rors.

that his criticism turns wholly upon little faults and erThis is so very easy to succeed. in, that we find many critics, upon the publishing of a new poem, have wit and ill-nature enough to turn several passages of it into ridicule, and very often to their own discredit. This, Dryden has very agreeably remarked in those two celebrated lines:

Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow:

He who would search for pearls must dive below.

A true critic ought to dwell rather upon excellencies than imperfections, to discover the concealed beauties of a writer, and communicate to the world such things as are worth their observation. The most exquisite ideas and language of an author, very often appear the most doubtful and exceptionable to those who want a relish for polite learning; and which a sour undistinguishing critic generally attacks with the greatest violence. Tully observes, that it is very easy to brand or fix a mark upon what he calls verbum ardens, or, as it may be rendered into English, a glowing, bold expression, and to turn it into ridicule, by a cold, ill-natured criticism. A little wit is equally as capable of ridiculing a beauty as of aggravating a fault; and though such illiberal treatment naturally produces indignation in the mind of an enlightened reader, it has, however, the reverse effect on many who think that every thing which is laughed at with any mixture of wit is ridiculous in itself.

Such mirth as this, of making a beauty and a blemish equally the subject of derision, is always unseasonable and injust, as it rather prejudices the reader than convinces him. A man who cannot write with wit on a facetious subject, is dull and stupid; but one who shows it in an improper place, is impertinent and absurd. He who delights in ridicule, is apt to find fault with any

e che volge la sua critica totalmente su' piccoli 'difetti ed errori. Questo è sì facile ad avvenire, che in sul pubblicarsi di una nuova opera troviamo molti critici forniti di acume e bastevole malignità da spargere il ridicolo in più tratti, e bene spesso dove sel meritano. Ciò è stato piacevolmente notato da Dryden in que' due celebri versi :

Galleggiano gli error qual paglia suole;

Vada in fondo a cercar chi perle vuole.

Un vero critico debbe fermarsi piuttosto sui pregi che sui difetti, discoprire le nascose bellezze dello scrittore e comunicare agli uomini quelle cose che sono degne di osservazione. Le più squisite idee ed espressioni di un autore, molto spesso appaiono le più dubbie e biasimevoli a coloro che mancano 'di gusto per elegante dottrina; e queste generalmente assale con la massima violenza l'acerbo critico ignorante. Tullio osserva che egli è molto facile vituperarsi e deridersi ció che egli chiama verbum ardens, e che gl'inglesi direbbono ardita espressione, e beffarsi da un freddo e mal naturato criticismo. Poco ingegno richiedesi a schernire una bellezza e ad aggravare un difetto; e benchè siffatta illiberale condotta naturalmente ecciti indegnazione nell'animo di illuminato lettore, produce nullameno l'effetto contrario in molti che pensano che ogni cosa posta in ridicolo con una cotal dose di frizzi è ridicola in sè medesima.

Cosiffatta festività di deridere una bellezza ed un difetto è sempre intempestiva ed ingiusta e reca pregiudizi piuttosto al lettore, non lo convince. Un uomo che non può scrivere con brio su di un argomento faceto è grossiero e stupido; ma chi usalo in luogo inopportuno è impertinente ed irragionevole. Chi si piace del ridicolo è capace di trovare pecche in ogni

thing that gives him an opportunity of exerting his beloved talent, and very often censures a passage, not because there is any fault in it, but because he can be merry upon it. Such pleasantry is very unfair and disingenuous.

As I intend to show the defects in Milton's Paradise Lost, I thought it necessary to premise these few particulars, that the reader may know I enter upon it as on a very ungrateful work, but I shall point at the imperfections without endeavouring to aggravate them by ridicule. I must also observe, with Longinus, that the productions of a great genius, with many lapses and inadvertencies, are infinitely preferable to the works of an inferior kind of author, which are scrupulously exact, and conformable to all the rules of correct writing.

