I.

THe true value of Poe­try is ordinarily so lit­tle known, that scarce ever is made a true judgment of it. 'Tis the talent of wits on­ly that are above the common rank to esteem of it accord­ing to its merit: and one cannot con­sider, how Alexander, Scipio, Iulius Cae­sar, Augustus, and all the great men of Antiquity have been affected therewith, without conceiving a Noble Idea of it. In effect, Poesie, of all Arts, is the most [Page 2] perfect: for the perfection of other Arts is limited, but this of Poesie has no bounds; to be excellent therein, one must know all things: but this value will best appear, by giving a particular of the qualities necessary for a Poet.

II.

HE must have a Genius extraordi­nary, great Natural gifts; a Wit just, fruitful, piercing, solid, universal; an Understanding clean and distinct; an Imagination neat and pleasant; an ele­vation of Soul that depends not on art nor study, and which is purely a gift of Heaven, and must be sustain'd by a lively sense and vivacity; a great Judgment to consider wisely of things, and a vivaci­ty to express them with that grace and abundance which gives them beauty. But as Judgment without Wit is cold and heavy, so Wit without Judgment is blind and extravagant. Hence it is that Lucan often in his Pharsalia grows flat for want of Wit. And Ovid in his Metamorphosis sometimes loses himself through his defect of judgment. Ariosto has too much flame. Dante has none at [Page 3] all. Boccace's wit is just, but not copi­ous: the Cavalier Marino is luxuriant, but wants that justness; for in fine; to accomplish a Poet, is required a tem­perament of wit and of fancy, of strength and of sweetness, of penetration and of delicacy: and above all things, he must have a sovereign eloquence, and a pro­found capacity. These are the qualities that must concur together to form the Genius of a Poet, and sustain his Cha­racter.

III.

BUt the first injustice that Poets suf­fer, is, that commonly what is meerly the effect of Fancy, is mistaken for Wit. Thus an ignorant person shall start up, and be thought a Poet in the world, for a lucky hit in a Song or Catch, where is onely the empty flash of an imagination heated perhaps by a debauch, and no­thing of that celestial fire which only is the portion of an extraordinary Genius. One must be careful (saith Horace) of profaning that Name, by bestowing it with­out distinction on all those who undertake to versifie. For (saith he) there must be a greatness of Soul, and something divine [Page 4] in the spirit. There must be lofty ex­pressions, and noble thoughts, and an air of majesty to deserve that name. A Sonnet, Ode, Elegy, Epigram, and those little kind of Verses that often make so much noise in the world, are ordinarily no more then the meer productions of imagination, a superficial wit, with a lit­tle conversation of the world is capa­ble of these things. True Poetry requires other qualifications, a Genius for War, or for Business, comes nothing near it; a little flegm, with a competency of ex­perience, may fit a man for an important Negotiation: and an opportunity well manag'd, joyn'd with a little hazard, may make the success of a Battel, and all the good fortune of a Campagne; but to excite these emotions of the Soul, and transports of admiration that are ex­pected from Poetry, all the wit that the Soul of man is capable of, is scarce suffi­cient. For example.

IV.

HOmer, who had a Genius accom­plish'd for Poetry, had the vastest, sublimest, profoundest, and most univer­sal [Page 5] wit that ever was; 'twas by his Po­ems that all the Worthies of Antiquity were form'd: from hence the Lawma­kers took the first platform of the Laws they gave to Mankind; the founders of Monarchies and Commonwealths from hence took the Model of their Polities. Hence the Philosophers found the first principals of Morality which they have taught the People. Hence Phys [...]ians have studied Diseases, and their Cures. Astronomers have learn'd the know­ledge of Heaven, and Geometricians of the Earth. Kings and Princes have learn'd the art to govern, and Captains to form a Battel to encamp an Army, to besiege Towns, to fight and to gain Vi­ctories. From this great original Socra­tes, Plato, Aristotle, came to be Philoso­phers. Sophocles and Euripides took the haughty air of the Theatre and Idea's of Tragedy. Zeuxes, Apelles, Polygnotus, became such excellent Painters; and Alexander the Great so valiant. In fine, Homer has been (if I may so say) the first Founder of all Arts and Sciences, and the pattern of the wise men in all Ages. And as he has been in some manner the Author of Paganism, the Religion whereof he establish'd by his Poems, [Page 6] one may say that never Prophet had so many followers as he: yet notwith­standing this so universal Genius, this wit capable of all things, apply'd him­self onely to Poetry, which he made his business.

V.

'TIs in no wise true, what most be­lieve, That some little mixture of Madness goes to make up the cha­racter of a Poet; for though his Dis­course ought in some manner to resem­ble that of one inspir'd: yet his mind must alwayes be serene, that he may dis­cern when to let his Muse run mad, and when to govern his Transports▪ And this serenity of spirit which makes the judg­ment, is one of the most essential parts of a Poets Genius, 'tis with this that he must be possess'd. Aristotle allows that there is something Divine in his cha­racter, but nothing of Madness. These the Vulgar alwayes confound, and 'tis their ignorance joyn'd with the extra­vagance of some particular Poets that made way for this opinion, to the disre­spect of the profession, which is not con­sider'd in the world as it ought to be, by [Page 7] reason of the little care to distinguish those that are Poets, from those that are not.

VI.

ONe may be an Orator without the natural gift of Eloquence, be­cause Art may supply that defect; but no man can be a Poet without a Genius: the want of which, no art or industry is capable to repair. This Genius is that ce­lestial fire intended by the Fable, which enlarges and heightens the Soul, and makes it express things with a lofty air. Happy is he to whom Nature has made this present, by this he is raised above himself; whereas others are alwayes low and creeping, and never speak but what is mean and common. He that hath a Genius, appears a Poet on the smallest Subjects, by the turn he gives them▪ and the noble manner in which he expresses himself. This Character the French gave their Monsieur R [...]can, but in truth where shall we find all these qua­lities I have mentioned? where is that sparkling Wit. and that solid Judgment? That flame and that flegm? That ra­pture and that moderation which con­stitute [Page 8] that Genius we enquire after? 'tis the little Wits alwayes who think they versifie the best; the greatest Po­ets are the most modest. 'Twas with trembling that Virgil under the covert of the Night, went to fix on the gate of the Emperours Palace, those two Verses which caus'd so much admiration all over Rome. This great man conceal'd himself, when Augustus so earnestly made search after the Author of that admirable Distich, and he was the last that under­stood the value of his own work: 'tis cer­tain that the great Wits never have a ve­ry good opinion of what they compose, by reason of the too great Idea of per­fection they propose to themselves in their works. Happy Age, when Poets were so modest, when shall we see those days again! nothing is more trouble­som than a Scribler conceited of his own Merit, he tyres all the world, eter­nally shewing his labours: and no soon­er is he able to make a Rime at the end of a line, but all the world must be made to know his Talent; whereas the great men are in pain whil'st they shew them­selves, and industriously labour to be conceal'd.

VII.

IT is not easily decided what the Na­ture, and what precisely is the End of this Art, the interpreters of Aristotle differ in their opinions. Some will have the End to be Delight, and that 'tis on this account it labours to move the passi­ons, all whose motions are delightful, because nothing is more sweet to the Soul then agitation, it pleases it self in changing the objects, to satisfie the im­mensity of its desires. 'Tis true, delight is the end Poetry aims at, but not the principal end, as others pretend. In ef­fect, Poetry being an Art, ought to be pro­fitable by the quality of its own nature, and by the essential subordination that all Arts should have to Polity, whose end in general is the publick good. This is the judgment of Aristotle, and of Horace, his chief Interpreter.

VIII.

AFter all, since the design of Poetry is to delight, it omits nothing that may contribute thereto; 'tis to this in­tent that it makes use of Numbers and Harmony, which are naturally delight­ful, and animates its Discourse with more lively draughts, and more strong expressions, than are allow'd in Prose; and does affranchize it self from that constraint and reservedness that is ordi­nary with Orators, and permits a great liberty to imagination, and makes fre­quent images of what is most agreeable in nature; and never speaks but with figures, to give a greater lustre to the Discourse; and is noble in its Idea's, sublime in the Expressions, bold in the Words passionate in the Motions, and takes pleasure in relating extraordinary Adventures to give the most common and natural things a fabulous gloss, to render them more admirable, and heigh­ten Truth by Fiction. 'Tis finally for this, that it employs whatever Art has that is pleasant, because its end is to de­light. Empedocles who used not this art [Page 11] in his Poems, as Homer, nor Lucretius, as Virgil, are not true Poets Homer is de­light [...]ul even in the de [...]cription of Laer­tes Sw [...]eherds lodge in his Odyssis, and Virgil in the Dung and Thistles in his Georgicks, as he expresses himself; for every thing becomes beautiful and slowry in the hands of a Poet who hath a Genius.

IX.

HOwever the principal end of Poe­sie, is to pro [...]it; not only by re­freshing the mind, to render it more ca­pable of the ordinary functions, and by assuaging the troubles of the Soul with its harmony, and all the elegancies of expression. But furthermore, by pur­ging the manners with wholsom instru­ctions which it professes to administer to humane kind; for Virtue being na­turally austere, by the constraint it im­poses on the heart, in repressing the de­sires: Morality, which undertakes to regulate the motions of the heart by its precepts, ought to make it self delight­ful that it may be listened to, which can by no means be so happily effected as by Poetry: 'Tis by this, that Morality in cu­ring [Page 12] the Maladies of men, makes use of the same artifice that Physitians have recourse to in the sickness of children, they mingle Honey with the Medicine to take off the bitterness. The principal design therefore of this Art, is to ren­der pleasant that which is wholsom; in which 'tis more wise then other Arts, which endeavour to profit without any care to please. Eloquence it self, by its most passionate Discourse, is not always capable to persuade men to Virtue with that success, as Poetry; because men are more sensible and sooner impress'd up­on by what is pleasant, than by reason. For this cause, all Poetry that tends to the corruption of Manners, is irregular and vicious; and Poets are to be look'd on as a publick Contagion, whose Mo­rals are not pure: and 'tis these dissolute and debauch'd Poets that Plato banish'd his Commonwealth. And true it is, that the petty Wits onely are ordinarily subject to say what is impious or ob­scene. Homer and Virgil were never guilty in this kind, they were sweet and virtuous as Philosophers; the Muses of true Poets are as chaste as Vestals.

X.

FOr no other end is Poetry delightful, then that it may be profitable. Plea­sure is only the means by which the pro­fit is convey'd; and all Poetry, when 'tis perfect, ought of necessity to be a pub­lick Lesson of good Manners for the in­struction of the world. Heroick Poe­sie proposes the example of great Vir­tues, and great Vices, to excite men to abhor these, and to be in love with the other: it gives us an esteem for Achil­les in Homer, and contempt for Thersites: it begets in us a veneration for the piety of Aeneas in Virgil, and horrour for the profaness of Mezentius. Tragedy recti­fies the use of Passions, by moderating our fear, and our pity, which are obsta­cles of Virtue; it lets men see that Vice never escapes unpunish'd, when it represents Aegisthus in the Electra of So­phocles, punish'd after the Ten years en­joyment of his Crime. It teaches us, that the favours of Fortune, and the grandeurs of the World, are not al­ways true Goods, when it shews on the Theatre a Queen so unhappy as Hecuba [Page 14] deploring with that pathetick ayre her misfortunes in Euripides Comedy, which is an image of common conversation, corrects the publick Vices, by letting us see how ridiculous they are in parti­culars. Aristophanes does not mock at the foolish vanity of Praxagora (in his Parliament of Women) but to cure the vanity of the other Athenian Wo­men; and 'twas only to teach the Roman Souldiers in what consisted true Valour, that Plautus expos'd in publick the ex­travagance of false Bravery in his Brag­gadocio Captain, in that Comedy of the Glorious Souldier.

XI.

BUt because Poetry is only profitable so far as it is delightful, 'tis of greatest importance in this Art to please; the onely certain way to please, is by Rules: these therefore are to be established, that a Poet may not be left to confound all things, imitating those Extravagances which Horace so much blames; that is to say, by joining things naturally incompatible, mixing Tygers with Lambs, Birds with Serpents, to [Page 15] make one body of different species, and thereby authorize Fancies more indi­gested than the Dreams of sick men; for unless a man adhere to Principles, he is obnoxious to all Extravagances and Absurdities imaginable: unless he go by Rule, he slips at every step towards Wit, and falls into Errors as often as he sets out. Into what Enormities hath Pe­trarch run in his Africa; Ariosto in his Orlando Furioso; Cavalier Marino in his Adonis, and all the other Italians who were ignorant of Aristotle's Rules; and followed no other guides but their own Genius and capricious Fancy: Truth is, the Wits of Italy were so prepossess'd in favour of the Romantick Poetry of Pulci, Boyardo, and Ariosto, that they re­garded no other Rules than what the heat of their Genius inspir'd. The first Italian Poet who let the World see that the Art was not altogether unknown to him, was Giorgio Trissino in his Poem of Italy delivered from the Goths, under the Pontificats of Leo X. and Clement VIII. in this Poem appear'd some kind of imitation of Homers Ilias. This Mo­del was followed with success by Tasso in his Hierusalem delivered; though one Oliviero had essay'd the same before [Page 16] him, but not so happily; in his Poem of Germany, Victorius, Madius, Robertellus, and after them Castelvetno, and Picolo­mini were the first that made Europe ac­quainted with Aristotle's Rules, which were brought over by the Grecians from Constantinople into Italy: and these were followed by Beni, Minturno, Rico­bon, Vida, Gallutio, and many others.

XII.

ARistotle drew the platform of these Rules from the Poems of Homer, and other Poets of his time, by the Re­flections he had a long time made on their Works. I pretend not by a long Discourse to justifie the necessity, the justness, and the truth of these Rules; nor to make an History of Aristotle's Treatise of Poesie; or examine whether it is complete, which many others have done, all these things I suppose: onely I affirm, That these Rules well conside­red one shall find them made onely to reduce Nature into method, to trace it step by step, and not suffer the least mark of it to escape us. 'Tis onely by these Rules that the verifimility in Fictions is [Page 17] maintained, which is the soul of Poesie. For unless there be the unity of place, of time, and of the action in the great Poems, there can be no verisimility. In fine, 'tis by these Rules that all becomes just, proportionate, and natural; for they are founded upon good Sense, and sound Reason, rather than on Authori­ty and Example. Horace's book of Poe­sie, which is but an interpretation of that of Aristotle, discovers sufficiently the necessity of being subject to Rules, by the ridiculous Absurdities one is apt to fall into, who follows only his fancy; for though Poesie be the effect of fancy, yet if this fancy be not regulated, 'tis a meer Caprice, not capable of produ­cing any thing reasonable.

XIII.

BUt if the Genius must indispensibly be subjected to the servitude of Rules, 'twill not easily be decided whe­ther Art or Nature contributes more to Poetry; 'tis one of those questions un­resolv'd which might be proper for a declamation, and the decision is of small importance: it suffices that we know [Page 18] both the one and the other are of that moment, that none can attain to any so­vereign perfection in Poetry, if he be de­fective in either: So that both (saith Horace) must mutually assist each other, and conspire to make a Poet accom­plish'd. But though Nature be of little value without the help of Art, yet we may approve of Quintilian's opinion, who believ'd that Art did less contri­bute to that perfection, than Nature. And by the comparison that Longinus makes betwixt Apollonius and Homer, Erastathenes and Archilochus, Bacchilides and Pindar, Ion and Sophocles, the for­mer of all which never transgressed against the Rules of Art, whereas these other did; it appears that the advan­tage of Wit is always prefer'd before that of Art.

XIV.

'TIs not enough to have a Genius: one must know that he has it, and be sure by the experience he ought to have of it: and he must know well of what it is most capable▪ and of what it is not, lest he force it contrary to the precept of Horace: which yet cannot be [Page 19] known without a long time making re­flections on himself: and though Na­ture is always ready to discover it self, yet we are not to relie on that, but study it with great attention, to learn its strength. There are universal Ge­nius's capable of all things by the im­mensity of their wit, as Horace and Vir­gil, and there are others that are limi­ted. Demetrius Phalereus says, That Archilochus had not that greatness of Soul proper for an Heroick Poem, which Homer was endu'd withall. Anacreon, whose delicacy of Wit was admirable, had not that loftiness. Propertius af­firms of himself, That he was not fit to sing the Wars of Augustus, nor describe the Genealogy of Caesar. Horace per­adventure, by the strength of his Geni­us, might have been capable of a great Poem, if his inclination and nature had not determined him to Lyrick Verse. Fracastorius, who with so good success writ his Syphilis, the most excellent Po­em in Latin Verse that these latter Ages has produc'd in Italy, and which is writ in imitation of Virgil's Georgicks, was not so happy in his Epick Poem of Ioseph Viceroy of Egypt, a fragment whereof is extant; for this Poem is of a poor [Page 12] [...] [Page 13] [...] [Page 14] [...] [Page 15] [...] [Page 16] [...] [Page 17] [...] [Page 18] [...] [Page 19] [...] [Page 20] Genius, and low Character. Ronsard who had a Talent for Lyrick Verse in Scaliger's opinion, and who got Reputa­tion by his Odes, fell short extremely in his Franciad, which is dry and barren throughout, and has nothing of an He­roick ayre in it.

XV.

BUt 'tis not so much to discover its strength, that we must know our Genius, as that we may be diligent to form it by the help of Art, and not go astray in the way we take to bring it to perfection. 'Twas thus that Horace, whose Genius was capable of all things, chiefly applied himself to Satyre, by the inclination of his Natural gay­etie, which made him Rallee so plea­santly on all occasions. He had found in his Nature the seeds of this Cha­racter, which he afterwards cultiva­ted with so much success: And what loftiness he found in his Nature, he con­fined to Lyrick Poesie, for which he had an Inclination. For though he had a Genius for greater things, yet by a cer­tain love of ease, which was natural to [Page 21] him, he only applied himself to the lit­tle, for that he was not of an humour to strain, or give himself trouble. Ovid finding in himself a capacity of expres­sing things naturally, left Heroick Verse to write Elegies, in which he was more happy. Virgil, who perceiv'd himself more strong, and had a greater elevati­on of Soul, took Trumpet in hand, and raised himself by his Eglogues, and Geor­gicks, as by so many steps to the most sublime Character of Heroick Verse. 'Tis therefore by reflecting a long time on a mans self, and by continual study of his Nature, join'd with the care and exercise of Composing, that he does ac­complish his Genius, and arrives to per­fection.

