Virtuous and wife he was, but not fevere; In the parts that follow are contain'd some lessons for the conduct of life, from which we shall infert a few inaxims. Vers'd in the woes and vanities of life, With respect to indolence and luxury we have this lefson, which concludes with a definition of virtue and sense, and their good effects. Let nature rest: be busy for yourself, The gawdy gloss of fortune only strikes But from this disgression (or episode) the poet naturally returns to his fubject. Thus, in his graver vein, the friendly sage Sometimes declaim'd. Of right and wrong he taught Truths as refin'd as ever Athens heard ; And (ft...nge to tell !) he practis'd what he preach'd. Know then, whatever chearful and serene He then speaks of the good and bad effects of love, and with regard to confummation, he says; Is health your care, or luxury your aim, The poet then proceeds to other passions, and the defcription he has given us of anger and its dreadful effects, is very beautiful and very just. But there's a paffion, whose tempestuous sway Tears up each virtue planted in the breast. And shakes to ruins proud philofophy. For pale and trembling anger rushes in, With fault'ring speech, and eyes that wildly stare; Fierce as the tyger, madder than the feas, Defperate, and arm'd with more than human strength. How foon the calm, humane, and polish'd man Forgets compunction, and starts up a fiend! Who pines in love, or wastes with filent cares, Envy, or ignominy, or tender grief, Slowly descends, and ling'ring, to the shades; But he whom anger stings, drops, if he dies, At once, and rushes apoplectic down; Or a fierce fever hurries him away. Such fates attend the rash alarm of fear, And fudden grief, and rage, and sudden joy. But there are constitutions to which these boisterous fits, these violent fallies of paffion, may be sometimes serviceable. For where the mind a torpid winter leads, Those however whose blood is apt to boil, and who are easily moved to wrath he wou'd have, Keep lent for ever; and forswear the bowl. And then offers something to the confideration of those whose turbulent tempers move them to feek revenge. While choler works, good friend, you may be wrong; Distrust yourself, and fleep before you fight. 'Tis not too late to-norrow to be brave; If honour bids, to-morrow kill or die. The poet then seeks a remedy for these evils, sets the contrary passions in opposition, so that they may counteract each other; and at last recommends musick as the most effectual. He then concludes the whole with an encomium on the power of poetry and of music united, which is enrich'd with allusions to ancient fables and historical facts; materials that we have often recommended as proper ornaments for these sort of poems. But he the muse's laurel justly smares, We have dwelt long enough, perhaps too long, on this subject; but as these poems are of such use, that what is taught in this agreeable manner will remain for ever fix'd on the memory, it seem'd the more necessary to be very particular and explicit in the rules, and to give variety of examples. We have only to add to what has been already faid, that the great art in the conduct of these poems is so to adorn and enliven the precepts that they may agreeably strike the imagination; and to deliver them in such an indirect manner, that, the form of instruction being concealed, the reader may grow wifer without perceiving he is taught, and that while the most useful lessons are inculcated, the whole may appear only as an amusement. For this reason it is necessary often to digress from the subject, and to introduce episodes of such a nature that at the end they may lead you naturally to your subject again, and then seem of a piece with it. Many instances of these kinds of digressions may be seen in the authors we have mention'd, but especially in Virgil, who, after he has been wandering, and to all appearance forgot his husbandmen and their concerns, is by some happy rural incident, arifing naturally out of his subject, brought back to his business again, and connects and makes every thing he has met with conducive to his main design. In these digressions and episodes it is also of the utmost confequence to introduce the pathetic, and agitate the affections; for it is ever to be observed, in works of this nature, that a digression properly introduced, and so as to awaken the passions, and strike the heart, is of more importance than a multitude of ornamental descriptions, and will be read again and again with pleafure; while, to other passages that are merely instructive, the mind can hardly attend a second time, tho' ever so well decorated. The understanding feels no pleasure in being instructed often in the same thing; but the heart is ever open to an affecting tale, and receives a pleasure every time it is repeated. With regard to the style or dress of these poems, it should be so rich as to hide the nakedness of the fubject, and the barrenness of the precepts should be loft in the lustre of the language. • It ought (fays Mr. Warton *) to abound in the most bold and forcible metaphors, the most glowing and picturesque epithets; it ought to be elevated and enliven'd by pomp of numbers and majefty of words, and by every figure that can lift a language above the vulgar and current expressions, One may add, that in-no kind of poetry (not even in the fublime ode) is beauty of expression so much to be regarded as in this. For the epic writer should be very cautious of in * See his Dissertation on Didatiic Poetry. |