Nemica naturalenente di pace Nasce una gente, a cui'l morir non dole. Con tutti quei che fperan negli dei Ma tutti colpi fuoi commette al vento. Ma Maratona, e le mortali ftratte, Che difefe il leon con poca gente. In Canzone XXIX. this ftanza is eminently beautiful: Voi cui Fortuna ha pofto in mano il freno Delle belle contrade, E 3 Di Di che nulla pieta par che vi ftringa, - Del barbarico fangue fi dipinga? Poco vedete; e parvi veder molto: Qual piu gente poffede Colui e piu da' fuoi nemici avvolto, Di che deferti ftrani Per innondar i noftri dolci campi! Se dalle proprie mani Quefto n'avven, or chi fia che ne fcampi? His fonnets, truly fine, and in which the train of thought varies, might be reduced to about a dozen. The real poetical beauties of Dante might likewife fall into very small compass; confifting chicfly of the celebrated tale of Ugolino; and of that in the clofe of the Vth Canto of the Inferno; which is as exquifite for tenderness, as the other is remarkable for terror. Now, that beauties of writers are fashionable reading, a fall duodecimo extracted from thefe two poets would, if performed with tafte, be an acceptable prefent to the public: for no works works I have read afford fo fair a field for felection as thofe of the fathers of Italian poetry; as they contain diamonds of the finest water loft in a mafs of common foil. Yet were they both men of real genius; for fuperlative genius. must be discovered from the amazing height it fometimes rifes to; tho at other times it dif plays no extraordinary vigor. The genius of Petrarch is however more equal and correct than that of Dante; yet he by no means wanted ftrength when he chofe to exert it. Nor was Dante, whofe excellence is native force, deficient in defcribing the tender paffions, as may be seen in the Canto above referred to. Petrarch's learning almost destroyed his genius. Dante's genius fhot freely, having no bound of erudition to confine its vigor: he is a bold original writer, whofe beauties are peculiarly his own, while his faults are thofe of the times. LETTER IX. ERHAPS no queftion of criticism may PER ADS quere of afford room for more curious investigation than this: In what quality does the perpetual and univerfal excellence of writing confift? or, in other words, What property of compofition is certain to procure it the claffic and legitimate admiration of all ages and countries? To decide on this point it is certainly the fureft method to judge of the future by the paft, and to pronounce that the fame perfections which have fecured to an author of three thousand years standing his due applaufe, will most infallibly effect the fame end to a modern writer. A POET of fine talents, but of far fuperior tafte, has pronounced wifdom or good sense to be the very fountain of perfect compofition. Scribendi recte fapere eft et principium et fons. HOR. And And this maxim will be found to hold true in every species of writing whatever. Good fenfe may be called the falt that preferves the other qualities of writing from corruption. This property is alike required in every branch of the belles lettres; but there are others which may be confidered as confined to one particular path of writing, SUCH is imaginary invention with respect to poetry: I fay, imaginary invention, to distinguish it here from that fcientific invention which belongs to the judgment. This invention, as the parent of novelty, is the fuperlative qualification of poetry, and nothing can contribute more to procure it permanent admiration, Yet invention itself is inferior to strong sense even in poetry, for there are poems in which the invention is rich yet difgufts by its futility; not being conducted by that acer animi vis, that keen force of mind, which always accompanies true genius. If good fenfe is therefore a praise superior to invention itself in poetry, we may with great fafety pronounce it one of the very first qualities that enfures applause to compofition. A BEAU |