XVI.

NOthing can more contribute to this perfection, than a judgment proportion'd to the Wit; for the great­er that the Wit is, and the more strength and vigour that the imagination has to form these Idea's that enrich Poesie; the more wisdom and discretion is requisite to moderate that heat, and govern its natural Fury. For Reason ought to be [Page 22] much stronger than the Fancy, to dis­cern how far the Transports may be carried. 'Tis a great Talent to for­bear speaking all one thinks, and to leave something for others to employ their thoughts. 'Tis not ordinarily known how far matters should be carri­ed; a man of an accomplish'd Genius stops regularly where he ought to stop, and retrenches boldly what ought to be omitted. 'Tis a great fault not to leave a thing when 'tis well, for which Apel­les so much blam'd Protogenes. This mo­deration is the character of a great Wit, the Vulgar understand it not; and (what ever is alledg'd to the contrary) never any, save Homer and Virgil, had the dis­cretion to leave a thing when 'twas well.

XVII.

THis Natural discernment which is necessary for a Poet to accomplish him, ought it self to be improv'd, and to attain to perfection by the ministry of Art, without which, nothing exact or regular can be produc'd. A Poet that designs to write nothing but what is just and accurate, above all things ought to [Page 23] apply himself with great attention to the precepts of Aristotle as the best Master that ever writ of this Art; but because his method is nothing exact, though his matter be solid, I rather at­tend his Rules, than the order in which he has left them. Horace, who was the first Interpreter of Aristotle, in his Book on this Subject, has observ'd as little method, because peradventure it was writ in an Epistle, whose Character ought to be free, and without constraint. This is what may be said in general of subjecting the Wit to Rules of Art, which the Italian and Spanish Poets scarce ever were acquainted withall: hereafter follows what may be observ'd in particular of this Art.

XVIII.

THe Art of Poetry in general, com­prehends the matters of which a Poet treats, and the manner in which he handles them; the invention, the contrivance, the design, the proportion and symmetry of parts, the general dis­position of matters, and whatever re­gards the invention, belong to the mat­ters [Page 24] of which this Art ought to treat. The Fable, the Manners, the Sentiments, the Words, the Figures, the Numbers, the Harmony, the Versification regard the manner in which the matters are to be handled: So that the Art is (as it were) the instrument of the Genius, because it contains essentially all the different parts which are employ'd in the management. So that those who are furnish'd with a naked Wit onely, and who, to be great Poets, relie principal­ly on their Fancy, as Cavalier Marino among the Italians, Theophile among the French, and those likewise who place the essence of Poetry in big and pom­pous words, as Statius among the La­tins, and Du Bartas among the French, are much mistaken in their account, when they aspire to the glory of Poetry by such feeble means.

XIX.

[...]Mong the particulars of this Art, [...] the Subject and Design ought to [...] the first place, because it is, as it [...] the [...]irst production of the Wit; [...] design in a Poem is, what they [Page 25] call the Ordonnance in a picture. The great Painters onely are capable of a great design in their draughts, such as a Raphael, a Iulius Romanus, a Poussin, and onely great Poets are capable of a great Subject in their Poetry. An indif­ferent Wit may form a vast design in his Imagination, but it must be an extraor­dinary Genius that can work this de­sign, and fashion it according to justness and proportion. For 'tis necessary that the same spirit reign throughout, that all contribute to the same end, and that all the parts bear a secret relation to each other, all depend on this relation and alliance; and this general design is nothing else but the form which a Poet gives to his work. This also is the most difficult part, being the effect of an ac­complish'd judgment, and because judg­ment is not the ordinary Talent of the French, 'tis generally in the contrivance of their design, that their Poets are de­fective, and nothing is more rare among them, than a design that is great, just, and well conceiv'd▪ They pretend to be more happy in the Talents of Wit and Fancy, as likewise the Italians. The most perfect design of all modern Po­ems, is that of Tasso, nothing more com­plete [Page 26] has appear'd in Italy, though great faults are in the conduct of it. And the most judicious, the most admirable, the most perfect design of all Antiquity, is that of Virgil in his Aeneads; all there is great and noble, all proportionable to the Subject, which is the establishment of the Empire of Rome, to the Heroe who is Aene [...]s, to the glory of Augustus and the Romans, for whom it was compos'd. Nothing is weak or defective in the ex­ecution, all there is happy, all is just, all is perfect. But the sovereign perfection of a design, in the opinion of Horace, is to be simple, and that all turn on the same Centre. Which is so true, that even in little things, that is to say, in an Eglogue, Elegy, Song or Epigram, and in the meanest Compositions there ought to be a just cast, and that all of it turn on the same point. Ovid did much violence to himself to unite his Meta­morphoses, and close them in one design, in which he was not altogether so hap­py, as afterwards in his Elegies, where well nigh alwayes one may find a cer­tain turn which binds the design, and makes thereof a work that is just by the dependance and relation of its parts. In this the ancient Poets were [Page 27] alwayes more exact than the modern; for most of the modern express their thoughts higgle piggle, without any Order or Connexion. If there be design, 'tis never with that scrupulous unity, which is the principal virtue that should be predominant, to make it just and complete. I know there are a kind of works which, by the quality of their Character, ought to be writ with a free ayre, without other design than that of writing things naturally, and without constraint, such are the Hymns of Orphe­us, Homer, Callimachus; and such are cer­tain Odes of Pindar, Anacreon, and Ho­race, that have no other Rule but En­thusiasm: and such likewise are the most part of the Elegies of Tibullus and Propertius. But it must be granted, that these are not the best and most beauti­ful; and who reflects on the Elegies of Ovid, shall alwayes there perceive a se­cret turn which makes the design, and this is ordinarily the principal beauty in these little works of Verse, as may be seen in most Epigrams of the Antholo­gy, in those of Catullus, in the correct Odes of Horace, and in the Phalensi­acks of Bonefons, who within this last Age, has writ in Latin Verse with all the [Page 28] softness and delicacy possible. Thus every sort of Poesie ought to have its proportionable design; a great design, in great Poems; and in little, a little de­sign: But of this, the ordinary Wits know nothing; their Works, which generally are meer productions of Ima­gination, have scarce ever any design, unless it be by chance. It must be the work of an accomplish'd Genius, to close his thoughts in a design, whence results an agreement and proportion of parts, that makes the harmony perfect.

XX.

THe design of a Poem must consist of two Parts, of Truth, and of Ficti­on; Truth is the foundation, Fiction makes the accomplishment. And Ari­stotle calls the mixture of these two, the constitution of things: or the Fable, which is no other than the subject of a Poem, as the Design or Fable of the Andria in Terence, are the Loves of Pamphilus and Glycerium. The Fable of Hyppolitus in Euripides, is the passion of▪ Phaedra for her Son-in-law; this passion causes the misfortunes of Hyp­politus, [Page 29] and the disorders of Theseus's house. The Fable of Homer's Iliad is the anger of Achilles, who by his pre­sence, or by his absence from the Greci­an Army, determines the good or ill success of all his party; the anger of this Prince, which proceeds of the dis­content he received from Agamemnon, is the truth of the History, which is adorn'd with all the Episodes and varie­ty of Adventures that enrich this Po­em: and the Poet fills not his Poem with that variety of extraordinary E­vents, but to give delight; which he could never perform, if he had nothing to say but truth; and he would never be regarded, if all were fabulous: therefore History and Fiction must ne­cessarily enter the composition of the Subject.

XXI.

ARistotle divides the Fable, which serves for Argument to a Poem, into simple and compound. The simple is that which hath no change of For­tune, as is the Prometheus of Eschylus, and the Hercules of Seneca. The com­pound Fable is that which hath a turn [Page 30] from bad Fortune to good, or from good to bad, as the Oedipus of Sopho­cles. And the contrivance of each Fa­ble must have two parts, the Intrigue, and the Discovery. The Intrigue em­broyls matters, casting troubles and con­fusion among the Affairs. The Disco­very remits all into a calm again. What­ever goes before the change of For­tune, is call'd the Intrigue; all that makes the change, or follows it, is the Discovery. The Intrigue in the An­dromache of Euripides, is, that this Prin­cess, after she had lost Hector her Hus­band, had seen her Father Priam mur­ther'd, the chief City of his Kingdom burnt, became a slave to Neoptolemus. Hermione the Wife of this Prince, prick'd with jealousie against Androma­che, was minded to kill her. Menelaus Fa­ther of Hermione, causes her with her son Astyanax to be drag'd to execution; this is the Intrigue. Now she is rescu'd from death by Tethys and Peleus, who prefer the Son to be King of the Molos­sians, and the Mother to be Queen by a Marriage with Helenus; this is the Dis­covery. And every Fable must have these two parts, to be the subject of a just Poem. Thus Aeneas chac'd from [Page 31] his Countrey, spoil'd of all that he pos­sess'd, beaten by Tempests, wandring from Coast to Coast, destitute of all Succours, persecuted by Iuno, and the other Deities of her Cabal; After all these disgraces, became the Founder of the greatest Monarchy in the world▪ This is the Fable of the Aeneid with its Intrigue, and its Discovery. And it is to be observ'd, that only by this change of Fortune the Fable pleases, and has its effect, in which the simple Fable is de­fective in Aristotle's opinion, because it wants variety.

XXII.

FAble is so essential to Poetry, that there is no Poetry without it; it is the form and the distinction; for the Fable to a Poem, is what the Figure is to Marble in a Statue: but the Fable, be­sides the two parts already mention'd that compose it, must yet have two qua­lities to be perfect; it must be admira­ble, and it must be probable. By the first of these qualities it becomes worthy of admiration, and by the second it be­comes worthy of belief. However ad­mirable [Page 32] the Fable be, it can have no ef­fect unless it be probable. The truth is, it strikes the Soul, because it is extraor­dinary, but it never enters, nor can make any impression, by reason it appears in­credible▪ Probability alone is too faint and dull for Poetry, and what is only ad­mirable, is too dazling. 'Tis true, what­ever appears incredible, is strongly re­lish'd by the couriosity of the people; for the People, saith Synesius, despises whatever seems common and ordinary; they love nothing but what is prodigi­ous, but the Wise cannot endure what is incredible; the publick being com­pos'd of the one and the other, is de­lighted with what is admirable, so be, it is credible; therefore it most imports to know so to mingle these in such a just temperament as may please the fancy without shocking the reason; but to learn this secret, it must be known what it is to be admirable, and what it is to be probable.

XXIII.

THe admirable is all that which is a­gainst the ordinary course of [...] is what ever suits with [Page 33] common opinion. The changing of Niobe into a stone, is an event that holds of the admirable; yet this becomes pro­bable, when a Deity, to whose power this change was possible, is engag'd. Aeneas in the Twelfth Book of the Aeneid, lifts, by himself, a stone, that Ten men could scarce remove; this Prodigy is made pro­bable by the assistance of the Gods that took his part against Turnus. But most part of those that make Verse, by too great a passion they have to create ad­miration, take not sufficient care to tem­per it with probability. Against this rock most ordinarily fall the Poets, who are too easily carried to say incredible things, that they may be admirable. Thus Ho­mer, in the Fifteenth Book of his Iliad, makes Stentors voice more loud than that of Fifty men. And Virgil makes a bough of Gold to grow on a Tree, in the Sixth of his Aeneid. And Boreas demands of Eo­lus, in the Argonauticks of Valerius Flac­cus, the permission to destroy the ship of the Argonaules, where his two Sons Ze­thus and Calais were embark'd. Almost all the ancient Poets, however judici­ous otherwise, have been guilty of this fault; not to speak of the modern, and especially Ari [...]sto, for that Hippogrife or [Page 34] winged Horse of Roger, those Giants, those Monsters, that wonderful Ring of Angeli­ca; which renders her invisible, the Combats of Marfisa, Bradamante and Olympia, and all the bravery of that Sex, which he makes valiant in War, contra­ry to their Natural timidity; those Vi­sions, Enchantments, and prodigious Adventures, are like the vain imaginati­ons of a sick brain, and are pitied by all men of Sense, because they have no colour of likelihood. The same judg­ment must be pronounc'd of the other Italian and Spanish Poets, who suffer their Wits to ramble in the Romantick way: 'tis too great Honour to call them Poets, they are for the most part but Rimesters.

XXIV.

BEsides, that probability serves to give credit to whatever Poesie has the most fabulous; it serves also to give, to whatever the Poet saith, a greater lustre and air of perfection, than Truth it self can do, though probability is but the Copy. For Truth represents things onely as they are, but probability renders them as they ought to be. Truth is well [Page 35] nigh alwayes defective, by the mixture of particular conditions that compose it. Nothing is brought into the world that is not remote from the perfection of its Idea fro [...] the very birth. Origi­nals and Models are to be search'd for in probability▪ and in the universal princi­ples of things, where nothing that is material and singular enters to corrupt them; for this reason the portracts of History are less perfect than the portracts of Poesie; and Sophocles, who in his Tragedies represents men as they ought to be, is, in the opinion of Aristotle, to be prefer'd before Euripides, who re­presents Men as really they are; and Ho­race makes less account of the Lessons of Crantor and Chrysippus, for the manners▪ than of those of Homer.

XXV.

AFter the Design or Fable, Aristotle places the Manners for the second Part; he calls the Manners the cause of the action, for it is from these that a Man begins to act. Achilles retires from the Grecian Army in Homer, because he is discontent, Aeneas in Virgil carries his [Page 36] gods into Italy, because he is pious. Me­dea kills her children in Seneca, because she is revengeful; so the Manners are, as it were, the first springs of all humane actions. The Painter draws Faces by their features; but the Poet represents the minds of Men by their Manners: and the most general Rule for painting the Manners, is to exhibit every person in his proper Character. A Slave, with base thoughts, and servile inclinations. A Prince, with a liberal heart, and air of Majesty. A Souldier, fierce, insolent, surly, inconstant. An old Man, cove­tous, wary, jealous. 'Tis in descri­bing the Manners, that Terence triumph'd over all the Poets of his time, in Var­ro's opinion, for his persons are never found out of their Characters. He ob­serves their Manners in all the Niceties and Rigours of decorum, which Homer himself has not alwayes done, as some pretend. Longinus cannot endure the wounds, the adulteries, the hatred, and all the other weaknesses to which he makes the gods obnoxious, contrary to, their Character. Philostratus finds much to object against his portracts: but Iu­stin Martyr excuses him, alledging, That he took these Notions from Orpheus, and [Page 37] that he had follow'd the opinion that publickly prevail'd in those dayes. However it be, it may be granted that Homer has not treated the Gods with all the respect due to their condition. Aristotle condemns Euripides for intro­ducing Menalippa to speak too much like a Philosopher of the Sect of Anaxagoras, whose opinions were then new in his time. Theon the Sophist cannot e [...]re the unseasonable discourses of [...] on her misfortunes, in the same Author. Sophocles makes Oedipus too weak and low-spirited in his Exile, after he had bestow'd on him that Character of con­stancy and resolution before his dis­grace. Seneca, for his part, knows no­thing of the Manners. He is a fine Speaker, who is eternally uttering pret­ty sayings, but is in no wise Natural in what he speaks, and whatever persons he makes to speak, they alwayes have the meen of Actors. The Angelica of Ariosto is too immodest. The Armida of Tasso is too free and impudent; these two Poets rob Women of their Cha­racter, which is Modesty. Rinaldo is soft and effeminate in the one, Orlando is too tender and passionate in the other: these weaknesses in no wise [Page 38] agree with Heroes; they are degraded from the Nobless of their condition, to make them guilty of Folly. The sove­reign Rule for treating of Manners, is to copy them after Nature, [...]nd above all to study well the heart of Man, to know how to distinguish all its motions. 'Tis this which none are acquainted with: the heart of man is an abyss, where none can sound the bottom: it is a mystery, which the most quick-sighted cannot pierce into, and in which the most cun­ning are mistaken; at the worst the Po­et is oblig'd to speak of Manners accord­ing to the common opinion. Ajax mus [...] be represented grum, as Sop [...]ocles; Po­lyxena and Iphigenia gen [...]rous, as Euripi­des has represented them. Finally, th [...] Manners must be proportionable to th [...] Age, to the Sex, to the Quality, to th [...] E [...]ployment, and to the Fortune of the persons▪ and it is particularly in the Second Book of Aristotle's Rhetorick, and in Horace's Book of P [...]try, that this secret may be learn'd; whatever agrees not with his principles, is false; nothing tolerable can be perform'd in Poetry without this knowledge, and with it all becomes admirable. And Horace in that place of his Book of Poetry, where he [Page 39] makes distinction of Ages to draw their Portracts, affirms, That 'tis onely by the representation of Manners that any can have success on the Stage; for there all is frivolous, if the Manners be not ob­serv'd.

XXVI.

THe third part of the Art consists in the Thoughts, of sentiments, which are properly the expressions of the Man­ners, as words are the expressions of the Thoughts. Their office, saith Aristotle, is to approve or dislike, to stir or to calm the passions, to magnifie or diminish things. Thus Polyxena in the Hecuba of Euripi­des, cannot approve the thoughts of her Mother, which directed her to throw her self at the feet of Vlysses to move him to pity, who demanded her in the name of the Grecian Army to be sacri­fic'd, for Virtue inspir'd this genero [...]s Princess with other sentiments. 'Tis thus that Drances in Virgil amplifies (at the Council of King Latinus) the danger, the injustice, the ill consequences of the War they wag'd with Aeneas, being fear­ful and cowardly: and that Turnus con­futes so strongly the sentiments of this [Page 40] Speaker, being himself valiant, and a despiser of dangers. Thoughts must not only be conformable to the Persons to whom they are given, but likewise to the Subject treated of; that is to say, on great Subjects are required great Thoughts, as those of Evadne in the sup­pliants of Euripides; there this Queen, after the death of her husband Capane­us, may be seen to express all the ex­tremity of her grief, by force of a sor­row the most generous that ever was; her affliction oppresses her, without ex­torting from her one word that betrays any thing of weakness. The Greek Po­ets are full of these great Thoughts: and it is much by this greatness of their sen­timents, that they are particularly signa­liz'd in their Works. Demetrius and Longinus perpetually propose them for Models to those who study the sublime stile; and it is in these great originals that our modern Poets ought to con­sult Nature, to learn how to raise their Wits, and be lofty. We may flatter our felves with our Wit, and the Genius of our (the French) Nation; but our Soul is not enough exalted to frame great Idea's, we are busied with petty Subjects, and by that means it is that we prove so [Page 41] cold in the great; and that in our works [...]carce appears any shadow of that sub­lime Poesie, of which the ancient Poets have left such excellent Models, and above all Homer and Virgil; for great Poetry must be animated and sustain'd by great thoughts, and great sentiments, but these we ordinarily want, either be­cause our Wit is too much limited, or because we take not care to exercise on important matters. Thus we are low on high Subjects. For example, how feeble are we, when we speak of the Conquests of a King? our Poets make their expressions swell, to supply the want of Noble sentiments: but it is not only the greatness of the Subjects, and the thoughts that give this air of majesty to Poetry, there is likewise required lof­ty words, and noble expressions.

