have done, is enough to distinguish You from any other, which is the Propofition that I took upon me to demonstrate.

And now, my Lord, to apply what I have faid to my prefent Bufinefs; the Satyrs of Juvenal and Perfius, appearing in this new English Drefs, cannot fo properly be infcrib'd to any Man as to your Lordship, who are the Firft of the Age in that way of Writing. Your Lordship, amongst many other Favours, has given me your Permiffion for this Addrefs; and you have particularly encourag'd me by your Perufal and Approbation of the Sixth and Tenth Satyrs of Juvenal, as I have Tranflated. them. My Fellow-Labourers have likewife Commiffion'd me, to perform in their behalf this Office of a Dedication to you; and will acknowledge with all poffible Refpect and Gratitude, your Acceptance of their Work. Some of them have the Honour to be known to your Lordship already; and they who have not yet that Happiness, defire it now. Be pleas'd to receive our common Endeavours with your wonted Candour, without Intitling you to the Protection of our common Failings, in fo difficult an Undertaking. And allow me your Patience, if it be not already tir'd with this long Epiftle, to give you from the beft Authors, the Origin, the Antiquity, the Growth, the Change, and the Compleatment of Satyr among the Romans. To defcribe, if not define, the Nature of that Poem, with its feveral Qualifications and Virtues, together with the several forts of it. To compare the Excellencies of Horace, Perfius and Juvenal, and fhew the particular. Manners of their Satyrs. And lastly, to give an Account of this new way of Verfion which is attempted in our Performance. All which, according to the Weakness of my Ability,

Ability, and the beft Lights which I can get from others, fhall be the Subject of my following Difcourfe.

The most perfect Work of Poetry, fays our Mafter Ariftotle, is Tragedy. His Reafon is, becaufe 'tis the most united; being more feverely confin'd within the Rules of Action, Time, and Place. The Action is entire of a Piece, and One, without Episodes: The Time limited to a Natu ral Day; and the Place circumfcrib'd at least within the compafs of one Town, or City. Being exactly proportion'd thus, and uniform in all its Parts, the Mind is more capable of comprehending the whole Beauty of it without Diftraction.

But after all thefe Advantages, an Heroique Poem is certainly the greatest Work of Human Nature. The Beauties and Perfections of the other are but Mechanical; thofe of the Epique are more Noble. Tho' Homer has limited his Place to Troy, and the Fields about it; his Actions to Forty Eight Natural Days, whereof Twelve are Holy-days, or Ceffation from Bufinefs, during the Funerals of Patroclus. To proceed, the Action of the Epique is greater: The Extention of Time enlarges the Pleasure of the Reader, and the Epifodes give it more Ornament, and more Variety. The Inftru- etion is equal; but the first is only Inftructive, the latter forms a Hero, and a Prince.

If it fignifies any thing which of them is of the more Ancient Family, the best and most abfolute Heroique Poem was written by Homer long before Tragedy was invented: But, if we confider the natural Endowments, and acquir'd Parts which are neceffary to make an accomplish'd Writer in either kind, Tragedy requires a lefs and more confin'd Knowledge: Moderate Learning, and Ob• fervation

a5

fervation of the Rules is fufficient, if a Genius be not wanting. But in an Epique Poet, one who is worthy of that Name, befides an univerfal Genius, is requir'd univerfal Learning, together with all thofe Qualities and Acquifitions which I have nam'd above, and as many more as I have through Haste or Negligence omitted. And after all, he must have exactly ftudy'd Homer and Virgil, as his Patterns, Ariftotle and Horace as his Guides, and Vida and Boffu, as their Commentators, with many others both. Italian and French Critiques, which I want Leifure here to recommend.

