Poets that lafting marble feek, Muft carve in Latin or in Greek; Years have defac'd his matchless strain, To fix a language has been found, among the inoft able undertakers, to be a fruitless project. The ftyle of the present French Novels and Memoirs, for the French at prefent produce little befides, is vifibly different from that of Boileau and Boffet, notwithftanding the ftrict and seasonable injunctions of the Academy: and the diction, even of fuch a writer as Maffei, is corrupted with many words, not to be found in Machiavel or Ariosto. 30. So when the faithful pencil has defign'd Some bright idea of the master's mind, And ready nature waits upon his hand; And sweetly melt into just shade and light; * Of ENGLISH VERSE. Fenton's edit. pag. 147. 12mo. When When mellowing years their full perfection give, I HAVE quoted these beautiful lines at length, as I believe nothing was ever so happily expreffed on the art of painting: a subject of which POPE always fpeaks con amore. Of all poets whatever, Milton has spoken moft feelingly of mufic, and POPE of painting. The reader may however compare the following paffage of Dryden, on the fame fubject. More cannot be by mortal art exprefs'd, For Time fhall with his ready pencil stand, And give more beauties than he takes away t IF POPE has fo much excelled in speaking in the properest terms of this art, it may per * Ver. 484. + Dryden to Kneller. X haps haps be afcribed to his having practised it; the fame may be faid of Milton, with respect to mufic. It may perhaps be wondered at, that a proficiency in these arts is not now frequently found in the fame person. I cannot at prefent recollect any painters that were good poets; except Salvator Rofa, and Charles Vermander of Mulbrac in Flanders, whofe comedies are much efteemed. But the fatires of the former contain no ftrokes of that fervid and wild imagination, fo visible in his landschapes. 31. If wit fo much from ign'rance undergo *. THE inconveniences that attend wit are well enumerated in this excellent paffage. Poets, who imagine they are known and admired, are frequently mortified and humbled. Boileau going one day to receive his penfion, and the treasurer reading these words in his Order; "The penfion we have granted to Boileau, on account of the fatisfaction his works have given us," asked him of what * Ver. 50%.. kind were his works: "Of Mafonry, replied the poet, I am a BUILDER." Racine always reckoned the praises of the ignorant among the chief sources of chagrin and used to relate, that an old magiftrate, who had never been at a play, was carried, one day, to his Andromaque. This magiftrate was very attentive to the tragedy, to which was added the Plaideurs; and going out of the theatre, he faid to the author, "I am extremely pleased, Sir, with your Andromaque, I am only amazed that it ends fo gaily; J'avois d'abord eu quelque envie de pleurer, mais la vue des petits chiens m'a fait rire." 32. Now they who reach Parnaffus' lofty crown, Employ their pains to spurn some others down*. If we confider the arts used by Addison to suppress the rifing merit of POPE, which are now fully laid open, it gives one pain to reflect, to what mean artifices, envy and malignity will compel a gentleman and a genius, to defcend. It is certain, that Addison dif couraged POPE from inferting the machinery in the Rape of the Lock: that he privately infinuated that POPE was a Tory and a Jacobite; and had a hand in writing the Exminers: that Addison himself tranflated the first book of Homer, published under Tickel's name and that he fecretly encouraged Gildon to abufe POPE in a virulent pamphlet, for which Addifon paid Gildon ten guineas. This ufage extorted from POPE the famous character of Atticus, which is perhaps the finest piece of fatire extant. It is faid, that when Racine read his tragedy of Alexander to Corneille, the latter gave him many general commendations, but advised him to apply his genius, as not being adapted to the drama, to fome other fpecies of poetry. Corneille, one would hope, was incapable of a mean jealousy, and if he gave this advice, thought it really proper to be given. 33. When love was all an easy monarch's care Seldom at council, never in a war *. * Ver. 537 THE |