I shall introduce a remark out of Boccalini, which sufficiently shows us the opinion that judicious author entertained of the critics I have adverted to. « A famous critic, says he, having gathered together all the faults of an eminent poet, made a present of them to Apollo, who received them very graciously, and resolved to make the author a suitable return for the trouble he had been at in collecting them. In order to this, he set before him a sack of wheat as it had been just threshed out of the sheaf. He then bid him pick out the chaff from among the corn, and lay it aside by itself. The critic applied himself to the task with great industry ad pleasure, and, after having made the due separation, was presented by Apollo with the chaff for his pains.

I shall now proceed to comment on the several defects which appear in the fable, the characters, the sentiments, and the language of Milton's Paradise Lost; not doubting but the reader will pardon any remarks I may suggest in extenuation of defects.

cosa che diagli opportunità di poter adoperare il suo creduto ingegno e soventi volte censura un tratto, non perchè vi si trovi difetto ma perchè vi può berteggiare sopra. Giovialità cosiffatta è molto invereconda e scortese.

Siccome intendo di mostrare le macchie del Paradiso perduto di Milton, stimai necessario premettere queste poche particolarità, acciocchè il lettore conosca che io tratto di ciò siccome cosa spiacevole, ma io accennerò alle imperfezioni senza studiarmi di aggrandirle col ridicolo. Debbo pure avvertir con Longino, che i parti di un gran genio che han molti nei ed inavvertenze sono infinitamente preferibili alle opere di mediocri autori che sono scrupolosamente esatti e conformi in tutto alle regole del corretto scrivere.

Addurrò qui un tratto del Boccalini, che suffi-' cientemente ci mostra quale opinione recasse quell'assennato autore dei critici sopra descritti.« Un famoso critico, dice egli, raccolte tutte le falte di un eminente poeta ne fe' dono ad Apollo, che ricevettele con benignità, e determinò di dare all' autore convenevole ricompensa pel travaglio sostenuto in raccoglierle. Però egli posegli innanzi un sacco di grano così come era stato trebbiato dal covone. Poi comandollo di sceverare la lolla dal frumento e metterla da parte. Il critico applicossi all'incarico con grande industria e piacere, e dopo fatta la dovuta cerna, fu regalato da Apollo della mondiglia per le sue fatiche ».

Mi farò ora a commentare i varii difetti che appaiono nel subbietto, nei caratteri, nei sentimenti e nello stile del Paradiso perduto di Milton; nè dubito che il lettore mi perdonerà alcune note che io recherò a scusare i difetti.

The first imperfection which I shall observe in the fable is, that the event of it is unhappy.

The fable of every poem is, according to Aristotle's division, either simple or implex. It is called simple, when there is no change of fortune in it; when the fortune of the chief actor changes from bad to good, or from good to bad. The implex fable is thought the most perfect; I suppose because it is more proper to excite the passions of the reader, and to surprise him with a greater variety of accidents.

The implex fable is therefore of two kinds. In the first, the chief actor makes his way through a long series of dangers and difficulties, till he arrives at honour and prosperity, as we see in the story of Ulysses. In the second, the chief actor in the poem falls from some high degree of honour and prosperity into misery and disgrace. Thus we see Adam and Eve sinking from a state of innocence and happiness into the most abject condition of sin and sorrow.

The most popular tragedies among the ancients were formed on this last sort of implex fable, particularly the tragedy of Oedipus, which proceeds upon a story, if we may believe Aristotle, the most proper for tragedy that could be invented. This kind of implex fable, wherein the event is unhappy, is more apt to affect an audience than that of the first kind; notwithstanding many excelLent pieces among the ancients, as well as most of those which have been written of late years in our own country, are raised upon contrary plans. I must, I must, however, own, that I think this kind of fable, which is the most perfect in tragedy, is not so proper for an heroic poem.

Milton seems to have been sensible of this imperfection in his fable, and has therefore endeavoured to palliate it