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Nor fuffers Horace more in wrong Translations
By Wits, than Critics in as wrong Quotations.
See Dionyfius Homer's thoughts refine,
And call new beauties forth from ev'ry line!
Fancy and art in gay Petronius please,
The scholar's learning, with the courtier's ease.
In grave Quintilian's copious work, we find
The jufteft rules, and clearest method join'd:
Thus afeful arms in magazines we place,
All rang'd' in order, and difpos'd with grace,
But lefs to please the eye, than arm the hand,
Still fit for use, and ready at command.

665

670

Thee, bold Longinus! all the Nine infpire, 675 And bless their Critic with a Poet's fire.

An ardent Judge, who zealous in his truft,
With warmth gives fentence, yet is always just ;
Whofe own example ftrengthens all his laws;
And is himself that great Sublime he draws.

Thus long fucceeding Critics juftly reign'd,

680

Licenfe reprefs'd, and useful laws ordain'd.
Learning and Rome alike in empire grew;
And Arts ftill follow'd where her Eagles flew ;
From the fame foes, at laft, both felt their doom, 685
And the fame age faw Learning fall, and Rome.
With Tyranny, then Superftition join'd,
As that the body, this enflav'd the mind;
Much was believ'd, but little understood,
And to be dull was conftru'd to be good ;

VER. 665. See Dionyfius] Of Halicarnaffus.

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VARIATION S.

Between ver. 690 and 691. the Author omitted these two:
Vain Wits and Critics were no more allow'd,

When none but Saints had licenfe to be proud.

A fecond deluge Learning thus o'er-run,
And the Monks finish'd what the Goths begun.

At length Erafmus, that great injur’d name,
(The glory of the Priesthood, and the fhame!)
Stem'd the wild torrent of a barb'rous age,
And drove those holy Vandals off the stage.

695

But fee! each Mufe, in LEO's golden days,
Starts from her trance, and trims her wither'd bays,
Rome's ancient Genius, o'er its ruins spread,
Shakes off the duft, and rears his rev'rend head. 700
Then Sculpture and her fifter-arts`revive;

Stones leap'd to form, and rocks began to live;
With fweeter notes each rifing Temple rung;
A Raphael painted, and a Vida fung.
Immortal Vida: on whofe honour'd brow
The Poet's bays and Critic's ivy grow:
Cremona now shall ever boast thy name,
As next in place to Mantua, next in fame!

705

But foon by impious arms from Latium chas'd, Their ancient bounds the banish'd Mufes pafs'd; 710 Thence Arts o'er all the northern world advance, But Critic-learning flourish'd most in France:

The rules a nation, born to ferve, obeys;
And Boileau ftill in right of Horace sways.

But we, brave Britons, foreign laws defpis'd,

715

And kept unconquer'd, and unciviliz'd;

Fierce for the liberties of wit, and bold,

We ftill defy'd the Romans, as of old.

Yet fome there were, among the founder few
Of those who lefs prefum'd, and better knew,

720

Who durft affert the jufter ancient cause,
And here reftor'd Wit's fundamental laws.

Such was the Mufe, whofe rules and practice tell, "Nature's chief Mafter-piece is writing well."

VER. 723. Such was the Muse]—Essay on Poetry by the Duke of Buckingham. Our Poet is not the only one of his time whe

Such was Rofcommon, not more learn'd than good, With manners gen'rous as his noble blood;

726

To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known,
And ev'ry author's merit but his own.
Such late was Walsh-the Mufe's judge and friend,
Who juftly knew to blame or to commend ;
To failings mild, but zealous for defert ;
The clearest head, and the fincerest heart.
This humble praife, lamented fhade! receive,

730

This praise at leaft a grateful Mufe may give :
The Mufe, whofe early voice you taught to fing, 735
Prefcrib'd her heights, and prun'd her tender wing,
(Her guide now loft) no more attempts to rife,
But in low numbers fhort excurfions tries:
Content, if hence th' unlearn'd their wants may view,
The learn'd reflect on what before they knew:
Careless of cenfure, nor too fond of fame;
Still pleas'd to praife, yet not afraid to blame;
Averfe alike, to flatter or offend;

Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend.

740

complimented this Effay, and its noble Author. Mr. Dryden had done it very largely in the Dedication to his Tranflation of the Eneid; and Dr. Garth, in the first edition of his Difpenfary, fays, The Tyber now no courtly Gallus fees, But smiling Thames enjoys his Normanbys.

Tho' afterwards omitted, when parties were carried fo high in the reign of Queen Anne, as to allow no commendation to an oppofite in Politics. The Duke was all his life a fteady adherent to the Church of England Party, yet an enemy to the extravagant meafures of the Court in the reign of Charles II. On which account, after having ftrongly patronized Mr. Dryden, a coolness fucceeded between them on that poet's abfolute attachment to the Court, which carried him some lengths beyond what the Duke could approve of. This Nobleman's true character had been very well marked by Mr. Dryden before,

The Mufe's friend,

Himself a Mufe. In Sanadrin's debate

True to his Prince, but not a flaye of ftate. Abf. and Achit. Our Author was more happy, he was honour'd very young with his friendship, and it continued till his death in all the circumRances uf familiar esteem,

THE

RAPE of the LOCK.

AN

HEROI-COMICAL

POE M.

Written in the year M DCC XII

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