XXVII.

THe last part is the Expression, and whatever regards the language; it must have five qualities, to have all the perfection Poetry demands: it must be apt, clear, natural, splendid, and nume­rous. The language must in the first place [Page 42] be apt, and have nothing impure or bar­barous: for though one may speak what is great, noble, and ad [...]irable, all is despicable and odious, if the purity be be wanting: the greatest thoughts in the World have not any grace, if the con­struction be defective. This purity of writing is of late so strongly establish­ed among the French, that he must be very hardy, that will make Verse in an Age so delicate, unless he understand the tongue perfectly. Secondly, the lan­guage must be clear, that it may be intel­ligible, for one of the greatest faults in discourse is obscurity: in this Camoens, whom the Portuguese call their Virgil, is extremely blameable; for his Verse are so obscure, that they may pass for myste­ries: and the thoughts of Dante are so profound, that much art is requir'd to dive into them. Poetry demands a more clear air, and what is less incomprehen­sible. The third quality, is that it be natural, without affectation, according to rules of decorum, and goodsense. Studi­ed phrases, a too florid stile, fine words, terms strain'd and remote, and all extra­ordinary expressions are insupportable to the true Poesie; onely simplicity pleases, provided it be sustain'd with greatness [Page 43] and majesty: but this simplicity is not known, except by great Souls, the little Wits understand nothing of it; 'tis the Master-piece of Poesie, and the Character of Homer and Virgil. The ignorant hunt after Wit, and fine thoughts, because they are ignorant. The language must be lofty and splendid, which is the fourth quality, for the common and ordinary terms are not proper for a Poet, he must use words that partake nothing of the base and vulgar, they must be noble and magnificent; the expressions strong, the colours lively, the draughts bold: his discourse must be such as may equal the greatness of the Idea's of a Workman, who is the Creator of his work. The fifth quality, is that it be numerous, to uphold that greatness and air of majesty which reigns throughout in Poesie, and to express all the force and dignity of the great things it speaks: terms that go off roundly from the mouth, and that fill the ears, are sufficient to render all admirable, as Poesie requires. But this is not enough that the expressions be stately and great, there must likewise be heat and vehemence: and a [...]ove all, there must shine throughout the dis­course a certain grace and delicacy, [Page 44] which makes the principal ornament, and most universal beauty.

XXVIII.

IT may be affirm'd that never person in any language possess'd all these qua­lities in such eminent degree as Homer; he is the first Model a Poet must propose to himself, to write as he ought; for never person writ more purely, nor more naturally than he: 'tis he alone that ever found the secret of joining to the puri­ty of style all the sublimity and grea [...]ness that Heroick Poesie is capable of; for this reason, Longinus alwayes proposes him as the most just and exact rule for the sublime style. It was formerly on this original, that Euphranor form'd his Idea for drawing the image of Iupiter, for that he might be more successful there­in, he travail'd to Athens to consult a Professor that read Homer to his Scho­lars; upon the description the Poet gives in the first Book of his Iliad, of a Iupiter with black eye-brows, a brow co­ver'd with clouds, and a head environ'd with all that majesty has most terrible, this Painter made a portract that after was [Page 45] the wonder of his age, as Appion the Grammarian has reported. The same hapned to Phidias in that admirable Sta­tue of Iupiter he made, after the Model he found in the same place in Homer, as Eustathius affirms. And one of the most famous Painters of this Age, made Ho­mer be read to him to heighten his Fan­cy, when he dispos'd himself to draw. The same judgment is to be made of the expressions of Virgil, especially in his Georgicks.

XXIX.

THis loftiness of expression is so im­portant, that for the attaining it, 'tis not enough to propose Homer and Virgil, it must be search'd in Pindar, in Sophocles, in Euripides; and it must be had in grave and serious Subjects, that, of themselves, are capable to furnish with great thoughts, as the great thoughts are capable to furnish with noble expres­sions. But the way to heighten Discourse, saith Aristotle, is to make good use of Me­taphors, and to understand perfectly their Nature, that they may not be abus'd: Poet. c. 2. 22. and he adds in the same place, That this discernment is the [Page 46] mark of an excellent Wit; and because, as saith Quintilian, Lib. 8. cap. 6. this lofti­ness which is aimed at by the boldness of a Metaphor, is dangerous, insomuch that it comes nigh to rashness, Aristotle must be consulted on this mat­ter, to employ them with discretion, as Virgil has done: who, treating of Bees, in the Fourth Book of his Georgicks▪ that he might heighten the meanness of his Subject speaks not of them but in metaphorical terms, of a Court, of Legi­ons, of Armies, of Combats, pitch'd Fields, Kings, Captains, Souldiers: and by this admirable Art, forms a noble image of the lowest Subject; for after all, they are still but Flies. Finally, the Poet must above all things know what Eloquence has of art and method for the use of Figures: for it is onely by the Figures that he gives force to the pas­sions, lustre to the discourses, weight to the reasons, and makes delightful all he speaks. 'Tis onely by the most lively Figures of Eloquence that all the emo­tions of the Soul become fervent and passionate: Nature must be the onely guide that can be propos'd in the use of these Figures and Metaphors, and must therefore be well understood, that it [Page 47] may be trac'd and follow'd without mistake: for no protracts can be drawn that have resemblance without it, and all the images that Poetry employs in expres­sing it self, are false, unless they be natural.

XXX.

BUt this sublime stile is the Rock to the mean Wits: they flie out in too vast and boysterous terms, from what is natural, when they endeavour to be high and lofty. For this haughty and pom­pous kind of speech becomes vain and cold, if not supported with great thoughts; and the great words that are indiscreet­ly affected to heighten the discourse, for the most part, onely make a noise. The Emperor Nero who had the Worm in his Head, and conceited himself a Wit, ran into this Character with that extrava­gance, that he became a Subject of Rail­lery to the Satyrists of his time. Stati­us, who had a better Genius, would imi­tate this kind of writing in his Poems, by an affectio [...] of great words, and swelling expressions: but seeing he swells into fustian, he fills the ears without touching the heart; and all those uni­versally, [Page 48] who in the decline of the Em­pire affected to be lofty, and wanted Wit, by a too great boldness of language, became obscure, as Persius in his Satyres: or cold and flat, as Valerius Flaccus in his Argonauticks: or fell into the impro­priety, as Sidonius Apollinaris, and the others. For the most essential vertue of Speech, next to the clearness and per­spicuity, is that it be chaste and modest, as Demetrius Phalerius observes; There must be (saith he) a proportion betwixt the words and the things: and nothing is more ridiculous, than to handle a frivo­lous Subject in a sublime stile; for what­soever is disproportionate, is either al­together false, or at the least,Plut. Georg. is trifling and childish. This by So­crates is objected to the So­phist Gorgias Leontinus, whom he plea­santly plays upon for affecting to speak petty things with a great and solemn meen. Most French Poets fall into this vice, for want of Genius; their verses where Logick is much neglected, most com­monly, are either Pedantry, or Nonsense. Should I cite Examples, there would be no end. Dubartas and Ronsard, who would heighten their Conceits with great words after their fashion, com­pounded [Page 49] according to the manner of the Greek, and of which the French Tongue is not capable, were guilty of impro­priety, and made themselves barbarous; who succeeded them, committed the same fault. Malherb was the first that join'd purity to the lofty stile; but being the beginner, he could not carry it to perfection, there is good store of Prose amongst his Verse. Theophile, who fol­low'd him, by too great affectation of the easie stile, degenerated into trifling and puerility: the truth is, the foundati­on of his Character was a luxuriant fan­cy, rather than a fruitful wit. The Pharsale of Brebeuf corrupted after­wards much of the youth, who were dazled at the pomp of his Verse. 'Tis true, they have splendour: but after all, whatever seem'd great and sublime in this Poem, when 'tis view'd near hand, will not pass with the intelligent, but for a false lustre full of affectation. The small Wits were transported with the noise this Poem made formerly, which at the bottom has nothing in it natur [...]l▪

XXXI.

OF late some have fallen into an­other extremity, by a too scrupu­lous care of purity of language: they have begun to take from Poesie all it [...] nerves, and all its majesty, by a too time­rous reservedness, and false modesty, which some thought to make the Cha­racter of the French Tongue, by rob­bing it of all those wise and judicious boldnesses that Poesie demands: they would retrench, without reason, the use of Metaphors, and of all those Figures that give life and lustre to the expressi­ons: and study to confine all the excel­lency of this admirable Art within the bounds of a pure and correct Discourse, without exposing it to the danger of any high and bold flight. The gust of the Age, which lov'd purity; the women, who naturally are modest, the Court, which then had sca [...] any Commerce with the great men of Antiquity, through their ordinary antipathy to learning, and the general ignorance in the persons of Quality, gave reputation to this way of writing▪ But nothing more [Page 51] authoriz'd it, than the Verses of Voiture and Sarazin, the Metamorphosis of the eyes of phyllis into stars, the Temple of Death, the Eglogues of Lane, and some other works of that Character, that came abroad at that time with a success which distinguish'd them from the Vulgar. In this way they were polite, and writ good sense; and it agreed with the gust of the Age, and was follow'd: and who suc­ceeded therein, would make a new kind of refinement in Poetry; as if the Art consisted onely in the purity and exact­ness of language. This indeed pleased well, and was much to the advantage of Women that had a mind to be tampering and writing in Verse; they found it their concern to give vogue to this kind of writing, of which they were as capable as the most part of men; for all the se­cret was no more but to make some lit­tle easie Verses, in which they were con­tent, if they could close some kind of delicateness of sweet and passionate thoughts, which they made the essence of Poetry. The ill fortune is, Horace was not of their mind; It is not enough (saith he) to write with purity to make [...] Poet: he must have other qualities. But there are now living, Authors, of a mor [...] [Page 52] strong and noble Genius than those I have mention'd; who, at this day, let us see in their Works, that purity of language may be join'd with greatness of thoughts, and with all the elevation, whereof He­roick Poesie can be capable; but there is not in the French Tongue any work, wherein is so much Poetry, as in the Po­em of Saint Louis; yet the Author is not reserved enough, he gives his Wit too much scope, and his Fancy alwayes carries him too far.

XXXII.

BUt examining well, one shall find that Heroick Poetry is not so much in use among the French, as some would persuade us: either by the application of them to little and frivolous Subjects, or by a natural difficulty in them, which clogs and suffers them not to rise in the matters of which they treat: or by reason they want a Genius for that Cha­racter they ought to bear; or that, in effect, their Models are defective. He is but capable of very little, who governs himself, and is directed onely by the modern Poems; whereas nothing nobl [...] [Page 53] and sublime can be made without con­sulting the Ancients. The greatest flights of Latin Poetry are in some certain ex­cellent places of Virgil's Georgicks▪ and everywhere in his Aeneid, that are capa­ble of great Figures. The modern La­tin Poets afford but few; most where­of have onely copied Virgil's phrases, without expressing his spirit. Fracasto­rius, Vida, Cardinal Sadolet, Sannazari­us, have some touches of that noble ayr, but not many: they fall and return a­gain to their own Genius, when they have strein'd a little to reach that of Virgil: and amidst the vain efforts of a servile imitation, there continually es­capes from them some strokes of their own natural spirit. It may be affirm'd likewise, that the best modern Poets have the advantage more by their words, than by their thoughts: what they say, would be very little worth, were it devested of the expression.

XXXIII.

THe most important and most neces­sary part for a Poet, to make him succeed well on high Subjects, is to [Page 54] know well to distinguish what there is of beautiful and pleasant in Nature, that he may form thereof perpetual images: for Poetry is an Art where every thing should please. It is not enough to ex­hibit Nature, which in certain places is rude and unpleasant; he must choose in her what is beautiful, from what is not: she has her secret graces in Subjects, which he must discover. How clear-sighted must a Poet be, to discern what to choose, and what to refuse, without mi­staking, that he may avoid the object that will not please, and retain what will? Nicander, Aratus, Lucretius, in the descri­ption they have made of natural things, wanted this admirable secret, which Vir­gil afterwards found out: he had the Art to give delight whilst he instructed by the pleasant images, and most exqui­site strokes of Poetry, which adorn his Georgicks, and sweeten the harshness of those precepts he gives on a Subject, in it self austere and flat. It is true, Lucreti­us has beautiful draughts, and Virgil un­derstood well to copy them without lo­sing ought of their perfection, because he had a judgment to discern them; which knowledge cannot be attain'd, but by a long commerce with the good [Page 55] Authors of Antiquity, whose Works are the onely true sourc [...]s, whence these riches so necessary to Poetry may be drawn, and whence is deriv'd that good sense, and that just discernment which distinguishes the true from the false in natural beauties: and a Poet that hath found in his Works these happy hits, which are born to please, may rejoyce as much, as the Workman that has found a precious jewel. It is not, but by the help of his Genius, that he finds these beauties, and they are made by the turn given to the things he writes.

XXXIV.

THere is a particular Rhetorick for Poetry, which the Modern Poets scarce understand at all; this Art con­sists in discerning very precisely what ought to be said figuratively, and what to be spoken simply: and in knowing well where ornament is requir'd, and where not. Tasso understood not well this secret, he is too trim and too polite in places, where the gravity of the Sub­ject demanded a more simple and seri­ous stile: as for example, where Tan­cred [Page 56] comes near the Tomb of Clorinda; he makes the unfortunate Lover, who came from slaying his Mistriss, speak points, instead of expressing his sorrow naturally, he commits this fault in many other places. Guarini in his Pastor Fido, and Bonarelli in his Phillis, are often guil­ty of this vice, they alwayes think ra­ther to speak things wittily, than natural­ly: this is the most ordinary Rock to mean Wits, who suffer their fancy to fl [...]e out after the pleasing images they find in their way: they rush into the descri­ptions of Groves, Rivers, Fountains, and Temples, which Horace calls Childish in his Book of Poesie. 'Tis onely the talent of great men to know to speak, and to be silent; to be florid, and to be plain; to be lofty; and to be low; to use figures, and to speak simply▪ to mingle fiction and ornament, as the Subject requires: finally, to manage all well in his Subject, without pretending to give delight, where he should only instruct, and with­out rising in great thoughts, where na­tural and common sentiments are requi­red, a simple thought in its proper place, is more worth than all the most exquisite words and wit out of season. Fancy, which is all the wit of common [Page 57] Writers, apprehends not this; this dis­cernment, and this particular Rhetorick, which is proper to Poetry, is a pure effect of the judgment.

XXXV.

YEt is there in Poetry, as in other Arts, certain things that cannot be expressed, which are (as it were) mysteries. There are no precepts, to teach the hidden graces, the insensible charms, and all that secret power of Poe­try which passes to the heart, as there is no method to teach to please, 'tis a pure effect of Nature. However, Nature alone can never please regularly, unless in the small compositions: there must be the assistance of Art to succeed well in the great Poems. 'Tis by this help that a Genius a little cultivated, shall range his thoughts in that admirable order which makes the greatest beauty in the produ­ctions of Wit; by this order every thing becomes delightful, because, as Horace saith, 'tis in its place; but this is the work of judgment, as invention the work of imagination; and this order that keeps all right, and without which [Page 58] the most beautiful become deform'd, is a mystery but little known to modern Poets.

XXXVI.

NExt to Order, the greatest delight of Poetry comes from the Manners, and from the Passions, when they are well handled. If you would have ap­plause, saith Horace to the Poets, learn well to distinguish the Manners of every Age, and the Characters proper to them in general and in particular. It was by this great secret that Menander got that high reputation at Athens, as appears by the testimony of Plutarch, and that Terence so exceedingly pleased the Romans; never Poet better understood the Man­ners, than these two. Plato affirms, in the Ninth Book of his Commonwealth, that Homer had particularly signaliz'd himself by the Manners of men which he had describ'd in his Poems to the life. But that I may not repeat what hath been said in the Twenty fifth Re­flection, I proceed to the Passions which give no less grace to Poetry, than the Manners: when the Poet has found the Art to make them move by their natu­ral [Page 59] springs. Without the Passio [...], all is cold and flat in the discourse, saith Quin­tilian: for they are, as it were, the so [...]l and life of it; but the secret is to ex­press them according to the several estates and different degrees from their birth: and in this distinction consists all the delicacy, wherewith the Passions ar [...] to be handled, to give them that Cha­racter which renders them admirable by the secret motions they impress on th [...] Soul. Hecuba in Euripides falls into a Swound on the Stage, the better to ex­press all the weight of her sorrow that could not be represented by words. But Achilles appears with too much calm­ness and tranquility at the sacrifice of Iphigenia, design'd for him in marriage by Agamemnon: his grief has expressi­ons too little suiting to the natural im­petuosity of his heart. Clytemnestra much better preserves her Character, she dis­covers all the Passion of a Mother in the loss of a Daughter so lovely as was this unfortunate Princess, whom they wer [...] about to sacrifice, to appease the Gods: and Agamemnon generously layes asid [...] the tenderness of a Father, to take, as he ought, the sentiments of a King; he ne­glected his own interest, to provide for [Page 60] the publick. Seneca, so little natural as he is, omits not to have of these strokes that distinguish the passion, as that of Phaeara in the second Act of his Hippo­litus; for the affects a negligence of her person, and considered it as not very proper to please a Hunter, who hated or­nament and neatness. 'Tis finally this exact distinction of the different de­grees of passion, that is of most effect in Poetry: for this gives the draught of Nature, and is the most infallible spring for moving the Soul; but it is good to observe that the most ardent and lively passions become cold and dead, if they be not well managed, or be not in their place. The Poet must judge when there must be a calm, and when there must be trouble; for nothing is more ridiculous, than passion out of season. But it is not enough to move a passion by a notable incident, there must be Art to conduct it, so far as it should go; for by a passion that is imperfect and abor­tive, the Soul of the Spectator may be shaken; but this is not enough, it must be ravish'd.

