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writ not vulgarly on vulgar Subjects, nor always chofe them. His Style is conftantly accommodated to this Subject, either high or low: If his Fault be too much Lowness, that of Perfius is the Fault of the hardness of his Metaphors, and Obfcurity: And fo they are equal in the Failings of their Style; where Juvenal manifeftly triumphs over both

of them.

The Comparison betwixt Horace and Juvenal is more difficult; because their Forces were more equal: A Difpute has always been, and ever will continue, betwixt the Favourers of the two Poets. Non noftrum eft tantas componere lites. I fhall only venture to give my own Opinion, and leave it for better Judges to determine. If it be only argu'd in general, which of them was the better Poet; the Victory is already gain'd on the fide of Horace. Virgil himself muft yield to him in the Delicacy of his Turns, his choice of Words, and perhaps the Purity of his Latin. He who fays that Pindar is inimitable, is himself inimitable in his Odes. But the Contention betwixt these two great Masters, is for the Prize of Satyr: In which Controverfy, all the Odes and Epodes of Horace are to stand excluded. I fay this, becaufe Horace has written many of them Satyrically, against his private Enemies: Yet thefe, if juftly confider'd, are fomewhat of the Nature of the Greek Silli, which were Invectives against particular Sects and Perfons. But Horace had purg'd himself of this Choler, before he enter'd on thofe Difcourfes, which are more properly call'd the Roman Satyr: He has not now to do with a Lyce, a Canidia, a Caffius Severus, or a Menas; but is to correct the Vices and the Follies of his Time, and to give the Rules of a happy and virtuous Life. In a

word,

word, that former fort of Satyr, which is known in England by the Name of Lampoon, is a dangerous fort of Weapon, and for the most part unlawful. We have no moral Right on the Repu tation of other Men. 'Tis taking from them what we cannot restore to them. There are only two Reasons, for which we may be permitted to write Lampoons; and I will not promife that they can always juftify us the firft is Revenge, when we have been affronted in the fame nature, or have been any ways notoriously abus'd, and can make our felves no other Reparation. And yet we know, that, in Chriftian Charity, all Offences are to be forgiven, as we expect the like Pardon for those which we daily commit against Almighty GOD. And this Confideration has often made me tremble when I was faying our Saviour's Prayer; for the plain Condition of the Forgiveness which we beg, is the pardoning of others the Offences which they have done to us: For which Reason I have many times avoided the Commiffion of that Fault, even when I have been notoriously provok'd. Let not this, my Lord, pafs for Vanity in me; for 'tis Truth. More Libels have been written against me, than almost any Man now living: And I had Reafon on my fide, to have defended my own Innocence: I fpeak not of my Poetry, which I have wholly given up to the Criticks; let them ufe it as they pleafe; Pofterity, perhaps, may be more favourable to me: For Intereft and Paffion will lie bury'd in another Age; and Partiality and Prejudice be forgotten. I fpeak of my Morals, which have been fufficiently afpers'd; that only fort of Reputation ought to be dear to every honeft Man, and is to me. But let the World witnefs for me, that I have been often

wanting

wanting to my self in that particular; I have feldom anfwer'd any fcurrilous Lampoon; when it was in my Power to have expos'd my Enemies : And being naturally vindicative, have fuffer'd in filence, and poffefs'd my Soul in quiet.

