The Art of Poetry on a New Plan

The Effect which running Water has on the Air
The benefit of funny Situations, with a House rather airy
than warm, proved from the languishing state Plants
are in when confined to the Shade

ibid.

Of Diet

213

Of the Circulation of the Blood, its wafte, and how

fupply'd
ibid.

Of the ufe of Labour in concocting the Food into Chyle

and then into Blood
ibid.

Of the choice of Food; liquid Food, Vegetables, and
young Animals, easiest of Digestion; but not thofe made
fat by unnatural means

ibid.

Every Brute is directed by Inftinct to its proper Aliment,

but voluptuous Man feeds with all the Commoners of

Nature, and is led in pursuit of Pleasure to his own

Destruction.
214

Eating to excefs, of any Aliment, dangerous, and efpe-

cially after long Abstinence

215

216

The use of sometimes indulging the Appetite, and of Fast-

ing occafionally to unload the Wheels of Life

The Regimen to be observed in the several Seasons of the
Year. That each Month and each Clime produccs the
Food which is moft proper, but Winter demands more
generous Liquors than the other Seafons

Of the Choice and proper ufe of Water

The only Liquors drank in the first Ages of the World ibid.

That which is moft pure, which is fooneft evaporated, and

ibid.

217

which generally falls from the Sides of Mountains, or

rifes from a fandy Spring is best
218

ibid.

Of fermented Liquors, and their use.
When drank unmixed with Water they retard Concoc-
tion, as appears by their Property of preferving Reptiles,
and animal Food from Putrefaction
ibid.
That Generous Liquors may fometimes be drank freely and
to good purpose, tho' but feldom; for whatever too much
accelerates the motion of the Fluids, whether it be
Wine, high feafon'd Meats, or laborious Exercise long
continued, impairs the Constitution

Of Exèrcife

ibid.

219

220

The Importance of Exercise to thofe of a delicate Frame ib.

'The Pleafures of a rural Life and Converfation

'That the Fancy is to be indulged in our choice of Exercise,

fince it is this only which distinguishes Exercise from

Labour

221

That in all our Exercises we should begin and end leisure-
ly; avoiding the use of cold Liquors while we are
hot, and taking care to cool by degrees
ibid.

Of Bathing, and of the ufe of the Cold Bath (to fortify the

Body against inclement Weather) to those whofe Con.

ftitutions will admit of it

222

The warm Bath recommended to those who dwell in ful-

try climes, and fometimes to the Inhabitants of our own,

when the Skin is parched, the Pores obftructed, and

Perfpiration imperfectly performed
ibid.

The Seasons for Exercise fhould be adapted to the Con-

ftitution. Labour, when fasting, is best for the corpu-

lent Frame ; but those of a lean habit fhould defer it

until a Meal has been digested
ibid.

No Labour either of Body or Mind is to be admitted

when the Stomach is full, and the Spirits are required

to promote Digeftion; for it is dangerous to hurry an

half concocted Chyle into the Blood
ibid.

The corpulent Frame requires much Exercise, the lean
lefs
ibid.

No Labours are too hard in the Winter; but in the Sum-

mer milder Exercises are beft, and those are most proper

in the Morning and Evening, avoiding the noxious Dews

of the Night

223

The Pleasures of Reft after Labour, and an Admonition
againft eating too much, and too late at Night ibid.

Caution against mifapplying thofe Hours, either in Study

or Company, in which Nature intended we should rest 224

The Reafon why those who labour obtain fo much Re-
freshment from Sleep, while the Indolent find but little
'Relief
ibid.
Of Cloathing---The neceffity of putting on the Winter
Garb early, and not leaving it off till late in the Spring

Of the sweating Sickness

Of the Paffions

Of the Soul and its Operations

225

ibid.

That painful Thinking, or the Anxiety, which attends fe-

vere Study, Difcontent, Care, Love, Hatred, Fear and

Jealoufy fatigues the Soul and impairs the Body 226

Precepts for Reading---The Poftures most proper, and the
Advantage of reading loud

227

ibid.

It is a great Art in Life fo to manage the restless Mind

that it may not impair the Body

The dreadful Effects of those misguided Paffions which

fill the Mind with imaginary Evils
ibid.

Thofe chronic Paffions which fpring from real Woes and

not from any Disorder in the Body, are to be cured by

fuch Diverfions or Bufinefs, as fill the Mind, or remove

it from the Object of its Concern

228

ibid.

The Folly of feeking Relief from Drinking
Of the Mischiefs that attend Drunkennefs, fuch as doing
rash Deeds that are never to be forgotten, the Lofs of
Friends, Money, Health, &c.
ibid.

The Poet's Tribute to the Memory of his Father ibid.

The wretched Situation of those who having nothing to do

are obliged to spend their Days in queft of Pleasure 229

Indolence and Luxury are Enemies both to Pleasure and
to Health

ibid.

Of Virtue and good Senfe---Their Effects

Whatever fupports the Mind in a State of Serenity and

Chearfulness, fupports the Body alfo; hence the Bleffing

of Hope which Heaven has kindly thrown into our Cup

as a Cordial for all our Evils

230

The dreadful Effects of Anger, and of other Paffions 231

Violent Sallies of Paffion are fometimes useful in cold and
corpulent Conftitutions
ibid.
But those who are fubject to violent Paffions should refrain
from strong Liquors

ibid.

Of the Ufe of Mufick in foothing the Paffions

Of the Power of Poetry and Mufick united

Of the great use of Didactic Poetry

232

ibid.

Of

Of the ufe of Episodes and Digreffions which should be oc-
cafionally pathetic

233

ibid.

Of the neceffity of enriching the Style

Of Painting and Mufic

PRECEPTS for TALES in VERSE, with occafional Re-

234

marks

235 to 245

Those best which keep the Mind in a state of Suspense
and Anxiety to the End
The Hermit, by Dr. Parnel
The Apparition, by Mr. Gay

PRECEPTS for FABLES, with occafional Remarks

The great usefulness of Fables

The Jugglers, by Mr. Gay

The Poet and his Patron, by Mr. Moore

The Bag-Wig and Tobacco-Pipe, by Mr. Smart

235

236

242

PRE

RECEPTS for ALLEGORICAL POETRY, with oc-

cafional Remarks

Page 1 to 39

The Bufinefs of Poetry, especially of that which is Allego-

rical

Of Spencer

Definition of Allegorical Poetry

Allegorical Poetry most esteem'd by the Ancients

Of the Fable

marks

Of the origin of this Species of Poetry

Of invoking the Mufes

Of the excellencies of Pindar

ibid.

The Fairy Queen, by Spenfer
The Castle of Indolence, by Thomson

Pain and Pleasure, by Mr. Addifon
Care and Generofity, by Mr. Smart
That fort of Allegory which is made up of real or hiftorical
Perfons, and of Actions either probable or poffible; and
where the Moral is obvious, and the Mind fatisfied with-
out feeking for a mystical Meaning, ought to be distin-
guished by another Name
31

Improvement of Life. An Eaftern Story, by Mr.Johnson33

Of the Force and Propriety of Parables in the New Testa-

ment

Of the Affinity between Poetry and Painting

The Reason why we are fo affected by a beautiful Paffage

in Shakespeare

39

The Heads and Hearts of Men not fo bad as they are
ibid.
generally represented
PRECEPTS for LYRIC POETRY, with occafional Re-

5

25

27

30