XXXVII.

BEsides the graces that Poetry finds in displaying the Manners and the Passions: there is a certain I know not what in the Numbers, which is under­stood by few, and notwithstanding gives great del [...]ght in Poetry. Homer hath ex­celled generally all the Poets by this Art; whether the nature of his lan­guage was favourable to him, by the va­riety in the numbers, and by the noble sound of the words: or that the delica­cy of his ear made him perceive this grace, whereof the other Poets of his time were not sensible; for his Verse sound the most harmoniously that can be imagin'd. Atheneus pretends that no­thing is more proper to be sung than the verses of Homer, so natural is the harmo [...]y of them; 'tis true, I never read this Poet, or hear him read, but I feel, what is found in a Battel, when the Trumpets are heard. Virgil, who had a nice ear, did not imitate Homer in this, further than the harshness, or rather the heaviness of the Latin Tongue permitted him. Ennius had not then in his dayes [Page 62] discover'd this grace, which is in the numbers, whereof appears no footstep in his verse. Lucretius perceived it first, but gave only the imperfect strokes of this beauty in versification, which Virgil finish'd so far as the language was capa­ble. The other Poets, as Ovid in his Metamorphoses, Statius in his two Po­ems, Valerius Flaccus in his Argonautes, Silius Italicu [...] in his Hannibal, Claudian in his Ravishment of Proserpina never went so far. Among the modern Poets that have writ in Latin of late dayes, those who could attain to the numbers and cadence of Virgil in the turn of their verse, have had most reputation; and because that Buchanan, who other­wise had wit, fancy, and a pure stile, per­ceiv'd not this grace, or neglected it, he hath lost much of his price: perhaps nothing was wanting to make him an accomplish'd Poet, but this perfection, which most certainly is not Chi [...]erical; and whoever shall reflect a little on the power of the Dorian, Lydian and Phry­gian Ayrs, whereof Aristotle speaks in his Problems▪ and Athenaeus in his Ban­quets, he may acknowledge what ver­tue there is in number and harmony: It is a beauty unknown to the French [Page 63] Tongue, where all the syllables are counted in the verses, and where there is no dive [...]sity of cadence.

XXXVIII.

THere yet remains beauties and orna­ments whereof each Tongue, is ca­pable, and these the Poet must under­stand, and must not confound, when he writes in another Tongue, than those he proposes for Models, which Virgil hath well observ'd in imitating Ho [...]er; for he did not give himself over to fol­low him servilely in the exact turn of his versification: he knew withall that those big words which make a beauty at the end of the Greek verses, would have been no elegancy in the Latin: because, in effect, this succeeds not with Lucreti­us. Virgil found that the character of the Latin Tongue requir'd numbers too severe, as Martial observes, to allow of that licentious cadence, which was fa­miliar with the Greek▪ Horace, who propos'd the Odes of Pindar for the mo­del of those he writ in Latin, quitted immediately the numbers and the turn of that Authors verse, of which he [Page 64] found the Latin Tongue uncapable, as the French Poetry is not accomodated to the numbers of the Spanish and Italian, because every language is con [...]n'd with­in certain bounds, which makes the beauty of their Character. 'Tis a great Art to know these beauties, and well to distinguish them each from other; but besides the numbers that are particular to each Tongue, there is also a certain turn of the period which makes the ca­dence and the harmony, of which none ought to be ignorant. How many are there of the modern Poets, who have endeavour'd to imitate Virgil, without beingable to attain this admirable turn, which renders him so majestick▪ San­nazarius, Fracastorius, Sadoletus, Sainte Marthe come somewhat nigh it, the others never so much as understood it. This cast off the period which is proper to each kind of verse▪ is necessary for expressing their Character: it must be grave, and the numbers thick in Heroick, in Tragick verse, and in Odes: it must be soft and easie in the little verse and de­licate subjects.

XXXIX.

BEsides all the Rules taken from Ari­stotle, there remains one mention'd by Horace, to which all the other Rules must [...]e subject, as to the most essential, which is the decorum. Without which the other Rules of Poetry are false: it being the most solid foundation of that proba­bility so essential to this Art. Because it is only by the decorum that this probai­lity gains its effect; all becomes proba­ble, where the decorum is strictly pre­serv'd in all circumstances. One ordi­narily transgresses this Rule, either by confounding the serious with the plea­sant, as Pulci has done in his Poem of Morgante; or by giving Manners dispro­portionate to the condition of the per­sons, as Guarini has done to his Shep­herds, which are too polite: in like manner as those of Ronsard are too gross; or because no regard is had to make the wonderful Adventures proba­ble, whereof Ariosto is guilty in his Or­lando; or that a due preparation is not made for the great Events by a natural Conduct, in which Bernardo Tasso trans­gressed [Page 66] in his Poem of Amadis, and in his Floridante; or by want of care to sustain the Characters of persons, as The­ophile in his Tragedy of Pyramus and Thisbe; or by following rather a capri­cious Genius than Nature, as Lope de Ve­ga, who gives his wit too much swinge, and is ever foisting in his own Fancies on all occasions; or by want of Mode­sty, as Dante, who invokes his own wit for his Deity; and as Boccace, who is perpetually speaking of himself: or by saying every thing indifferently without shame, as Cavalier Marino in his Ado­nis. Finally, whatever is against the Rules of Time, of Manners, of Thoughts, of Expression, is contrary to the decorum, which is the most universal of all the Rules.

XL.

ANd to close, in a last Reflection, all the others that can be made, the Poet must understand that the great se­cret of the Art is to work his matter well, and to execute happily what he had design'd with all the attention his Subject requires; that he know al­wayes, [Page 67] that in great works he may be negligent in certain places, which regu­larly ought to be neglected; that all may not be finish'd alike, and what is finish'd may appear so the more, among the studied negligences. These strokes less perfect then the rest, and these inequali­ties of expression which Art requires, are as necessary to Poesie, as the s [...]ades to a Painter, which serve to give lustre to the other parts of his work. 'Tis the fault of the mean wits, to express things more high than they ought to be expres­sed. So, the Poet must take heed that he run not with the young Writers into the florid stile, by his excessive orna­ments, and far-fetch't beauties; that he retrench boldly what is too luxuriant, for all becomes false in Poetry, that glit­ters too much. The Poet is in no wise natural, who will be alwayes speaking fine things: he will not be so prodig [...]l of his wit, when he hath wit form'd as it ought to be; for all he speaks is worth nothing, if he will be speaking too fine­ly. The course he must take to come at good sense, is to have yet a greater care in his expression of things, than in his words, because it is in the things he must search the principal graces of his dis­course. [Page 68] The discourse must be diversi­ [...]'d by the variety of expressions, be­cause the same images tire the mind of the Reader: and there must not only be frequent [...]igures in the words, but al­so different turns in the thoughts. The narrow and limited wits are alwayes sinding themselves, and by the barren­ness of their Genius, become like that player of the Lute in Horace, who could onely strike on one string. For the rest, it is good to be mindful, that none must meddle with making Verses, who does not make them excellently, and does not distinguish himself from others. For since none is oblig'd to make them, to what end should he crack his brain, and hazard his Reputation, unless he acquit himself well? he may know likewise that Poetry will be no honour to men of little sense; and that the appetite of [...]rse-making is a dangerous malady, when it seizes on an indifferent wit: that he is liable to all extravagancies imagi­nable, who is taken therewith and wants a Genius: that he should be endu'd with submission▪ and be docible, that he fall not into this misfortune. For after the manner men live at present, he may [...]ind everywhere some or other who out of [Page 69] charity or ill humour, are alwayes ready to give him advice: that the greatest fault of a Poet is to be indocible; and that nothing hath made so many b [...]d Poets, as Flattery, which will be continu­ally buzzing in his ears, and daub [...]ng him on that occasion, so soon as he begins to tamper with writing Verse; especially it is to be consider'd, that he should ap­ply himself betimes to this mystery, to attain any perfection: that he may [...]orm his imagination to that d [...]licate ayre, which is not to be had, but from the first Idea's of our youth. Iulius and Ioseph Scaliger could not succeed here­in, for having begun this study too late, neither of them could overcome the stiffness of their Genius, which had be­fore bent their wit another way: and though the Son was more polite than his Father, yet had he nothing of elegancy, or graceful in his Poetry, no more than the other learned men of his time; and that he who aspires to the glory of this profession, may reckon that he hath much more to lose, than to gain▪ by wri­ting Verse, in an Age so squeamish as this of ours. We are no longer in that Age, when men got reputation by their fool-hardy writing: then it was no diffi­cult [Page 70] matter to impose, seeing what glit­ter'd, was more respected than what was solid: and one may reflect that nothing can now succeed in Poetry, unless it be delicately conceiv'd, and form'd with the utmost regularity, and set off with all the grace and happiness of expression: that Verse are not tolerable, if but indifferent; and are ridiculous, unless they be admi­rable. That finally, true Poetry is not perceiv'd▪ but by the impression it makes on the Soul; it is not as it should be, unless it go to the heart: hence it is that Homer animates me, Virgil heats me, and all the rest freez me, so cold and flat they are.

This is what may be said in General of Poetry, after follows the Par­ticular.

I.

ARistotle distinguishes Poesie into three di­vers kinds of per­fect Poems, the E­pick, the Tragick, and the Comick, Ho­race reduces these three into two onely, one whereof con­sists in Action, the other in Narration; all the other kinds whereof Aristotle makes mention may be brought to these two, the Comedy to the Drammatick, the Satire to the Comedy, the Ode and Eglogue to the Heroick Poem; for the [Page 72] Sonnet, Madrigal, Epigram, &c. are one­ly a sort of imperfect Poems; it is the Poets part to consult his strength in the different wayes he must hold in the dif­ferent Characters of Verse, that he may not do violence to his Genius.

II.

THe Epick Poem is that which is the greatest and most Noble in Poesie; it is the greatest work that humane wit is capable of. All the Nobleness, and all the elevation of the most perfect Geni­us, can hardly suffice to form one such as is requisite for an Heroick Poet; the difficulty of finding together fancy and judgment, heat of imagination, and so­briety of reason, precipitation of spirit, and solidity of mind, causes the rareness of this Character, and of this happy temperament which makes a Poet ac­complish'd; it requires great images, and yet a greater wit to form them. Fi­nally, there must be a judgment so solid, a discernment so exquisite, such perfect knowledge of the language, in which he writes; such obstinate study, pro­found meditation, vast capacity, that [Page 73] scarce whole Ages can produce one Ge­nius fit for an Epick Poem. And it is an enterprise so bold, that it cannot fall into a wise Man's thoughts, but affright him. Yet how many Poets have we seen of late dayes, who, without capa­city, and without study, have dar'd to undertake these sort of Poems; having no other foundation for all, but the onely heat of their imagination, and some briskness of spirit.

III.

BUt another hinderance to this Cha­racter, is to have a Wit too vast; for such will make nothing exact in these kind of works, whose chief per­fection is the justness. These Wits that strike at all, are apt to pass the bounds: the swinge of their Genius carries them to irregularity; nothing they do is ex­act, because their wit is not: all that they say, and all that they imagine, is alwayes vast; they neither have pro­portion in the design, nor justness in the thought, nor exactness in the expression. This fault is common to the most of the modern Poets, especially to the Spani­ards, [Page 74] as Diego Ximenes in his Poem of Cid Ruydias de Bivar, Camo [...]ns in his Conquest of the Indians by the Portuguese: and among the Italians, Boiardo, Ari­osto, Cavalier Marino, and Chiabrera, whose Works are very ill patterns for an Epick Poem: they perpetually digress, yet there is alwayes wit in their digres­sions. The French, who pretend to wit, and love wit even in trifles, suffer'd themselves to be blinded with the Po­ems of Ariosto and Cavalier Marino. The beauty of their Verse, their ex­pression, the pleasant images they make of things they treat of, and the charms of their Verse, have so enchanted most part of these French Poets, that they have not seen the gross enormities of judgment those Authors run into. This is ordinary with Poets that have wit, and little judgment: they endeavour to hide what is irregular in their Works by glittering faults, and false beauties; but they must have a great judgment and wisdom to sustain a great design in the utmost regularity.

IV.

THe value of Heroick Poesie is yet more high by the matter, and by its end, than by its form; it discourses not but of Kings and Princes; it gives not Lessons but to the Grandees to go­vern the People, and sets before them the Idea of a virtue much more perfect than History can do; for History propo­ses not virtue but imperfect, as it is found in the particulars; and Poetry pro­poses it free from all imperfections, and as it ought to be in general, and in the abstract. This made Aristotle confess that Poesie is a better School of virtue, than Philosophy it self, Arist. Poct. [...]. 10. because it goes more direct­ly to perfection by the verisimility, than Philosophy can do with the naked truth. And because the Poet gives not reason for what he saith, as the Philoso­pher, but the reason must be perceiv'd without his speaking it.

V.

POesie in general, is a picture or imita­tion of an action; and Heroick Po­esie is the imitation or picture of an He­roick action, as Aristotle informs us. The qualifications he gives to this action, are, that it be one and simple, true, or that passes for true, and that it ought to be happy, commendable, and entire. He be­lieves that it must be one and simple, to avoid confusion; that it must be true, to deserve credit; happy and commenda­ble, to serve for a pattern and instructi­on to the Grandees, and to be a publick example of virtue. Finally, it must be entire, that there may be nothing in it imperfect. These conditions are so es­sential to the action, which is to serve for the Subject of an Heroick Poem, that it is altogether defective, if any one of them be wanting; but to the end the action may be entirely perfect in a Po­em, all must go in a direct line to esta­blish the merit of the Heroc, and to di­stinguish him from all others: as the figures in a Table ought to have no­thing so shining either by the colours, [Page 77] or by the lights that may divert the eyes from the principal figure. 'Tis in this that Tasso was mistaken, who in his Po­em of the Conquest of Hierusalem, makes Rinaldo do all that is shining and extra­ordinary; it is Rinaldo that slays Adra­stus, Tysapharnes, Solyman, and all the principal Leaders of the Enemy: 'Tis he that breaks the Charm of the Enchant­ed Forest; the most important Episodes are reserv'd for him; nothing is done in his absence: he alone is call'd out to all the great actions. Godfrey, who is the Heroe, has nothing to do; and it is in vain that Tasso would excuse this fault by the Allegory, in a long Treatise made to that end; that is to justifie one Chi­mera with another. Homer, whose sense was more right, by a spirit altogether contrary, makes Achilles, who is his Heroe, do all; though it is true, he strayes sometimes too far from him, and forgets him. Virgil never falls into this fault: one shall never lose the sight of Aeneas in the Aeneid, as they do of Achil­les in the Iliad.

VI.

THe action must neither be too vast, nor too much limited, it must have a just greatness within the natural pro­portion of an heroick action, to be per­fect. The War of Troy that lasted ten years, had been a matter disproportion'd for a Poem; so great an object had tyr'd the wit, and a natural action of the same man cannot regularly be of that continuance; but neither ought it to be too much limited, lest it become despi­cable by the littleness. Hence it is that the Poem of Gabriel Chiabrera on the the Conquest of Rhodes by Amedee of Sa­voy, is in some measures defective in the action, which lasts but four days. For great atchievments, to be extraordinary, are not perform'd but by slow means, and intrigues wrought and woven with a long thread: with persons often ab­sent and remote: more time is necessa­ry to move the springs of great designs. Besides in the precipitation of so short time, the Events cannot be prepar'd, the Characters sustain'd the Incidents ma­nag'd, the Manners observ'd, and no­thing [Page 79] works as it should do in these great Machines; and the probability is throughout destroy'd.

VII.

THe unity of the action, however simple and scrupulous it ought to be, is no enemy to those delights which naturally arise from variety, when the variety is attended with that order and that proportion which makes uniformi­ty; as one Palace may contain the vari­ous ornaments of Architecture, and a great diversity of parts, provided it be built in the same order, and after the same design. This variety hath a large field in Heroick Poesie; the Enterprises of War, the Treaties of Peace, Ambassies, Negotiations, Voyages, Councils, Debates, building of Palaces and Towns, Man­ners, Passions, unexpected Discoveries, un­foreseen and surprizing Revolutions, and the different images of all that happens in the life of great Men, may there be employ'd, so be that all go to the same end; without this order, the most beau­tiful figures become monstrous, and like those extravagances that Horace taxes as ridiculous, in the beginning of his Book of Poesie.

VIII.

IT is particularly by the Art of Epi­sodes, that this great variey of mat­ters which adorn a Poem, is brought in­to the principal action; but though the Episodes are a kind of digression from the subject, being an adventure wholly forreign, that is added to the principal action to adorn it; yet, however, it ought to have a natural relation to the principal action, to make thereof a work that hath order and proportion: and therefore must the decorum of persons, of time, and of place, be preserv'd. without this condition the Episode is no longer probable, and there appears an air of affectation, which becomes ridicu­lous. Which Horace reproaches to the witless Poets, who would be gay on grave subjects, and search forreign orna­ments, where only the natural were pro­per. The Episodes of Lucan, who makes long Scholastick dissertations and dis­putes meerly speculative, on things that fall in his way, shew much of constraint and affectation. But besides, that the Episode must be natural, and never far­fetch't; [Page 81] it is to be handled with a cer­tain management and dexterity, that it may not lie in the way to make confu­sion, nor burthen the subject with too much action. 'Tis for this cause Aristotle so greatly blames the Episodical Fables; and it is also in this that the art of Ho­mer principally appears, who never con­founds any thing in the throng of ob­jects he represents: never was Poem more charg'd with matter than the Iliad, yet never any thing appear'd more sim­ple or more natural; for every thing there is in due order. Any too licenti­ous Paracronism may render an Episode defective and imperfect, though that of Dido in the fourth of the Aeneid is par­donable, by the admirable effect it pro­duceth; and in so great an elongation of times as those of Aeneas and Dido, the Poet need not be a slave to Chronology. The most natural Episodes are most pro­per to circumstantiate the principal action best, that are the causes, the ef­fects, the beginning, and the consequences of it; but we find not alwayes these qualifications in Tasso, who seeks to please often by passages that are too glittering; and much less in Ariosta, whose Episodes are too affected, never [Page 82] probable, never prepar'd, and often with­out any dependance on his subject, as than of King Agramante and Marfis [...] but these things are not to be expected from a Poem, where the Heroes are Pal [...] ­dius: and where predominates an air of Ghimerical and Romantick Knight-erran­try, rather than any Heroick spirit.

