the human heart, and confiders how often we gratify our own pride or envy under the appearance of contending for elegance and propriety, will find himself not much inclined to disturb; there can furely be no exemptions pleaded to fecure those from criticism, who can no longer fuffer by reproach, and of whom nothing now remains but their writings and their names. Upon these authors, the critic is undoubtedly at full liberty to exercife the ftricteft feverity; fince he endangers only his own fame, and, like Eneas when he drew his fword in the infernal regions, encounters phan toms which cannot be wounded. He may indeed pay fome regard to established reputation: but he can by that fhew of reverence confult only his own fecurity; for all other motives are now at an end. The faults of a writer of acknowledged excellence are more dangerous, because the influence of his example is more extenfive: and the intereft of learne ing requires, that they fhould be difcovered and ftigmatized, before they have the fanction of antiquity conferred upon them, and become prece: dents of indifputable authority. It has indeed been advanced by Addifon, as one of the characteristics of a true critic, that he points out beauties rather than faults. But it is rather natural to a man of learning and genius, to apply himself chiefly to the study of writers who have more beauties than faults to be difplayed: for the duty of criticifm is neither to depreciate nor dignify by partial reprefentations; but to hold out the light of Reafon, whatever it may discover; and to promulgate the determinations of Truth, whatever fhe fhall dictate. T HOR. HE resemblance of poetic numbers to the fubject which they mention or describe, may be confidered as general or particular; as confifting in the flow and structure of a whole paffage taken together, or as comprised in the found of fome emphatical and defcriptive words, or in the cadence and harmony of single verses. The general resemblance of the found to the fenfe, is to be found in every language which admits of poetry, in every author whofe force of fancy enables him to imprefs images ftrongly on his own mind, and whofe choice and variety of language fupplies him with just representations. To fuch a writer it is natural to change his measures with his fubject, even without any effort of the understanding, or intervention of the judgment. To revolve jollity and mirth, neceffarily tunes the voice of a poet to gay and fprightly notes, as it fires his eye with vivacity; and reflection on gloomy circumftances and difaftrous events, will fadden his numbers, as it will cloud his counte VOL. IV. Q nance. nance. But in fuch paffages there is only the fimilitude of pleasure to pleasure, and of grief to grief, without any immediate application to particular images. The fame flow of joyous verfification will celebrate the gaiety of marriage, and the exultation of triumph; and the fame languor of melody will fuit the complaints of an abfent lover, as of a conquered king. It is fcarcely to be doubted, that on many occafions we make the music which we imagine ourfelves to hear; that we modulate the poem by our own difpofition, and afcribe to the numbers the effects of the sense. We may obferve in life, that it is not easy to deliver a pleasing meffage in an unpleafing manner, and that we readily affociate beauty and deformity with those whom for any reafon we love or hate. Yet it would be too daring to declare that all the celebrated adaptations of harmony are chimerical; that Homer had no extraordinary attention to the melody of his verse when he described a nuptial festivity; Νύμφας δ' ἐκ θαλάμων, δαΐδων ὑπολαμπομενάων, Ηγίνεον ἀνὰ ἄςυ, πολὺς δ ̓ ὑμέναιος ὀρώρει; that Vida was merely fanciful, when he supposed Virgil endeavouring to represent by uncommon melody of numbers, the adventitious beauty of Eneas; Os humerofque deo fimilis namque ipfa decoram or |