In a word, What I have to say, in relation to This Subject, which does not particularly concern Satyr, is, That the Greatnefs of an Heroique Poem, beyond that of a Tragedy, may easily be difcover'd by obferving how few have attempted that Work, in Comparifon of thofe who have written Drama's; and of thofe few, how finall a Number have fucceeded. But leaving the Critiques on either fide, to contend about the Preference due to this or that fort of Poetry; I will haften to my prefent Bufinefs, which is the Antiquity and Origin of Satyr, according to thofe Informations which I have receiv'd from the learned Cafaubon, Heinfius, Rigaltius, Dacier, and the Dauphin's Juvenal; to which I fhall add fome Obfervations of my own.

There has been a long Difpute among the Modern Critiques, whether the Romans deriv'd their Satyr from the Grecians, or firft invented it themfelves. Julius Scaliger and Heinfius, are of the first Opinion; Cafaubon, Rigaltius, Dacier, and the Publisher of the Dauphin's Juvenal, maintain the latter. If we take Satyr in the general Signification of the Word, as it is us'd in all modern Lan

Languages for an Invective, 'tis certain that 'tis almost as old as Verfe; and tho' Hymns, which are Praises of God, may be allow'd to have been before it, yet the Defamation of others was not long after it. After God had curs'd Adam and Eve in Paradife, the Husband and Wife excus'd themfelves; by laying the blame on one another; and gave a Beginning to thofe conjugal Dialogues in Profe, which the Poets have perfected in Verfe. The Third Chapter of Job is one of the first Inftances of this Poem in Holy Scripture: Unless we will take it higher, from the latter end of the Second; where his Wife advises him to curfe his Maker.

This Original, Iconfefs, is not much to the Honour of Satyr; but here it was Nature, and that deprav'd: When it became an Art, it bore better Fruit. Only we have learnt thus much already, that Scoffs and Revilings are of the Growth of all Nations; and confequently that neither the Greek Poets borrow'd from other People their Art of Railing, neither needed the Romans to take it from them. But confidering Satyr as a Species of Poetry; here the War begins amongst the Critiques. Scaliger the Father will have it defcend from Greece to Rome; and derives the Word Satyr, from Satyrus, that mixt kind of Animal, or, as the Ancients thought him, Rural God, made up betwixt a Man and a Goat; with a Human Head, hook'd Nofe, powting Lips, a Bunch or Struma under the Chin, prick'd Ears, and upright Horns; the Body fhagg'd with Hair, efpecially from the Waste, and ending in a Goat, with the Legs and Feet of that Creature. But Cafaubon, and his Followers, with Reafon, condemn this Derivation; and prove that from Satyrus, the word Satira, as it fignifies a Poem,

Poem, cannot poffibly defcend. For Satira is not properly a Subftantive, but an Adjective; to which the word Lanx, in English a Charger, or large Platter, is understood: So that the Greek Poem made according to the Manner of a Satyr, and expreffing his Qualities, must properly be call'd Satyrical, and not Satyr. And thus far 'tis allow'd that the Grecians had fuch Poems; but that they were wholly different in Specie, from that to which the Romans gave the Name of Satyr

Ariftotle divides all Poetry, in relation to the Progrefs of it, into Nature without Art, Art begun, and Art compleated. Mankind, even the moft Barbarous, have the Seeds of Poetry implanted in them. The firft Specimen of it was certainly fhewn in the Praises of the DEITY, and Prayers to Him: And as they are of Natural Obligation, fo they are likewife of Divine Inftitution. Which Milton obferving, introduces Adam and Eve every Morning adoring GOD in Hymns and Prayers. The firft Poetry was thus begun, in the wild Notes of Natural Poetry, before the Invention of Feet, and Measures. The Grecians and Romans had no other Original of their Poetry. Feftivals and Holy-days foon fucceeded to Private Worship, and we need not doubt but they were enjoin'd by the True GOD to His own People; as they were afterwards imitated by the Heathens; who by the Light of Reason knew they were to invoke fome Superiour Being in their Neceffities, and to thank Him for his Benefits. Thus the Grecian Holy-days were celebrated with Offerings to Bacchus and Ceres, and other Deities, to whose Bounty they fuppos'd they were owing for their Corn and Wine, and other Helps of Life. And the ancient Romans, Horace tells us, paid their Thanks