IX.

THough all must be natural in an E­ [...]pick Poem, yet the order that is ob­serv'd in relating things, ought not so to be; for were it natural, and according to the succession of time, it would be a History, and not a Poem; and thereby one would fall into the same fault with the impertinent scribler, whom Horace makes ridiculous, who begun his Poem of the Trojan War, with the loves of Ju­piter and Leda, and with the birth of He­len, who was the cause of the War. For to render the Narration more insinua­ting, delightful, and surprising, the Poet must confound the natural order of times and things, to make thereof one purely artificial. 'Tis by this Maxim, that the Poem of Nonnus upon Bacchus, the The­baid [Page 83] of Statius, and the Poems of the first Italians, who writ before they knew the Rules of Aristotle; and some Spanish Poems, as that of Diego Ximenes, on the Conquest of Valencia, are so defective.

X.

THe principal Character of an Hero­ick Poem, consists in the Narration; 'tis in this that it is oppos'd to the Dra­matick, which consists altogether in the action: but as nothing is more dif­ficult than to relate things, as one ought, the Poet must employ all his art to suc­ceed herein. The qualities a Narration must have, to be perfect, are these; it must be short and succinct, that nothing may be idle, flat, or tedious; it must be lively, quick, and delightful, that it may have nothing but what is attractive: fi­nally, it must be simple and natural; but it is a great art, to know to relate things simply and yet the simplicity not appear. The most ordinary graces of a Narrati­on must come from the figures, the tran­sitions, and from all those delicate turns, that carry the Reader from one thing to another, without his regarding it; and [Page 84] in this chiefly consists all the artifice of the Narration. It must never pour out all the matter, that some place may al­ways be left for the natural Reflections of the Reader; it must likewise avoid the particulars and the length of affect­ed description. Homer, great speaker as he is, amuses not himself, sayes Lucian, to discourse of the torments of the unhappy in Hell, when Ulysses descended thither; though this was a fair occasion for him. But the Poet, when he is judicious, makes no descriptions but to clear the matters, and never to shew his Wit. Fi­nally, the Narration must be delightsom, not only by the variety of things it re­lates, but likewise by the variety of the numbers. 'Tis this variety that makes the Greek versification more harmoni­ous, and more proper for Narration, than the Latin; and though Tasso has been successful enough in the Narrations of his Poem, and likewise Ariosto, who, to me, seems more natural than he; yet the pauses and interruptions to which the Italian Poesie is subjected, by the Stanza's, do weaken, methinks, and enervate that force and vigour, which makes one part of the Character of He­roick Verse. That Monotomie of the A­lexandrin [Page 85] Verse which can suffer no dif­ference, nor any variety of numbers, seems, to me, likewise a great weakness in the French Poetry: and though the vigour of the Verse might be sustain'd either by the great Subjects, or by an ex­traordinary Genius and Wit above the common rate, yet this sort of Verse will grow tedious and irksom in a long Poem. For the rest, one shall scarce ever meet with Narrations that are continued with the same force and the same spirit, ex­cept in Homer and Virgil. It is true, the Narration of the death of Polyxena in the Hecuba of Euripides, is the most lively and most moving in the world; and that of Tecmessa in the Ajax of Se­phocles, is the most tender and most pas­sionate that can be imagin'd. 'Tis by these great Models that a Poet must learn to be pathetical in what he relates, without amusing himself to make subtle and witty Narrations, by ridiculous af­fectations. In the other Greek and La­tin Poets, are found onely some imper­fect essayes of Narrations. He, among the Moderns, who has the best Genius to sustain all the Nobleness of a Narration in Heroick Verse, is Hierom Vida Bishop of Alba, in his Poem on the death of Ie­sus [Page 86] Christ; and if sometimes he fell not into low expressions, and harshnesses like those of Lucretius, his stile had been incomparable. Scaliger objects against the long Narrations, which Homer makes his Heroes speak in the heat and fury of a Battel, in effect this is neither natural nor probable; neither can I approve the de­scriptions of Alcina's Palace in Ariosto, nor of Armida's in Tasso, no more than the particulars of the pleasant things which both of them mix in their Nar­rations; hereby they degenerate from their Character, and shew a kind of pue­rility, that is in no wise conformable to the gravity of an Heroick Poem, where all ought to be majestick.

XI.

NOthing is more essential to an Epick Poem than Fiction, which ought to reign throughout, Fiction being it's soul. 'Tis by this that the most com­mon things take a Character of great­ness and sublimity, which renders them extraordinary and admirable. Aristotle gave but the shadow of this precept, which Petronius has drawn more fully, by [Page 87] these words, per ambages deorumque mi­nisteria praecipitandus est liber spiritus. 'Tis thus that meanest things become Noble; that Thetis in Homer, throws herself at the feet of Iupiter, that the Gods assemble in Council, where arise great debates, their spirits grow warm, and all heaven is divided into parties; for what? because, indeed, Achilles's Mistress was taken from him, which at the bottom is but a trifle. 'Tis by this great Art, that all the Voyages, and in­deed every step that Telemachus made in the Odyssis, to seek his father Vlysses, became considerable, because Minerv [...] is of his Retinue, and of his Council; and all became remarkable, by the impressi­on they receiv'd from the conduct of a Deity, that presides over wisdom. 'Tis finally by this that Virgil gives greatness and lustre to the meanest things he speaks. If Aeneas break a bough, in the third of his Aeneid, to pay a pious duty to a Tomb that he finds accidentally in his way, the ghost of Polydorus speaks to him from the bottom of the Tomb, and this makes an Episode. If Aruns draw an Arrow in the eleventh Book, it is by the direction of Apollo, who does in­teress himself therein to kill Camilla. [Page 88] Finally, all has relation to the Gods and their Ministry, even to the least actions that are describ'd in this Poem, to heighten the lustre of all that is there done, in that marvellous way, whereof Aristotle gives so admirable Lessons.

XII.

BUt the importance is, as I before have observed, that this admirable be probable, by a just mixture, and tem­perament of the one and the other. For the Heroick action which the Poet pro­poses to imitate, must be render'd not only worthy of admiration, but also of credit, to attain its end. The Poets or­dinarily are carried without considerati­on to speak incredible things, whilst they aim too much at the marvellous; they thrust imprudently into the Fable, without managing the truth, because they would please, without taking care to persuade; and they scarce ever think of the preparations, and all the colours of decency that must be employ'd where­on to ground the verisimility. And 'tis thus that by a false Idea they have of Poesie, they place its beauty in the plea­sant [Page 89] surprises of something extraordina­ry wonderful: whereas in truth it is not regularly to be found, but in what is na­tural and probable. For the sure way to the heart, is not by surprizing the spirit; and all becomes incredible in Poetry, that appears incomprehensible. Scarce any of the Poets but Virgil, had the Art, by the preparation of incidents, to manage the probability in all the circumstances of an heroick action. Homer is not alto­gether so scrupulous and regular in his contrivances; his Machins are less just, and all the measures he takes, to save the probability, are, less exact; I shall not give a particular in a Subject where I only allow my self to make Reflections on the general principles of P [...]esie. Ma­ny Reflections may be made in the works of both the ancient and modern Poets, on the subject of this observation; for the necessity of probability is a great check to the Poets; who think to make the incidents the more heroick, by how much more wonderful and more surpri­zing they be, without regarding whether they be natural.

XIII.

FInally, the sovereign perfection of an Epick Poem, in the opinion of Aristotle, consists in the just proportion of all the parts. The marvellous of Tra­gedy consists in the pathetical stile; but the marvellous of an Heroick Poem, is that perfect connexion, that just agree­ment, and the admirable relation, that the parts of this great work have each to other, as the perfection of a great Pa­lace, consists in the uniformity of de­sign, and in the proportion of parts. It is this sy [...]etry that Horace so much commends in the beginning of his Book of Poesie, where he taxes the ridiculous­ness of the extravagant disproportions in the Picture he speaks of; and which he compares to the prodigious Adven­tures of Dolphins in the Fores [...]s, and wild Bores in the Sea, and all the other images he so much blames, because dis­proportionable to the subject. And this proportion that Aristotle demands, is not only in the quantity of the parts, but likewise in the quality. In which point Tasso is very faulty, who mixes in his Po­em [Page 91] the light Character with the serious, and all the force and majesty of Hero­ick, with the softness and delicacy of the Eglogue and Lyrick Poesie. For the Shepherds adventures with Herminia in the seventh Canto, and the Letters of her lovers Name, which she carv'd on the bark of bayes and beeches, the moan she made to the Trees and Rocks, the pur­li [...] streams, the embroidered meadows; the singing of Birds, in which the Poet himself took so much pleasure: the en­chanted wood in the thirteenth Canto; the songs of Ar [...]da in the fourteenth to in­spire Rinaldo with love, the caresses this Sorceress made him, the description of her Palace, where nothing is breath'd but softness and effeminacy, and those other affected descriptions have nothing of that grave and majestick Character, which is proper for Heroick Verse. 'Tis thus that Saunazarius, in his Poem de partu virginis, has injudiciously mingled the Fables of Paganism with the myste­ries of Christian Religion; as also Cama­e [...]s, who speaks without discretion of Venus and [...]acchus, and the other profane Deities in a Christian Poem. It is not sufficient that all be grand and magnifi­cent in an Epick Poem, all must be just, [Page 92] uniform, proportionable in the different parts that compose it.

XIV.

THis proportion of parts is so essential to heroick, that it ought likewise to be (if I may so say) the soul of all little Poems; as are Epithalumiums, Pa­negyricks, and others that are made on the birth; and brave actions of great men; and these Poems are so far perfect, as they have that unity and proportion of parts, requisite for a complete work, In this ordinarily are faulty the Pane­gyrists, and all those pretended Poets, that seek to make their fortune, by ma­king their Court to great persons. For besides that there is nothing more diffi­cult, than to praise, and that by so bold an enterprize, one ordinarily exposes himself to be render'd ridiculous, as well as those he commends, because he does it ill; the common undertakers, in this kind, who have not force to form handsomly a design, loose the reins to their fancy; and after they have pil'd a heap of gross and deform'd praises without order or connexion one upon [Page 93] another, this, forsooth, must be call'd a Panegyrick. 'Tis thus that Claudian has prais'd the Emperour Honorius and the Consuls, Probinus, Olybrius, Stilicon, and the other illustrious persons of his time. Throughout all his Panegyricks reigns an air of youthfulness, that has nothing of what is solid, though there appear some wit. I speak not of Ausonius, nor Pru­dentius, and the Latin Poets, who have writ Panegyricks; because all of them have writ after this manner, and yet more feebly, according to the decline of the Ages in which they writ. Tibullus himself, otherwise so exact and polite in his Elegies, falls short in his Panegyrick of Messala; so hard is it to praise well. And nothing perhaps has contributed more to render the Character of a Poet a little ridiculous, than the vile and un­manly flatteries whereby most part of those that profess'd Poetry have debas'd themselves. For a man alwayes praises ill, when he praises for interest; and there is nothing but these sottish praises that bring a disparagement on Poets. What art, what springs, what turns, what wit must be employ'd, to praise well, and how few are capable to do it? for praise has alwayes something gross [Page 94] in it, if it lie too open, and go in a di­rect line. Voiture, one of the most de­licate Wits of these latter Ages, never scarce, commended any but in drollery, and it may be said that of a long time none has done it with more success. The true Models, that ought to be taken, to praise well, are the Poems of Homer and Virgil; Homer praises not Achilles, but by the simple and bare relation of his actions; and never was man prais'd so delicately as Augustus, by Virgil; it is not but, as it were, by covert paths that he conducts him to glory. There was not a Roman that had any thing of un­derstanding, who knew not well that Virgil commended not the piety of Aene­as, but to honour that of Augustus, whose portract he draws in his Heroe; for whatever the Poet sayes of the one, is only for the other. Whereby, one may say, that never man knew better the art of praising; for he saves all the mo­desty of the person he praiseth, even whil'st he overwhelms him with praise. Finally, the true art of praising, is to say laudable things simply, but delicately; for praises are not to be endur'd, unless they be fine and hidden. The truth is, 'tis so hard a thing to praise as one [Page 95] ought, that it is a Rock which they that are wise should shun. And since the Poets are ordinarily too lavish in this kind, they may make advantage some­times of this Reflection, to save their Reputation, that whilst they pretend to give honour to particulars, themselves be not pitied by the publick. This is all that can be observ'd most essential to an Epick Poem; and now follows a judg­ment that may be made of those who have writ in this kind of Poesie.

XV.

HOmer is the most perfect Model of the Heroick Poesie; and he onely, saith Aristotle, deserves the name of Poet; 'tis certain, never man had a more hap­py Genius. Dionysius Halicarnasseus com­mends him chiefly for the contrivance of his design, the greatness and majesty of his expression, the sweet and passionate mo­tions of his sentiments. Hestod, saith he, was content to be delightful, and to speak well. All the other Greek Poets that writ in this sort of Verse, have ac­quitted themselves so meanly, that they have gain'd with posterity a reputation [Page 96] only proportionable to the poorness of their Genius, Coluthus in his Poem of the rape of Helen, has nothing conside­rable, the design is shallow, the stile cold and flat. The Poem of Tryphiodor [...] on the taking of Troy, is of a gross and low character, as likewise the History of Leander by Musaeus. The Poem of A­pollonius Rhodius, on the expedition of the Argonauts, is of a slender character, and has nothing of that nobleness of expression of Homer; the Fable is ill invented, and the list of the Argonauts in the first Book is flat. Quintus Calaber who would undertake to write the sup­plement to the Iliad and Odysseis, with­out having the least sprinkling of Ho­mers easie and natural vein, has nothing exact or regular. Nicander is hard, Op­pian dry; and the Poem of Nonnus, not so much a Poem, as a Romance, or Histo­ry of the Birth, Adventures, Victories, and Apotheosis of Bacchus. The design is too vast, the Fable ill wrought, with­out art, without order, without proba­bility, the stile is obscure and cumber'd. For the Latins, never any possess'd all the graces of Poesie in so eminent a de­gree, as Virgil; he has an admirable taste for what is natural, an exquisite [Page 97] judgment for the contrivance, an incom­parable delicacy for the numbers and harmony of versification. The design of his Poem, well consider'd in all the cir­cumstances, is the most judicious and the best devis'd that ever was, or ever will be. Ovid has wit, art, design in his Me­tamorphosis; but he has youthfulnesses that could hardly be pardon'd, but for the vivacity of his wit, and a certain happiness of fancy. Lucan is great and sublime, but has little judgment. Sca­liger blames his continual Transports, for, in effect, he is excessive in his dis­course, where he affects rather to ap­pear a Philosopher, than a Poet. Petro­nius in his little Poem of the corruption of Rome, falls into all the faults that he condemns; never man gave more [...]udi­cious Rules for Poetry, and never man observ'd them worse. Statius is as fan­tastical in his Idea's as in his expressi­ons; the greatness that appears in his stile is more in the words, than in the things: his two Poems have nothing in them regular, all is vast and dispropor­tionable. Silius Italicus is much more regular; he owes more to his industry, than to his nature, there seems some judgment and conduct in his design, [Page 98] but nothing of greatness and nobleness in his expression; and if one may re­lie on the younger Pliny's judgment, there is more art than wit in his Poem; it is rather the History of the second punick War, than a Poem. That of Va­lerius Flaccus on the Argonauts, is incom­parably mean; the fable, the contri­vance, the conduct, all there are of a very low character. Claudian hath wit and fancy; but no taste for that delica­cy of the numbers, and that turn of the Verse, that the skilful admire in Virgil; he falls perpetually into the same ca­dence; for that cause, one can hardly read him without being wearied; and he has no elevation in any manner. An­sonius and Prudentius had not a Genius strong enough, to overcome the gros­ness of the Age they liv'd in.

XVI.

FOr the modern, this judgment may be given. In the Ages succeeding, when Letters pass'd from Italy into A­frick, the Arabians, though lovers of Poetry, produc'd nothing of Heroick, That barbarous air of the Goths which [Page 99] then was spread in Europe over all Arts, did also mingle with Poetry; as appears by the works of Sidonius, Mamercus, Nemesianus and others, who writ then after a dry, jejune, and insipid manner. Some Ages after these, Poesie began to flourish again in Italy by the Poems of Dante, Petrarch, and Boccace. The Po­em of Dante, which the Italians of those days, call'd a Comedy, passes for an Epick Poem in the opinion of Castelvetro; but it is of a sad and woful contrivance. And speaking generally Dante has a strain too profound, Petrarch too vast, Boccace too trivial and familiar, to de­serve the name of Heroick Poets: though they have writ with much purity in their own Tongue, especially Petrarch and Boccace. These were followed some time after by the Comte of Scandian, Matthieu Boyardo, who made the Poem of the loves of Orlando and Angelica; by Oliviero who writ a Poem on Germa­ny; by Pulci in his Morgante; by Ari­osto in his War of the Moors under their King Agramante against Charlemagne; who all suffer'd their wit to be squan­der'd on the Books of Chevalry and Ro­mances of those times. Ariosto has I know not what of an Epick Poem more [Page 100] than the others, because he had read Homer and Virgil; he is pure, great, sub­lime, admirable in the expression; his descriptions are master-pieces: but he has no judgment at all; his wit is like the fruitful ground that together pro­duces flowers and thistles; he speaks well, but thinks ill; and though all the pieces of his Poem are pretty, yet the whole work together is nothing worth, for an Epick Poem: he had not then seen the Rules of Aristotle; as Tasso did afterwards, who is better than Ariosto, whatever the Academy of Florence say to the contrary. For Tasso is more cor­rect in his design, more regular in the contrivance of his Fable, and more com­ [...]ete in all the parts of his Poem, than [...] other Italians; but he mingles so much [...]llantry in it, and affectation, that he often forgets the gravity of his design, and the dignity of his character. I speak not of Cavalier Marino in his Adonis; it is a very ill Model, though he have as much, and perhaps more wit than the others; yet it is a sort of wild wit that runs loose with such eagerness after what is pleasant and glittering throughout his whole work, that, it seems, he has not any relish for solid [Page 101] things. Sannazarius and Vida, who were famous much about the same time among the Italian Poets, one for his Po­em de partu virginis, the other for his of the passion of our Saviour, made appear a good Genius for writing in Latin; for the purity of their stile is admirable; but the contrivance of their Fable has no delicateness, their manner is in no wise proportionable to the dignity of their Subject. Pontanus, Politian, Car­dinal Sadolet, Pal [...]otti, Strozzi, Cardinal bembo, and many other Italians, writ at the same time, in Latin pure enough, but with a very indifferent wit. Camoens, who is the onely Heroick Poet of Portu­gal, regarded only to express the haugh­tiness of his Nation in his Poem of the Conquest of the Indies. For he is fierce and fastuous in his composition, but has little discernment, and little conduct. Buchanan, who is a Scotch Poet, has a character compos'd of [...] any characters; his wit is easie, delicate, natural, but not great or losty. Hugo Grotius, and Da­niel Heinsius, both Hollanders, have writ nobly enough in Latin Verse; but the great Learning wherewith they were fraught, hinder'd them from thinking things in that delicate manner, which [Page 102] makes the beauty. For the French Po­ets who have writ in Heroick Verse, Dubartas and Ronsard, had all the Genius their Age was capable of; but the French Poets being ignorant, they both affected to appear learned, to distinguish them from the common; and corrupt­ed their wit, by an imitation of the Greek Poets ill understood: they were not skilful enough to place the sublime man­ner of the Heroick Verse in things, ra­ther than in words; nor were so happy to apprehend that the French Tongue is not capable of those compounded words, which they made after the exam­ple of the Greek, and with which they stufft their Poems; and it was by this in­discreet affectation to imitate the Anei­ents, that both became barbarous; but besides, that the contrivance of the Fa­ble of Ronsard in his Franciad is not na­tural, the sort of Verse he took is not enough Majestick, for an Heroick Poem, I speak not of other Poems whose Au­thors are living, they have, perhaps, their desert; but time must make proof. Now let us see what Reflections may be made on Dramatick Poeste, which Aristotle di­vides into Tragedy and Comedy.