Any thing, tho' never fo little, which a Man fpeaks of himself, in my Opinion, is ftill too much; and therefore I will wave this Subject, and proceed to give the second Reafon, which may juftify a Poet, when he writes against a particular Perfon; and that is, when he is become a Publick Nuisance. And thofe, whom Horace in his Satyrs, and Perfius and Juvenal have mention'd in theirs, with a Brand of Infamy, are wholly fuch. 'Tis an A&tion of Virtue to make Examples of vicious Men. They may and ought to be upbraided with their Crimes and Follies: Both for their own Amendment, if they are not yet incorrigible; and for the Terror of others, to hinder them from falling into thofe Enormities, which they fee are fo feverely. punish'd, in the Perfons of others. The firft Rea fon was only an Excufe for Revenge; but this fecond is abfolutely of a Poet's Office to perform: But how few Lampooners are there now living, who are capable of this Duty? When they come in my way, 'tis impoffible fometimes to avoid reading them. But, good God! how remote they are in common Juftice, from the Choice of fuch Perfons as are the proper Subject of Satyr! And how little Wit they bring, for the fupport of their Injustice! The weaker Sex is their moft ordinary Theme; and the best and faireft are fure to be the most severely handled. Amongft Men, thofe who are profperously unjust, are intitled to Panegyrick: But afflicted Virtue is infolently ftabb'd with all manner of Reproaches; no Decency is confider'd, no Fulsomeness

someness omitted; no Venom is wanting, as fag as Dulness can fupply it: For there is a perpetual Dearth of Wit; a Barrennefs of good Senfe and Entertainment. The neglect of the Readers, will foon put an end to this fort of fcribling. There can be no Pleafantry where there is no Wit: No Impreffion can be made, where there is no Truth for the Foundation. To conclude, they are like the Fruits of the Earth in this unnatural Seafon : The Corn which held up its Head, is fpoil'd with Ranknefs; but the greater part of the Harveft is laid along, and little of good Income and wholefome Nourishinent is receiv'd into the Barns. This is almost a Digreffion, I confefs to your Lordship; but a juft Indignation forc'd it from me. Now I have remov'd this Rubbish, I will return to the Comparison of Juvenal and Horace.

I wou'd willingly divide the Palm betwixt them; upon the two Heads of Profit and Delight, which are the two Ends of Poetry in general. It must be granted by the Favourers of Juvenal, That Horace is the more copious and profitable in his Inftru&ions of Human Life: But in my particular Opinion, which I fet not up for a Standard to better Judgments, Juvenal is the more delightful Author. I am profited by both, I am pleas'd with both; but I owe more to Horace, for my Inftruction; and more to Juvenal, for my Pleasure. This, as I faid, is my particular Tafte of these two Authors: They who will have either of them to excel the other in both Qualities, can fcarce give better Reafons for their Opinion, than I for mine: But all unbiafs'd Readers, will conclude, that my Moderation is not to be condemn'd: To fuch inpartial Men I must appeal: For they who have already form'd their Judgment, may justly stand sus

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pected of Prejudice; and tho' all who are my Readers, will fet up to be my Judges, I enter my Caveat against them, that they ought not fo much as to be of my Jury: Or, if they be admitted, 'tis but Reason that they fhould first hear what I have to urge in the Defence of my Opinion.

That Horace is fomewhat the better Inftructor of the two, is prov'd from hence, That his Inftru&ions are more general; Juvenal's more limited. So that granting, that the Counfels which they give are equally good for Moral Ufe; Horace, who gives the most various Advice, and molt applicable to all Occafions which can occur to us in the Course of our Lives; as including in his Difcourfes, not only all the Rules of Morality, but also of Civil Converfation; is, undoubtedly, to be preferr'd to him, who is more circumfcrib'd in his Inftructions, makes them to fewer People, and on fewer Occafions, than the other. I may be par don'd for ufing an old Saying, fince 'tis true, and to the purpofe, Bonum quo communius, ea melius. Juvenal, excepting only his firft Satyr, is in all the reft confin'd, to the expofing of fome particular Vice; that he lashes, and there he sticks. His Sentences are truly fhining and inftru&tive: But they are sprinkl❜d here and there. Horace is teaching us in every Line, and is perpetually Moral; he had found out the Skill of Virgil, to hide his Sentences: To give you the Virtue of them, without fhewing them in their full Extent: Which is the Oftentation of a Poet, and not his Art: And this Petronius charges on the Authors of his Time, as a Vice of Writing, which was then growing on the Age. Ne Sententia extra Corpus Orationis emineant: He wou'd have them weav'd into the Body of the Work, and not appear embofs'd upon it,

and

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