in their Sleep: And that the Night might have fpared this Invitation, feeing those she invites are asleep already: Charles alone is awake, and for that Reason, was the only Thing fit to be invited; and doubtlefs the Night was as free of her Invitation to him, as to any others, 'twas his Fault that he had no Stomach to it. And here is much Power given to the Night, which fhe has no Claim or Title to; 'tis not the Night that makes the Waves and Winds, and all the Things that move and breath in Meads and Woods to repofe. She only invites them to fleep, and it is Sleep that makes them reft. In the fpace of four Lines we meet with repos, repofer, repos, which argue the Language very barren, or elfe the Poet extreamly negligent, and a Lover of Repofe. He tells us, That the Night infpires Repofe. But certainly Motion is a more likely Thing to be infpired, than Reft, as more properly the Effect of Breath,

But without examining this further, let us try if Le Moyne (whom our Critick prefers before all others of the French epick Poets) be more fortunate.

Cependant le foleil fe couche dans fon lit,
Que luymefme de pourpre & de laque embellit:
Et la nuit qui furvient auffi triste que fombre,
De toute les couleurs ne fuit que une grand' ombre;
Aveque le fommeil le filence la fuit,
L'un amy du repos, l'autre ennemy
Et quoique fous leur pas la tempefte fe taife,
Quoique le vent s'endorme & que l'onde s'appaife.
[St. Louys.]

du bruit:

Here again are Words in Abundance. He cannot tell us that 'tis Midnight, till he first have informed us that the Sun is gone to Bed, to

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a fine

a fine Bed of his own Trimming; and this is Matter enough for the first two Verfes. Then we are told, that the Night of all Colours makes but one great Shade; and this fuffices for the fecond Couplet. Auffi trifte que fombre, is an Expreffion the French are fo delighted with, they can fcarce name any Thing of Night without it. The third Couplet is much-what as in a Bill of Fare;

Item

Beef and Muftard,

That Friend to th' Stomach, this a Foe to th' Nose.

The fecond Line in both being alike imperti

nent.

Any further Reflections, or more Examples, would be fuperfluous. What has been noted, rather concerns the Niceties of Poetry, than any the little Trifles of Grammar. We have feen what the noblest Wits, both Ancient and Modern, have done in other Languages, and obferv'd, that in their very Master-pieces they fometimes trip, or are however liable to Cavils. It now remains, that our English be expos'd to the like impartial Cenfure.

All things are bush'd, as Nature's felf lay dead, The Mountains feem to nod their dromfy Head, The little Birds in Dreams their Songs repeat, And fleeping Flowers beneath the Night-dew fweat, Even Lust and Envy fleep.

[In the Conqueft of Mexico.]

In this Description, four Lines yield greater variety of Matter, and more choice Thoughts than twice the Number of any other Language. Here is fomething more fortunate than the boldest Fancy has yet reached, and fome

thing more juft, than the feverest Reason has obferv'd. Here are the Flights of Statius and Marino temper'd with a more difcerning Judgment, and the Judgment of Virgil and Taffo animated with a more fprightly Wit. Nothing has been said so expreffive, and fo home in any other Language as the first Verse in this De fcription. The fecond is Statius improv'd.

Et fimulant feffos curvata cacumina fomnos,

faith Statius, where Simulant is a bold Word, in comparison of our English Word Seem, being of an active Signification; and Cacumina may as well be taken for the tops of Trees, as the tops of Mountains, which doubtful Meaning does not fo well content the Reader, as the Certainty.

In the third Verfe, 'tis not said that the Birds fleep, but what is more new, and more poetical, their Sleep is imply'd, by their Dreams. Somewhat like to the Fourth we have in Marino,

-Elanguidetti i fiori

Giaceano a l'herba genitrice in seno.

[Adonis, Canto 20.]

Which is a pretty Image, but has not fo near a Refemblance with Truth, nor can fo gene rally be apply'd to all Flowers. Our Author 'here dares not fay directly that the Flowers fleep, which might found a little harsh, but flurs it over in the Participle, as taken for granted, and affirms only, that they sweat, which the Night-dew makes very easie.

In the last half-verfe we may fee how far our Author has out-done Apollonius. 'Twas no

fuch

fuch strange Thing in the forrowful Woman, when she had spent her Tears for Sleep to clofe her Eyes: But here we have the most raging and watchful Paffions Luft and Envy: And these too instead of the luftful and the envious, for the greater Force and Emphasis, in the Abstract.

Some may object, That the third Verfe does contradict the first. How can all Things be bufh'd, if Birds in Dreams repeat their Songs? Is not this like the Indiscretion of Marino, who fays, That the Winds, and all Things are bufht, and the Seas fo fast asleep, that they fnore? [Canto 20.]

It may be answered, That in this Place 'tis not the Poet that speaks, but another Perfon; and that the Poet here truly reprefents the Nature of Man, whose first Thoughts break out in bold and more general Terms, which by the second Thoughts are more Correct and Limited. As if one fhould fay, all Things are filent, or afleep; however, if there is any Noife, 'tis ftill but the Effect of Sleep, as the Dreams of Birds, &c. This Comparison might be much further improved to our Advantage, and more Obfervations made, which are left to the Reader's Ingenuity.

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ADVERTISEMENT.

S

Ince it is not fo much to inftruct, as to exercife the Wits, that I make thefe Reflections publick; I am not so vain to think them neceffary, nor yet humble enough to believe them altogether unprofitable. This Treatife is no new Model of Poefie; for that of Ariftotle only is to be adhered to, as the exactest Rule for governing the Wit. In effect, this Treatife of Poefie, to Speak properly, is nothing elfe, but Nature put in Method, and good Senfe reduc'd to Principles. There is no arriving at Perfection but by thefe Rules, and they certainly go aftray that take a different Courfe. What Faults have not most of the Italian, Spanish, and other Poets fallen into, through their Ignorance of thefe Principles. And if a Poem made by thefe Rules fails of Success, the Fault lies not in the Art, but in the Artist, all who have Writ of this Art, have followed no other Idea but that of Ariftotle.

Horace was the first who propos'd this great Model to the Romans. And by this all the great Men in the Court of Auguftus form'd their Wits, who apply'd themselves to make Verfe. Petronius (whom no Man of Modefty dares Name, unlefs on the Account of thofe Directions he gave for Writing) amongst the Ordures of his Satyr, gives certain Precepts for Poetry that are admirable. He is difgufted with the Stile of Seneca and Lucan, which to him feem'd affected, and contrary

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