XVII.

TRagedy, of all parts of Poesie, is that which Aristotle has most discuss'd; and where he appears most exact. He alledges that Tragedy is a publick Lecture, without comparison more instructive than Philosophy; because it teaches the mind by the sense, and rectifies the pas­sions, by the passions themselves, in calming by their emotion the troubles they excite in the heart. The Philoso­pher had observ'd two important faults in man to be regulated, pride, and hard­ness of heart, and he found for both Vi­ces a cure in Tragedy. For it makes man modest, by representing the great masters of the earth humbled; and it makes him tender and merciful, by shewing him on the Theatre the strange accidents of life, and the unforeseen disgraces to which the most important persons are subject. But because man is naturally timorous, and compassio­nate, he may fall into another extreme, to be either too fearful, or too full of pity; the too much fear may shake the constancy of mind, and the too great [Page 104] compassion may enfeeble the equity. 'Tis the business of Tragedy to regulate these too weaknesses; it prepares and arms him against disgraces, by shewing them so frequent in the most considera­ble persons; and he shallcease to fear ordinary accidents, when he sees such extraordinary happen to the highest part of Mankind. But as the end of Tra­gedy is to teach men not to fear too weakly the common misfortunes, and manage their fear; it makes account also to teach them to spare their com­passion, for objects that deserve it. For there is an injustice in being mov'd at the afflictions of those who deserve to be miserable. One may see without pity Clytemnestra slain by her son Orestes in Eschylus, because she had cut the throat of Agamemnon her husband; and one cannot see Hippolytus dye by the plot of his stepmother Phedra in Euripi­des, without compassion; because he dyed not but for being chaste and vir­tuous. This to me seems, in short, the design of Tragedy, according to the system of Aristotle, which to me appears admi­rable, but which has not been explain'd as it ought by his Interpreters; they have not, it may seem, sufficiently understood the mystery, to unfold it well.

XVIII.

BUt it is not enough that Tragedy be furnish'd with all the most moving and terrible Adventures, that History can afford, to stir in the heart those motions it pretends, to the end, it may cure the mind of those vain fears that may an­noy it, and of those childish compassions that may soften it. 'Tis also necessary, sayes the Philosopher, that every Poet employ these great objects of terrour and pity, as the two most powerful springs, in art, to produce that pleasure which Tragedy may yield. And this plea­sure which is properly of the mind, con­sists in the agitation of the Soul mov'd by the passions. Tragedy cannot be de­lightful to the Spectator, unless he be­come sensible to all that is represented, he must enter into all the different thoughts of the Actors, interest himself in their Adventures, fear, hope, afflict himself, and rejoyce with them. The Theatre is dull and languid, when it ceases to produce these motions in the Soul of those that stand by. But as of all passions fear and pity are those that make the strongest [Page 106] impressions on the heart of man, by the natural disposition he has of being afraid, and of being mollifi'd; Aristotle has chosen these amongst the rest, to move more powerfully the Soul, by the tender sentiments they cause, when the heart admits, and is pierced by them. In effect, when the Soul is shaken, by mo­tions so natural and so humane, all the impressions it feels, become delightful; its trou [...]le pleases, and the emotion it finds, is a kind of charm to it, which does cast it into a sweet and profound medi­tation, and which insensibly does en­gage it in all the interests that are mana­ged on the Theatre. 'Tis then that the heart yields it self over to all the objects that are propos'd, that all images strike it, that it espouses the sentiments of all those that speak, and becomes suscepti­ble of all the passions that are present­ed, because 'tis mov'd. And in this agi­tation consists all the pleasure that one is capable to receive from Tragedy; for the spirit of man does please it self with the different situations, caus'd by the different objects, and the various passi­ons that are represented.

XIX.

IT is by this admirable spring, that the Oedipus of Sophocles (of which Ari­stotle speaks continually, as of the most perfect Model of a Tragedy) wrought such great effects on the people of A­thens, when it was represented. The truth is, all is terrible in that piece, and all there is moving. See the Subject. The Plague destroying Thebes, Oedipus the King concerned at the loss of his Subjects, causes the Oracle to be consulted, for a re­medy. The Oracle ordains him to revenge the affassinat committed on the person of his Predccessor King Laius. Oedipus ra­ges in horrible imprecations against the au­thor of the crime, without knowing him; he himself makes a strict search to discover him; he questions Creon, Tiresias, Jo­casta, and a man of Corinth for intelli­gence; and it appear'd by the account that this Prince received, that he himself com­mitted the murder, he would punish. The minds of the Spectators are in a perpe­tual suspense; all the words of Tire [...]ias, Iocasta, and the Corinthian, as they give light to the discovery, cause terrours and [Page 108] surprises; and clear it by little and lit­tle. Oedipus finding it to be himself that was Author of the assassinat, by evi­dence of the testimonies, at the same time understood that Laius whom he had slain, was his Father; and that Iocasta, whom he had married, is his Mother, which he knew not till then; because he had from his Infancy been brought up in the Court of the King of Corinth. This discovery is like a Thunderclap that oblig'd him to abandon himself to all the despair that his Conscience inspir'd; he tears out both his eyes, to punish him­self the more cruelly with his own hands. But this Criminal whom all the world abhors before he is known, by a return of pity and tenderness, becomes an object of compassion to all the Assem­bly; now he is bemoan'd, who a mo­ment before pass'd for execrable; and they melt at the misfortunes of the per­son they had in horror; and excuse the most abominable of all Crimes, because the Author is an Innocent unfortunate, and fell into this crime, that was fore­told him, notwithstanding all the pre­cautions he had taken to avoid it; and what is most strange, is, that all the steps he made to carry him from the murder, [Page 109] brought him to commit it. Finally, this flux and reflux of indignation, and of pity, this revolution of horror and of tenderness, has such a wonderful ef­fect on the minds of the Audience; all in this piece moves with an air so deli­cate and passionate, all is unravel'd with so much art, the suspensions manag'd with so much probability; there is made such an universal emotion of the Soul, by the surprises, astonishments, admirati­ons; the sole incident that is form'd in all the piece, is so natural, and all tends so in a direct line to the discovery and ca­tastrophe; that it may not only be said, that never Subject has been better devi­sed than this, but that never can be in­vented a better, for Tragedy. And thus also it was that the Andromeda of Euri­pides (so much boasted of in Atheneus, and an Episode whereof Alexander sung in the last Banquet of his life) wrought those wonderful effects in the City Ab­dera; when it was acted there by Arche­laus under the Reign of Lysimachus. The two parts of Perseus and Andromeda, the misfortunes of this Princess expos'd to the Sea-monster, and all that mov'd ter­ror and pity in this representation, made so strong and violent impression on the [Page 110] people, That they departed, saith Lucian, from the Theatre, possess'd (as it were) with the spectacle, and this became a pub­lick malady, wherewith the imaginations of the Spectators were seiz'd. Something of a grosser stroke of this sort of impressi­ons made by Tragedy, has even happen'd in our dayes. When Mondory acted the Mariamne of Tristan, the people never went away but sad and pensive, making reflection on what they had seen, and struck with great pleasure at the same time. These are the two great springs of the Greek Tragedy, and all that is marvellous in Dramatick Poems, results principally from what there is of pity and terror in the objects represented.

XX.

Modern Tragedy turns on other prin­ciples; the Genius of our (the French) Nation is not strong enough, to sustain an action on the Theatre by moving only terror and pity. These are Machins that will not play as they ought, but by great thoughts, and noble ex­pressions, of which we are not indeed altogether so capable, as the Greeks. [Page 111] Perhaps our Nation, which is naturally gallant, has been oblig'd by the neces­sity of our Character to frame for our selves a new system of Tragedy to suit with our humour. The Greeks, who were popular Estates, and who hated Monarchy, took delight in their specta­cles, to see Kings humbled, and high Fortunes cast down, because the exal­tation griev'd them. The English, our Neighbours, love blood in their sports, by the quality of their temperament: these are Insulaires, separated from the rest of men; we are more humane. Gallantry moreover agrees with our Manners; and our Poets believ'd that they could not succeed well on the Theatre, but by sweet and tender senti­ments; in which, perhaps, they had some reason: for, in effect, the passions represented become deform'd and in­sipid, unless they are founded on sen­timents conformable to those of the Spectator. 'Tis this that obliges our Poets to stand up so strongly for the priviledge of Gallantry on the Thea­tre, and to bend all their Subjects to love and tenderness; the rather, to please the Women, who have made themselves Judges of these divertisements, and [Page 112] usurped the right to pass sentence. And some besides have suffer'd themselves to be prepossess'd, and led by the Spani­ards, who make all their Cavaliers amo­rous. 'Tis by them that Tragedy began to degenerate; and we by little and little accustom'd to see Heroes on the Thea­tre, smitten with another love than that of glory; and that by degrees all the great men of Antiquity have lost their characters in our hands. 'Tis likewise perhaps by this gallantry that our Age would devise a colour to excuse the feebleness of our wit; not being able to sustain always the same action by the greatness of words and thoughts. How­ever it be; for I am not hardy enough, to declare my self against the publick; 'tis to degrade Tragedy from that majesty which is proper to it, to mingle in it love, which is of a character alwayes light, and little sutable to that gravity of which Tragedy makes profession. Hence it proceeds, that these Tragedies mixed with gallantries, never make such admi­rable impressions on the spirit, as did those of Sophocles and Euripides; for all the bowels were moved by the great objects of terrour and pity which they proposed. 'Tis likewise for this, that the [Page 113] reputation of our modern Tragedies so soon decays, and yield but small delight at two years end; whereas the Greek please yet to those that have a good taste, after two thousand years; because what is not grave and serious on the Theatre, though it give delight at pre­sent, after a short time grows distasteful, and unpleasant; and because, what is not proper for great thoughts and great figures in Tragedy cannot support it self. The Ancients who perceiv'd this, did not interweave their gallantry and love, save in Comedy. For love is of a chara­cter that always degenerates from that Heroick air, of which Tragedy must nev [...]r divest it self. And nothing to me shews so mean and sensless, as for one to amuse himself with whining about frivolous kindnesses, when he may be admirable by great and noble thoughts, and sublime expressions. But I dare not presume so far on my own capacity and credit, to oppose my self of my own head against a usage so [...]stablished. I must be content modestly to propose my doubts; and that may serve to exercise the Wits, in an Age that onely wants matter. But to end this Reflection with a touch of Chri­stianism, I am persuaded, that the inno­cence [Page 114] of the Theatre might be better preserv'd according to the Idea of the ancient Tragedy: because the new is be­come too effeminate, by the softness of latter Ages; and the Prince de Conty who signaliz'd his zeal against the mo­dern Traged [...], by his Treatise on that Subject, would, without doubt, have al­lowed the ancient, because that has no­thing that may seem dangerous.

XXI.

THe other faults of modern Trage­dy are ordinarily that either the subjects which are chosen are mean and frivolous; or the Fable is not well wrought, and the contrivance not regu­lar; or that they are too much crowd­ed with Episodes; or that the Characters are not preserv'd and sustain'd; or that the incidents are not well prepar'd; or that the Machins are forced; or that, what is admirable fails in the probability, or the probability is too plain and flat; or that the surprises are ill managed, the knots ill tyed, the loosing them not natu­ral, the Catastrophe's precipitated, the Thoughts without elevation, the Expressi­ons [Page 115] without majesty, the Figures without grace, the Passions without colour, the Discourse without life, the Narrations cold, the Words low, the Language im­proper, and all the Beauties false. They speak not enough to the heart of the Audience, which is the onely Art of the Theatre, where nothing can be delight­ful but that which moves the affections, and which makes impression on the Soul; little known is that Rhetorick which can lay open the passions by all the natural degrees of their birth, and of their progress: nor are those Morals at all in use, which are proper to min­gle these different interests, those opposite glances, those clashing maxims, those rea­sons that destroy each other, to ground the incertitudes and irresolutions, and to animate the Theatre. For the Thea­tre being essentially destined for action, nothing ought to be idle, but all in agi­tation, by the thwarting of passions that are founded on the different in­terests, that arise; or by the embroil­ment that follows from the intrigue. Likewise there ought to appear no Actor, that carries not some design in his head, either to cross the designs of others, or to support his own; all ought [Page 116] to be in trouble, and no calm to appear, till the action be ended by the Catastro­phe. Nor finally, is it well understood that it is not the admirable intrigue, the surprising and wonderful events, the extraordinary incidents that make the beauty of a Tragedy, it is the discourses when they are natural and passionate. Sophocles was not more successful than Euripides on the Theatre at Athens, but by the discourse, though the Tragedies of Euripides have more of action, of mo­rality, of wonderful incidents, than those of Sophocles. It is by these faults, more or less great, that Tragedy in these dayes has so little e [...]fect on the mind; that we no longer feel those agreeable trances, that make the pleasure of the Soul, nor [...]ind those suspensions, those ravishments, those surprises▪ those admirations that the ancient Tragedy caus'd; because the mo­dern have nothing of those astonishing and terrible objects that affrighted, whilst they pleas'd, the Spectators, and made those great impressions on the Soul, by the mini [...]ry of the passions. In these dayes men go from the Theatre as little mov'd as when they went in▪ and carry their heart along with them, untoucht as they brought it: so that the pleasure [Page 117] they receive there, is become as super­ficial, as that of Comedy, and our gravest Tragedies are (to speak properly) no more but height [...]n'd Comedies.

XXII.

IT is not but that the Ancients had likewise their faults. [...]schylus had scarce any principle for manners, and for the decencies; his Falles are too simple, the contrivance wretched, the expression obscure and blunder'd; scarce ought can be understood of his Trage­dy of Agame [...]non. But because he be­liev'd that the secret of the Theatre is to speak pompously, he bestow'd all his art on the words without any regard to the thoughts. Quintilian sayes, that he is sublime and lofty to extravagance: in effect, he never speaks in cold [...]lood, and sayes the most indifferent things in a tragick hu [...]s; likewise in the images that he draws, the colours are too glaring▪ and the strokes too gross. He, who writes his life, relates that in one of the Cho­rus's of his Tragedy of the Eumenides, he so horribly frighted the Audience, that the spectacle made the children swound, [Page 118] and the Women with child suffer aborti­on▪ Finally, his Enthusiasm, it seems, never left him, he is so exalted, and so little natural. Sophocles is too elaborate in his discourse, his Art is not enough hidden, in some of his pieces, it lies too open and near the day; he sometimes becomes obscure, by his too great affectation to be sublime; and the nobleness of his expression, is injurious to the perspicui­ty; his plots are not all so happily un­ravel'd, as that of the Oedipus. The dis­covery in the Ajax answers not to the in­trigue; the Author ought not to have ended a spectacle of that terrour and pity with a dull and frivolous contest about the Sepulture of Ajax, who then had slain himself. And in the same piece that Machin of Minerva is too vio­lent, who casts an ench [...]ntment over the eyes of Ajax, to save Vlysses, whom A­jax would have kill'd, if he had known him. Oedipus ought not to have been ignorant of the assassinat of the King of Thebes; the ignorance he is in of the murder, which makes all the beauty of the intrigue, is not probable▪ Euripides is not exact in the contrivance of his Fables; his Characters want variety, he falls often into the same thoughts, on the [Page 119] same adventures; he is not enough a re­ligious observer of decencies; and by a too great affectation to be moral and sententious, he is not so ardent and pas­sionate as he ought to be; for this rea­son he goes not to the heart, so much as Sophocles; there are precipitations in the preparation of his Incidents, as in the Suppliants, where Theseus levies an Army, marches from Athens to Thebes, and re­turns on the same day. The discoveries of his Plots are nothing natural, these are perpetual Machins; Diana makes the discovery in the Tragedy of Hippoli­tus; Minerva that of the Iphigenia in Taurica; Thetis that of Andromache; Castor and Pollux that of Helena, and that of Electra; and so of others. Af­ter all, as these three Authors are the first Models of Tragedy, they are great in their designs, judicious in their fables, passionate in their expressions; through­out in their Works predominates a geni­us, nature, and good sense. And though they are guilty of their faults, yet it may be said, that all which is of them is ori­ginal. The latter Greeks, whereof Ephe­stion speaks, as Lycophron, Sosi [...]heus, and the others that flourish'd under King Ptolomy Philodelphus; and the first La­tins, [Page 120] as Livius Andronicus, A [...]cius Pacu­vius, who apply'd themselves to Tra­gedy, had not any success in that way. The Romans, for some time, took de­light in Comedy. But so soon as the po­lite Learning was a little establish'd at Rome, most part of the great men em­ploy'd themselves in writing Tragedies. Catullus made one Tragedy of Alcmeon, out of which Cicero cites some Verses in his Lucullus; [...]ra [...]chus made Thyestes, whereof Censorinus makes mention; Cae­sar made Adras [...]us whereof Festus speaks; Rut [...]us made Astyanax, of which Ful­gentius speaks; Mecaenas made Octavia, which Priscian mentions; Ovid made Medea, of which Quintilian gives some account; and seeing that these Trage­dies are lost, no judgment can be made of them, but by the merit of their Au­thors. But the esteem these great men had for this sort of Poem then in a time when good s [...]nse so much sway'd, may sufficiently justifie Cardinal Richelieu, who was so infinitely affected with it; and he little authorizes the ignorance at Court in these things, which is so much the mode at this day. The onely Trage­dies that remain of the Latins, are those of Seneca▪ who speaks alwayes well, but [Page 121] never speaks naturally; his Verse are pompous, his Thoughts lofty, because he would dazzle; but the contrivance of his Fables are of no great character. This Author pleases himself too much in giving his Idea's, instead of real ob­jects; and he represents not alwayes very regularly, what is to be represent­ed. But it is not only in the composi­tion of Tragedy that the Greeks have excelled the Romans; it is also in the magnificence of their Theatre, these peo­ple, however conquer'd they have been, have had greater thoughts than their Con­querors; and Plutarch assures us, that the Athenians have been at greater expen­ces in the representation of their Trage­dies, and in the rewards they propos'd to those Poets that succeeded well, than in all the Wars that ever they under­took for the defence of their Republick; and they believ'd not this expence unprofitable, since it was to inspire the people with thoughts conformable to the good of their estate.

