvey,
All glares alike, without diftinction gay;
But true expression, like th' unchanging fun;
Clears and improves whate'er it shines upon,
It gilds all objects but it alters none.
Expreffion is the drefs of thought, and still
Appears more decent, as more fuitable;
A vile conceit in pompous words exprefs'd,
Is like a clown in regal purple drefs'd;
For diff'rent ftyles with diff'rent fubjects fort,

315

320

3:25

As fev'ral garbs, with country, town, and court.

Some * by old words to fame have made pretence,
Ancients in phrase, meer moderns in their fenfe!.
Such labour'd nothings in fo ftrange a style,

Amaze the unlearn'd, and make the learned finile.
Unlucky, as Fungofo in the + play;

330

These fparks with aukward vanity display

What the fine gentleman wore yesterday..

* Abolita et abrogata retinere, infolentiæ cujufdam eft, et frivolæ in parvis jactantiæ.

QUINTIL. lib. I. cap. 6.

Opus eft ut verba a vetuftate repetita neque creba fint, neque manifesta ;quia nil eft odiofus affectatione, nec utique ab ultimis repetita temporibus. Oratio, cujus fumma virtus eft perfpicuitas; quam fit vitiofa, fi egeat interprete? Ergo ut novorum optima erunt maxime vetera, ita veterum maxime

nova.

Ibidem.

Ben Johnson's Every Man in his humour.

And