XXIII.

THe following Ages became succes­sively so gross one after another, [Page 122] that they could produce nothing in this kind of Poes [...]e worthy of an [...] reflection. The Italians and Spaniards of latter Ages, had their wit too much corrupted with Romances, to sustain the greatness of the character of Tragedy: notwith­standing Trissino would make his Sopho­nisbe, and [...]as [...]o his Torismondo, after the pattern of the Tragedies of Sophocles: but they could not reach that character. The Iephthes, and Bapti [...]es of Buchanan, contain little considerable, except the purity of stile in which these Tragedies are written. The Sedecias of Malaper­tus, the Crispus of Stephonius, the Iose­phus of [...]rotius, the Herod of Heins [...]us, and the other Tragedies of the learned men of the last Age, have almost all of them a contrivance too simple, the Inci­dents are cold, the Narrations tedious, the Passions forc'd, the Stile constrain'd. The Tragedies of Garnier, Rotrou, Serr [...], and others of that time, are yet of a far meaner character. The English have more of Genius for Tragedy than other peo­ple, as well by the spirit of their Nati­on which delights in cruelty, as also by the character of their language, which is proper for great expressions. But the French, who have apply'd themselves [Page 123] to Tragedy more than any others, have likewise writ with more success; and this success does strongly authorize the use, as may be seen by so many great men amongst us, who daily signalize themselves on the Theatre. But the whimsi [...] of these opera of Musick, where­with the Publick are infatuated, will, perhaps, be capable to discourage them, if they be regarded. It remains to speak of Comedy, that of a Lecture of vir­tue which it is essentially; is become, by the licentiousness of these latter Times, a School of debauchery: 'tis on­ly to re-establish it in its natural estate, as it ought to be, according to Aristotle, that I pretend to speak. The rest I leave to the zeal of the Preachers, who are a little slack on this Subject.

XXIV.

SOme pretend that Aristotle, who has scarce said any thing of Comedy, has said all, making a remark, that the ri­diculous is to be handled in the same manner, as he has discours'd of the grave and serious; by the rule of proportion, that must be observ'd betwixt Comedy and Tragedy. That is to say, there must [Page 124] be observ'd in Comedy, as well as in Tra­gedy, the decencies of places, of times, of persons; that there must be employ'd all the colours, which ought to be the seeds and the principles of the decency; that the preparations of the Incidents ought to be conducted in such sort, that they serve not to render the events cold, by taking from them what they may have of advantage and grace by the surprize. For it is of importance to con­sider, that to prepare an Incident well, is not altogether to say things, that may discover; but it is to say so much only as may give place to the Audience, to divine: which also ought to be sparing­ly done. For the pleasure of the Specta­tors is to expect alwayes something that may surprize, and that is contrary to their prejudgments. And nothing ought to be predominant on the Theatre so much as the suspension; because the chief delight to be receiv'd there, is the sur­prize.

XXV.

COmedy is an image of common life; its end is to shew on the Stage the f [...]ults of particulars, in order to amend [Page 125] the faults of the Publick, and to corr [...]ct the people through a fear of being ren­der'd ridiculous. So that which is most proper to excite laughter, is that which is most essential to Comedy. One may be ridiculous in words, or ridiculous in things: there is an honest laughter▪ and a bu [...]oon laughter. 'Tis meerly a gift of Nature to make every thing ridiculous. For all the actions of humane life have their fair and their wrong side, their se­rious and their ridiculous. But Aristotle, who gives precepts to make men weep, leaves none to make them laugh. This proceeds purely from the Genius; Art and Method have little to do with it, 'tis the work of Nature alone. The Spaniards have a Genius to discern the ridiculous of things much better than the French; and the Italians, who are natu­rally Comedians, express it better; their Tongue is more proper for it, by a drol­ling tone peculiar to them. The French may be capable of it, when their Lan­guage has attain'd its perfection. Fi­nally, that pleasant turn, that gayetie which can sustain the delicacy of his cha­racter, without falling into coldness, nor into buf [...]oonry: that [...]ine raillery, which is the flower of wit, is the Talent which [Page 126] Comedy demands: but it must alwayes be observ'd, that the true ridiculous of Art, f [...]r the entertainment on the Thea­tre, ought to be no other but the Copy of the ridiculous that is found in Nature. Comedy is as it should be, when the Spe­ctator believes himself really in the com­pany of such persons as he has repre­sented, and takes himself to be in a Fa­mily whilst he is at the Theatre; and that he there sees nothing but what he sees in the world. For Comedy is worth nothing at all, unless he know, and can compare the manners that are exhibited on the Stage, with those of such persons as he has conversation withall. 'Twas by this that Menander had so great success amongst the Grecians; and the Romans thought themselves in Conversation, whilst they sat beholding the Comedies of Terence; for they perceiv'd nothing but what they had been accustom'd to find in ordinary Companies. 'Tis the great Art of Comedy, to keep close to Nature, and never leave it; to have common thoughts and expressions fit­ted to the capacity of all the world: For it is most certainly true, that the most gross strokes of Nature, whatever they be, please alwayes more, than the [Page 127] most delicate, that are not Natural: ne­vertheless base and vulgar terms are not to be permitted on the Theatre, unless supported by some kind of wit. The proverbs and wise sayings of the People ought not to be suffer'd, unless they have some pleasant meaning, and unless they are Natural. This is the most gene­ral principle of Comedy; by which, whatever is represented, cannot fail to please; but without it, nothing. 'Tis only by adhering to Nature, that the probability can be maintain'd, which is the sole infallible guide, that may be fol­lowed on the Theatre. Without probabi­lity all is lame and faulty, with it all goes well: none can run astray who follow it; and the most ordinary faults of Comedy happen from thence, that the decencies are not well observ'd, nor the incidents enough prepar'd. 'Tis like­wise necessary to take heed that the co­lours employ'd to prepare the incidents, be not too gross, to leave to the Specta­tor the pleasure of finding out himself what they signifie. But the most ordi­nary weakness of our Comedies is the un­ravelling; scarce ever any succeed well in that, by the difficulty there is in unty­ing happily that knot which had been [Page 126] [...] [Page 127] [...] [Page 128] tyed. It is easie to wind up an intrigue, 'tis only the work of fancy; but the un­ravelling is the pure and perfect work of the judgment. 'Tis this that makes the success difficult, and if one would there­on make a little reflection, he might find that the most universal fault of Come­dies, is, that the Catastrophe of it is not Natural. It rests to examine, Whether in Comedy the Images may be drawn greater than the Natural, the more to move the minds of the Spectators, by more shining portracts, and by stronger impressions? That is to say, Whether a Poet may make a Miser, more covetous; a morose Man, more morose and trouble­som than the original? To which I an­swer, That Plautus, who studied to pleas [...] the common People, made them so; but Terence, who would please the better sort, confin'd himself within the bounds of Nature, and he represented Vices, without making them either better o [...] worse. Notwithstanding, these extra­vagant characters, such as the Citizen turn'd Gentleman, and the sick in imagina­tion of Moliere, fail'd not of success a little while ago at Court, where all the tastes are so delicate; but all things ther [...] are well receiv'd, even to the divertise­ments [Page 129] of the Provinces, if they have any air of Plaisanterie; for th [...]re they love to laugh, rather than to admire. These are the most important Rules of Come­dy. Now see those who have been fa­mous for this kind of writing.

XXVI.

THe principal amongst the Greeks, are Aristophanes and Menander; the chief amongst the Latins, are Plautus and Terence. Aristophanes is not exact in the contrivance of his Fables, his Ficti­ons are not very probable; he mocks persons too grosly, and too openly. So [...]rates whom he playes upon so eager­ly in his Comedies, had a more delicate air of Raillery than he; but was not so shameles. It is true, Aristophanes writ during the disorder and licen [...]ousness of the old Comedy, and that he under­stood the humour of the Athenian peo­ple, who were easily disgusted with the merit of extraordinary persons, whom he set his wit to abuse, that he might please that people. After all, he often is no otherwise pleasant than by his Buffoonry. That Ragoust compos'd of [Page 130] Seventy-six syllables in the last Scene of his Comedy the Eccles [...]asousai, would not go down with us in our Age. His lan­guage is often ob [...]cure, blunder'd, low, trivial, and his frequent jingling upon words, his contradictions of opposite terms each to other; the ho [...]chpotch of his stile, of Tragick and Comick, of se­rious and buffoon, of grave and famili­ar, is ugly; and his witticisms, often when near examin'd, prove false. Me­nander is pleasant in a more commenda­ble manner; his stile is pure, neat, shi­ning, natural; he persuades like an Ora­tor, and instructs like a Philosopher. And if one may ground a true judgment on the fragments that remain of this Au­thor, one may find that he made very pleasant images of the civil life; that he makes men speak according to their character; that one may find himself in the portracts he made of Manners, be­cause he keeps close to Nature, and en­ters into the thoughts of the persons he makes to speak. Finally, Plutarch, in the comparison he has made of these two Authors, sayes, that the Muse of Aristo­phanes is like an impudent, and that of Menander resembles a vertuous woman. For the two Latin Comick Poets, Plautus [Page 131] is ingenious in his designs, happy in his imaginations, fruitful in his invention; yet there are some insipid jests that escape from him in the taste of Horace; and his good sayings that make the peo­ple laugh, make sometimes the honester sort to pity him: 'tis true, he sayes the best things in the world; and yet very often he sa [...]es the most wretched; this a man is subject to, when he endeavours to be too witty; he will make laughter by extravagant expressions, and hyper­boles, when he cannot be successful to make it by things. Plautus is not alto­gether so regular in the contrivance of his pieces, nor in the distribution of the acts; but he is more simple in his sub­jects: for the Fables of Tere [...]ce are or­dinarily compounded, as is seen in the Andria which contains two loves. This is what was objected to Terence, that he made one Latin Comedy of two Greek, the more to animate his Theatre. But then the Plots are more naturally unra­vel'd, than those of Plautus; as those of Plautus are more natural than those of Aristophanes. And though Caesar call Terence a diminutive Menander, because he onely had the sweetness and the smoothness, but had not the force and [Page 132] vigor, yet he has writ in a manner so natural, and so judicious, that of a Copy, as he was, he i [...] become an original; for never man had so clear an insight into Nature▪ I shall speak nothing of Luci­lius, of whom nothing now is left but fragmen [...]s. All we know of him, is what Varro relates, that he was happy in the Subjects that he chose: but never per­son had a better Genius for Comedy, than the Spaniard Lope de Vega; he had copi­ous Wit join'd with great advantages of Nature, and an admirable facility; for he has compos'd more than Three hundred Comedies; his Name alone gave applause to his pieces, so strongly was his reputation establish'd: and it was sufficient that a work came from his hands, to merit the publick approbati­on. But he had a Wit too vast to be confin'd to Rules, or admit of any bounds; 'twas this oblig'd him to aban­don himself to the swing of his Geni­us, because he might alwayes relie on it. He never consulted other Commentary but the gust of his Auditors, and go­vern'd himself by the success of his pie­ces, rather than by reason. Thus he dis­e [...]gag'd himself of all the scruples of unity, and the superstitions of probabili­ty. [Page 133] But as most commonly he is for re­ [...]ining upon the ridiculous, and wou'd be too witty, his fancies are of [...]en more for­tunate, than they are just▪ and have more of the droll, than they have of what is natural; for by too much sub [...]lety in his drollery, his Wit becomes false, by rea­son 'tis forc'd to be too delicate; and his graces become cold, by being too fin [...]: but amongst the French, never any carried Comedy so high as Moliere. For the an­cient Comick Poets had onely the f [...]lk of the Family to make mirth with on the Theatre; but Moliere's fools in the Play are the M [...]rquises, and the p [...]rsons of Quality; others have been co [...]tent to play upon the common and Countrey conversation in their Comedies, Moliere has made bold with all Paris and the Co [...]rt. He is [...]he onely man amongst them who has discover'd those lines of Na­ture that distinguish and make her known. [...]he beauties of the portracts he draws are so natural, that they make themselves perceiv'd by the grossest ap­prehensions: and his talent of being pleasant, is improv'd one half the more, by that he has of counter [...]eiting to the life. His Misantrope, in my opinion, is the most complete character, and withal, [Page 134] the most singular that ever appear'd on the Theatre. But the contrivance of his Comedies is alwayes defective in some­thing, and his Plots are never handsom­ly unraveld. This is what may be said in general of Comedy.

XXVII.

THe Eglogue is the most considerable of the little Poems; it is an image of the life of Shepherds. Therefore the matter is low, and nothing great is in the Genius of it; it's business is to de­scribe the loves, the sports, the piques, the jealousies, the disputes▪ the quarrels, the intrigues, the passions, the adventures, and all the little [...]ffairs of She [...]herds▪ So that its character must be simple, the wit easie, the expression common; it must have nothing that is exquisite, nei­ther in the thoughts, nor in the words, nor in any fashions of speech; in which the Italians, who have writ in this kind of Verse, have been mistaken: for they alw [...]yes aim at being witty, and to say th [...]ngs too finely. The true character of the Eglogue is simplicity, and modesty: its figures are sweet, the passions ten­der, [Page 135] the motions easie; and though sometimes it may be passionate, and have little transports, and little despairs, yet it never rises so high as to be fierce or violent; its Narrations are short, Descri­ptions little, the Thoughts ingenious, the Manners innocent, the Language pure, the Verse flowing, the Expressions plain, and all the Discourse natural; for this is not a great talker that loves to make a noise. The Models to be proposed to write well in this sort of Poes [...]e, are The­ocritus and Virgil. Theocritus is more sweet, more natural, more delicate, by the character of the Greek Tongue. Vir­gil is more judicious, more exact, more regular, more modest, by the character of his own Wit, and by the Genius of the Latin Tongue Theocritus hath more of all the graces that make the ordinary beauty of Poetry; Virgil has more of good sense, more vigor, more nobleness, more modesty. After all, Theocritus is the Original, Virgil is only the Copy: though some things he hath Copied so happily, that they equal the Original in many places. Mos [...]hus and Bion, who writ in this sort of Verse, have likewise great excellencies, and very great delica­cies in their Idyllia. The other Poets [Page 136] who have writ Eglogues, as Nemesianus, who was an Affrican, and Calphurnius the Sicilian writ very meanly. The Itali­ans, as Bonarelli, Guarini, Cavalier Mari­no; the Spaniards, as Luis de Gongora, Camoens have little of Natural in their Pastorals, their Idyllia, and their Eg­logues; and Ronsard, amongst the French, hath nothing tender or delicate. The French Tongue, however perfect it pre­tends to be, hath produc'd nothing in this kind of Verse, comparable to the Eglogues of Virgil; neither yet, it seems, has it force enough to express things so naturally to the life, and to sustain that great simplicity of the Bucolique Verse, so nobly as the Greek and Latin Tongue; for the Greek and Latin have a certain character of majesty that shines even in the smallest things▪ The Idea of Pasto­ral Comedies for which the Italians have had so great liking, is taken from the C [...]clops of Euripides. The Greeks, saith Horace, began to bring Satyrs on the Thea­tre, to temper the austerity of their Tra­gedy.

XXVIII.

THe principal end of Satyr, is to in­struct the People by discrediting Vice. It may therefore be of great ad­vantage in a State, when taught to keep within its bounds. But as Flatterers em­broil themselves with the publick, whilst they strive too much to please particu­lars; so it happens▪ that the Writers of Satyr disoblige sometimes particulars, whilst they endeavour too much to please the publick: and as downright praises▪ are too gross▪ Satyr that takes off the mask, and reprehends Vice too openly▪ is not very delicate; but though it be more difficult to pra [...]se, than to blame, because it is easier to discover in People what may be turn'd into ridicu­lous, than to understand their merit; 'tis requisite notwithstanding equally to have a wit for the one, as for the other. For the same delicacies of wit, that is necessary to him who praiseth to purge his praises from what is deform'd, is ne­cessary [...]o him who blameth to clear the Satyr from what is bitter in it. And this delicacy which properly gives the [Page 138] relish to Satyr, was heretofore the cha­racter of Horace, for it was only by the way of jest and merriment that he ex­ercis'd his Censure. For he knew full well, that the sporting of wit, hath more effect than the strongest reasons, and the most sententious discourse, to render Vice ridiculous. In which Iuvenal, with all his seriousness, has so much ado to succeed. For indeed that violent man­ner of declamation which throughout he makes use of, has, most commonly, but very little effect, he scarce persuades at all; because he is alwayes in choler, and never speaks in cold blood. 'Tis true, he has some common places of Morality that may serve to dazzle the weaker sort of apprehensions. But with all his strong expressions, energetick terms, and great flashes of eloquence, he makes lit­tle impression; because he has nothing that is delicate, or that is natural. It is not a true zeal that makes him talk against the misdemeanors of his Age, 'tis a spirit of vanity and ostentation. Pers [...]us who to the gravity and veh [...] ­mence of Iuvenal had join'd obscurity caus'd by the affectation he had to ap­pear learned, has no better success; be­cause he yields no delight: not but [Page 139] that he has, however, some touches of an hidden delicacy; but these strokes are alwayes wrap'd up in such a profound Learning, that there needs a Comment to unfold them; he speaks not but with sadness, what by Horace is said with the greatest mirth imaginable, whom some­times he wou'd imitate; his moroseness scarce ever leaves him; he speaks not of the least things but in a heat; and he never sports, but after the most seri­ous manner in the world. The Satyr which Seneca made on the Apotheosis of the Emperor Claudius, is of a much dif­ferent character, 'tis one of the most de­licate pieces of Antiquity: and the Au­thor who otherwise throughout sustain [...] the gravity of a Philosopher by the cold blood of his temperament, and by all the grimaces and severity of his Morals: seems so much the more pleasant in this, as he is more grave and more serious in all his other Works. Most part of the Dialogues of Lucian, are Satyrs of this kind; the Author is a pleasant Buffoon, who makes sport with the most serious matters, and insolently playes upon whatever is great in the world: he is on all occasions infinitely witty; but this, I confess, is a kind of foolish Character. [Page 140] We have two modern Satyrs writ in Prose, much-what of the same air, which surpass all that has been writ of this kind in these latter Ages. The first is Spanish, compos'd by Cervantes, Secre­tary to the Duke of Alva. This great man having been slighted, and received some disgrace by the Duke of Lerma chief Minister of State to Philip III, who had no respect for Men of Learn­ing, writ the Romance of Don Quixot, which is a most fine and ingenious Sa­tyr on his own Countrey; because the Nobility of Spain, whom he renders ri­diculous by this work, were all bit in the head and intoxicated with Knight­ [...]rrantry. This is a Tradition I have from one of my friends, who learn'd this se­cret from Don Lope whom Cervantes had made the Confident of his [...]esentment. The other Satyr is French, made in the time of the League, where the Author very pleas [...]ntly teaches the Publick the intentions of the House of Guise for the Religion: throughout this work is spread a delicacy of wit, that fails not to shine amongst the rude and grosser wayes of expressions of those Times: and the little Verses scattered here and there in the work, are of a Character that is [Page 141] most fine, and most natural. The Satyr of Rablais, however witty it be; never­theless is stuff'd with so much Ribaldry, and is so little conformable to the refi­nedness of this present Age we live in, that I think it not worthy to be read by Gentlemen, no more than the Satyrs of Regni [...]r, though he has wit enough; for he is too impudent, and observes no de­cency.

XXIX.

THe Elegy, by the quality of its name, is destined to Tears and Complaints: and therefore ought to be of a doleful Character. But afterwards it has been used in Subjects of Tenderness, as in Lov [...]-matters, and the like. The Latins have been more successful therein (by what appears to us) than the Greeks. For little remains to us of Philetas and Tyrtues, who were famous in Greece for this kind of Verse. They who have writ Elegy best amongst the Latins, are Tibullus, Propertius, Ovid. Tibullus is elegant and polite, Propertius noble and high; but Ovid is to be prefer'd to both; because he is more natural, more [Page 142] moving, and more passionate; and there­by he has better express'd the Character of Elegy, than the others. Some Elegies are left us of Catullus, of Mecaenas, and Cornelius Gallus, which are of a great purity, and are exceedingly delicate; but the Verse of Catullus and Me [...]aenas have too much softness, and a negligence too affected: those of Cornelius Gallus are more round▪ and support themselves better. In these latter Ages have ap­pear'd a German nam'd Lotichius, an Ita­lian call'd Molsa, a Flemming call'd Si­dronius, who have writ Elegies with great elegancy. I speak not of the French Elegies, it is a kind of Verse which they distinguish not from Heroick; and they call indifferently Elegy, what they please, whereby the distinction of the tru [...] Character of this Verse seems not yet well establish'd amongst them.

XXX.

THe Ode ought to have as much no­bleness, elevation, and transport, as the Eglogue has of simplicity and mode­sty. 'Tis not only the wit that height­ens it, but likewise the [...]atter. For its [Page 143] use is to sing the praises of the gods, and to celebrate the illustrious actions of great men, so it requires to sustain all the majesty of its Character, an exalted na­ture, a great wit, a daring fancy, an ex­pression noble and sparkling, yet pure, and correct. All the briskness and life which Art has by its Figures, is not suffi­cient to heighten Ode so far as its Cha­racter requires. But the reading alone of Pindar, is more capable to inspire this Genius, than all my Reflections. He is great in his designs, vast in his thoughts, bold in his imaginations, happy in his expressions, eloquent in his discourse: but his great vivacity hurries him some­times past his iudgment, he gives him­self too much swing; his Panegyricks are perpetual digressions, where ramb­ling from his Subject, he carries the Readers from Fables to Fables, from Allusions to Allusions, from Chimera's to Chimera's; for 'tis the most unbrid­led and irregular fancy in the world. But this irregularity is one part of the Character of the Ode, the Nature and Genius of it requiring Transport. Pin­dar likewise is the onely person amongst the Greeks, that acquired glory by this sort of writing, for little is remaining [Page 144] of the other nine Lyrick Poets, whereof Petronius speaks. Nevertheless it may be avowed by that which is left us of the fragments of Sappho, that Demetrius and Longinus have great reason to boast so highly in their Works of the admi­rable Genius of this Woman; for there are found some strokes of delicacy the most fine, and the most passionate in the world. None can judge with any cer­tainty of the others, of whom we have so little. Anacreon alone is capable to comfort us for the loss of their Works. For his Odes are flowers, beauties and graces perpetual: it is so familiar to him to write what is natural, and to the life; and he has an air so delicate, so easie, and so graceful; that there is nothing comparable in all Antiquity in the way he took, and in that kind of writing he followed. Horace found the Art to join all the force and high flights of Pindar, to all the sweetness and delicacy of A­nacreon, to make himself a new Chara­cter by uniting the perfections of the other two. For besides that he had a Wit naturally pleasant, it was also great, solid, and sublime; he had nobleness in his conceits, and delicacy in his thoughts and sentiments: the parts of his Odes [Page 145] that he was willing to finish, are alwayes Master-pieces; but it requires a very clear apprehension to discern all his Wit; for there are many secret graces, and hidden beauties in his Verse, that very few can discover; he also is the onely Latin Author who writ well in that Verse amongst the Ancients; and none could ever follow him, his Genius went so high. Boetius made some little Odes, which he scatter'd in his Work of the Consolation of Philosophy. But for all the politeness of his Wit, he could not surmount the bad air that was then pre­dominant; and what is most elegant in him, is only a false beauty, sutable to the Genius of the Age in which he writ. A­mongst the Latin [...]yricks of latter times. I find three, that distinguish themselves from the rest, Casimire Sarbieuski a Pole, Dunkan de Cerisantes and Magdalenet, both French. Sarbieuski is lofty, but not pure; Magdalenet is pu [...]e, but not lofty; Cerisantes in his Odes has join'd both, for he writes nobly, and in a stile sufficiently pure: but he has not so much flame as Casimire, who had a great deal of Wit; and of that happy Wit, which makes Poets. Buchanan has Odes comparable to those of Antiquity; but he hath great [Page 146] unevennesses by the mixture of his Cha­racter, which is not uniform enough▪ Muret and Vida have a fancy too limited; and their Idea seems constrain'd, whilst too scrupulously they are addicted to Latinity. Chiabrera has had great repu­tation by his Odes amongst the Italians; and Ronsard amongst the French, for Ronsard is noble and great; but thi [...] greatness becomes deform'd and odious, by his affectation to appear learned; for he displayes his Scholarship even to his Mistriss. M [...]lherb is exact and correct; but he ventures nothing: and affecting to be too discreet, is often cold. Theophil [...] has a great fancy, and little sense. H [...] has some fortunate boldnesses, becaus [...] he permits himself all. Voiture and Sa­razin have gay things in their Odes; for they have the art of drolling pleasantly on mean Subjects, and they sustain th [...] Character well enough, but they have not vigour and sublimity for high mat­ters; most part of the others who hav [...] writ after them in Lyrick Verse, of which have been made so many Collections, hav [...] pitch'd upon a false delicacy of expres­sion, which carries them afar off from the true Character of the Ode, which is the greatness and majesty of discourse, [Page 147] and they flag in a shameful mediocrity: their Verses were flat, and had nothing of that heat, and that noble air so es­sential to the Ode, which ought to say nothing low or common. I might speak with more advantage of those who write at this present, if I had not im­pos'd a Law on my self not to intermed­dle in giving judgment of the living, which would be too much confidence in me, besides the indiscretion.

XXXI.

THe Epigram, of all the works in Verse that Antiquity has produc'd, is the least considerable; yet this too has its beauty. This beauty consists ei­ther in the delicate turn, or in a lucky word. The Greeks have understood this sort of Poesie otherwise than the La­tins. The Greek Epigram runs upon the turn of a thought that is natural, but fine and subtle. The Latin Epigram, by a false taste that sway'd in the beginning of the decay of the pure Latinity, en­deavours to surprize the mind by some nipping word, which is call'd a point. Catullus writ after the former manner, [Page 148] which is of a finer Character; for he endeavours to close a natural thought within a delicate turn of words, and within the simplicity of a very soft ex­pression. Martial was in some manner the Author of this other way, that is to say, to terminate an ordinary thought by some word that is surprising. After all, Men of a good taste, prefer'd the way of Catullus, before that of Martial; there being more of true delicacy in that, than in this. And in these latter Ages we have seen a noble Venetian na­med Andreas Naug [...]rius, who had an ex­quisite discernment, and who by a natu­ral antipathy against all that which is cal­led point, which he judg'd to be of an ill relish, sacrific'd every year in Cere­mony a Volume of Martial's Epigrams to the Manes of Catullus, in honour to his Character, which he judg'd was to be prefer'd to that of Martial. I find nothing to say considerable on the Epi­gramists of latter Ages. 'Tis one of the sorts of Verse, in which a man has little success; for it is a meer luckie hit, if it prove well. An Epigram is little worth, unless it be admirable; and it is so rare to make them admirable, that 'tis suffici­ent to have made one in a mans life.

XXXII.

IT remains to speak of the Madrigal, the Rondelay, the Sonnet, the Ballad, and all the other little Verse, that are the invention of these latter Ages; but as a little fancy may suffice, to be succes­ful in these kind of Works, without any Genius, I shall not amuse my self in making Reflections on the method that is to be observ'd in composing them: not but that he who has a Genius, would have a much different success, either by a more happy turn he gives to what he writes, or by a more lively air, or by more natural beauties; or finally, by more delicate fashions of speech; and generally, the Genius makes the greatest distinction in whatsoever work a man undertakes. The Character of the smal­ler Verse, and of all the little Works of Poesie, requires that they be natural, to­gether with a delic [...]cy; for seeing the little Subjects afford no beauty of them­selves, the wit of the Poet must supply that want out of its own stock. The sonnet is of a Character that may re­ceive more of greatness in its expression [Page 150] than the other little pieces; but nothing is more essential to it, than the happy and natural turn of the thought that composes it. The Rondelay and Madri­gal are most wretched, if they be not most elegant; and all their beauty con­sists in the turn that is given them. But it suffices to know what this delicacy is, that ought to be the Character of these small pieces, to understand all that be­longs to them. A word may be delicate several wayes; either by a subtle equi­vocation, which contains a mystery in the ambiguity; or by a hidden meaning, which speaks all out, whilst it pretends to say nothing; or by some fierce and bold stroke under modest terms; or by something brisk and pleasant, under a se­rious ayre; or, lastly, by some fine thought, under a simple and homely ex­pression. We find all these manners of delicacy in some of the Ancients, as in the Socrates of Plato, in Sapho, in Theo­critus, in Anacreon, in Horace, in Catullus, in Petronius, and in Martial, these are all great Models of this Character; of which the French have onely in their Tongue Marot, Gentleman of the Cham­ber to Frances the first. He had an ad­mirable Genius for this way of writing; [Page 151] and whoever have been successful in it since, have only copied him. Voiture had a nature for this Character; if he had not a little corrupted his Wit by the reading of the Spaniards and Italians. If these words are affected, they lose their grace, because they become cold and flat, when they are far-fetch'd. But the most general fault in these little pie­ces of Verse, is, when one would cram them with too much Wit. This is the ordinary Vice of the Spaniards and Ita­lians, who labour alwayes to say things finely. This is no very good Character; for they cease to be natural, whilst they take care to be witty. This is the fault of Quevedo in his work of the nine Mu­ses, of Gongora in his Romances, of Preti and Testi in their little Verse, of Marino in his Idyllia, of Acquillini in his Madri­gals, and of all the other strangers, who would refine by false Idea's of far-fetch'd ornaments, and by affectations of Wit, which have nothing of the solid Cha­racter, and the good sense of the Anci­ents. Every small Genius is apt to run into this Vice, of which the late Colle­ctions of the French Poesies are full; where the Poets force themselves to be witty in spite of their Genius; for they ei­ther [Page 152] ther never say things as they ought to be said; or they say nothing in the great discourses; or they load with or­naments Subjects th [...]t are not capable to suffer any; or they discover all their Art, when it should be conce [...]l'd; or they give themselves over to the beauty of their Nature without method; or finally, they lose themselves in their Idea's, because they have not strength to execute handsomly what their fancy dictates to them.

XXXIII.

WEre I of a humor to decide, I might add to these Reflections the solution of some difficulties in the use of French Poesie, that to me seem worthy to be clear'd. The first is con­cerning the transposition of words, which some Poets seem to affect in the great Po­ems, as a kind of figure, which they pre­tend to make use of to give more force and nobleness to their discourse. But Ronsard in the Preface of his Poem of the Franciad, is not of that opinion. For he believes not the French Tongue to have a Character proper to bear in its [Page 153] expression, that sort of Transpositions. In effect, it is too simple and too plain to wind about the words, and give them another order than that of the natural sense, which they ought to have. I refer to those who understand good speaking, better than I do. The second difficulty, is the use of thou and thee, which the Poets employ when they speak to God, or to the King. This use to me seems neither founded on Authority, nor on Reason. For besides that the authori­ty of the Latin Tongue, on which they build, is a false foundation; because that Tongue equally uses thou and thee in Prose and in Verse, for all sort of per­sons; our Tongue is of it self of a Character so respectful, that it cannot be content with those terms, for persons to whom it would give honour. But no­thing to me appears more strong against this use, than the manner which the Po­ets themselves practise. For those who say thou and thee to God, and to great persons; never speak so to their Mistres­ses, because they believe that would want respect. 'Tis true, that Theophile has said so to his; but this was said no more, after the Language became po­lish'd; and Voiture never us'd it. This [Page 154] [...] a scruple I have, and which I leave to the Criticks to examine. The third dif­ficulty, is the use of Metaphors; for the French Tongue is essentially so scrupu­lous, that it allows nothing but what is modest, and the least thing of boldness offends its modesty. But this would be too great a delicacy to forbid Metaphors to Poets, with the same rigor as to Ora­tors. There are Metaphors authoriz'd by use, which Poesie cannot pass by. It behoves a Poet to use them discreetly, without shocking the modesty of our Language. It require [...] a great judgment to distinguish what ought to be said in proper therms, and what in metaphorical. The same Censure may be pass'd on the boldness of compounding, and coining new words. Du-bartas has made himself ridiculous, by attempting to imitate Ho­mer and Pindar in the invention of these kind of words. The fourth difficulty, is the constraint of Rime: but this can only be a difficulty to the weaker sort of Wits, who suffer themselves to be master'd by this servitude, which a great Genius employes, to give the more force to his thoughts, and more greatness to his sentiments: The last difficulty, and the most important of all the rest, is to [Page 155] know whether one may please in Poetry against the Rules? I apply this to the French Poetry particularly, though it be common to Poetry in general; because most part of our French make a false li­berty of this bad principle. 'Tis only by this that Moliere would salve the or­dinary irreg [...]arity of his Comedies. 'Tis true, that his rashness has been success­ful; and that he has pleas'd in his pie­ces against Art. But I pretend that n [...]i­ther he, nor any others shall ever please, but by the Rules: they have some natu­ral draughts whereby they are success­ful, and these draughts are the stroke [...] of Art; for Art, as I have said, is no­thing else, but good sense reduc'd to me­thod. 'Tis only these strokes that are taking in irregular pieces, where what is irregular never pleases, because 'tis never natural.

XXXIV.

FInally, to conclude with a touch of Morality. Since the reputation of being modest, is more worth than that of making Verses; were I to make any, I wou'd never forsake honesty nor mo­desty. [Page 156] For if nothing renders Men more ridiculous, than the kind opinion they conceive of themselves, and of their performances; the Poets are yet more ridiculous than other Men, when their vanity rises from the difficulty of succeeding well in their Mystery. But if I made Verse better tha [...] another, I wou'd not force any man to find them good, I wou'd not have a greater opini­on of my self, though all the world ap­plauded them; nor shou'd the success blind me: amongst the praises that were bestow'd on me, I cou'd not persuade my self to suffer those, where appear'd ought of favour; and I wou'd impose silence on them, who in commending me, spoke further than my Conscience; to save my self from that ridiculousness, which some vain spirits fall into, who wou'd have p [...]aises and admirations eternally for every thing they do. I wou'd employ all my reason, and all my wit▪ to gai [...] more docility, and more sub­mission, to the advice my Friends shou'd give me; I wou'd borrow their lights, to supply the weakness of mine; and I wou'd listen to all the world, that I might not be ignorant of any of my faults. In the pra [...]ses that I gave to thos [...] [Page 157] I found worthy, I wou'd be so conscien­tious, that for no interest whatsoever, wou'd I speak against my opinion; and there shou'd never enter into any thing that went from my hands, any of those mercenary glances, which so greatly de­base the Character of a Poet. Lastly, I wou'd rid myself of all the ridiculous vanities, to which those who make Verse are ordinarily obnoxious: and by this prudent Conduct I wou'd endeavor to destroy those Fripperies which by custom are said of a profession that might continue honourable, were it on­ly exercis'd by men of honourable prin­ciples.