The SPECTATOR. -Ubi plura nitent in carmine, non ego paucis But in a Poem elegantly writ, I will not quarrel with a flight Miflake, Hor. Rofcommon. Saturday, February 2. 1712. Have now confider'd Milton's Paradife Loft under those four great Heads of the Fable, the Characters, the Sentiments, and the Language; and have fhewn that he excels, in general, under each of these Heads. I hope that I have made several Discoveries that [which] may appear new, even to those who are verfed in Critical Learning. Were I indeed to chufe my Readers, by whofe Judgment I would ftand or fall, they should not be fuch as are acquainted only with the French and Italian Criticks, but also with the Ancient and Moderns who have written in either of the learned Languages. Above all, I would have them well versed in the Greek and Latin Poets, without which a Man very often fancies that he understands a Critick, when in reality he does not comprehend his Meaning. It is in Criticism, as in all other Sciences and Speculations; one who brings with him any implicit Notions and Obfervations which he has made in his reading of the Poets, will find his own Reflections methodized and explained, and perhaps several little Hints that had passed in his Mind, perfected and im 40 A CRITIC MUST HAVE A CLEAR & LOGICAL HEAD: & OUGHT proved in the Works of a good Critick; whereas one who has not these previous Lights, is very often an utter Stranger to what he reads, and apt to put a wrong Interpretation upon it. Nor is it fufficient, that a Man who fets up for a Judge in Criticism, fhould have perufed the Authors above-mentioned, unless he has also a clear and Logical Head. Without this Talent he is perpetually puzzled and perplexed amidst his own Blunders, mistakes the Sense of those he would confute, or if he chances to think right, does not know how to convey his Thoughts to another with Clearness and Perfpicuity. Ariftotle, who was the best Critick, was also one of the beft Logicians that ever appeared in the World. Mr. Lock's Effay on Human Understanding would be thought a very odd Book for a Man to make himself Master of, who would get a Reputation by Critical Writings; though at the fame time it is very certain, that an Author who has not learn'd the Art of diftinguishing between Words and Things, and of ranging his Thoughts, and setting them in proper Lights, whatever Notions he may have, will lose himself in Confufion and Obscurity. I might further observe, that there is not a Greek or Latin Critick, who has not shewn, even in the stile of his Criticisms, that he was a Master of all the Elegance and Delicacy of his Native Tongue. The truth of it is, there is nothing more abfurd, than for a Man to fet up for a Critick, without a good Insight into all the Parts of Learning; whereas many of those who have endeavoured to fignalize themselves by Works of this Nature among our English Writers, are not only defective in the above-mentioned Particulars, but plainly discover by the Phrases which they make ufe of, and by their confufed way of thinking, that they are not acquainted with the most common and ordinary Systems of Arts and Sciences. A few general Rules extracted out of the French Authors, with a certain Cant of Words, has fometimes fet up an Illiterate heavy Writer for a most judicious and formidable Critick. TO DWELL RATHER ON EXCELLENCIES THAN IMPERFECTIONS. 41 One great Mark, by which you may discover a Critick who has neither Taste nor Learning, is this, that he feldom ventures to praise any Paffage in an Author which has not been before received and applauded by the Publick, and that his Criticism turns wholly upon little Faults and Errors. This part of a Critick is fo very easie to fucceed in, that we find every ordinary Reader, upon the publishing of a new Poem, has Wit and Ill-nature enough to turn several Paffages of it into Ridicule, and very often in the right Place. This Mr. Dryden has very agreeably remarked in those two celebrated Lines, Errors, like Straws, upon the Surface flow; He who would fearch for Pearls must dive below. A true Critick ought to dwell rather upon Excellencies than Imperfections, to discover the concealed Beauties of a Writer, and communicate to the World fuch things as are worth their Obfervation. The most exquisite Words and finest Strokes of an Author are those which very often appear the most doubtful and exceptionable, to a Man who wants a Relish for polite Learning; and they are thefe, which a fower [foure] undiftinguishing Critick generally attacks with the greatest Violence. Tully obferves, that it is very eafie to brand or fix a Mark upon what he calls Verbum ardens, or, as it may be rendered into English, a glowing bold Expreffion, and to turn it into Ridicule by a cold ill-natured Criticism. A little Wit is equally capable of expofing a Beauty, and of aggravating a Fault; and though fuch a Treatment of an Author naturally produces Indignation in the Mind of an understanding Reader, it has however its effect among the generality of those whofe Hands it falls into, the Rabble of Mankind being very apt to think that every thing which is laughed at with any mixture of Wit, is ridiculous in it self. Such a Mirth as this, is always unseasonable in a Critick, as it rather prejudices the Reader than con 42 SIMPLE RIDICULE UNFAIR IN WORKS OF CRITICISM. vinces him, and is capable of making a Beauty, as well as a Blemish, the Subject of Derifion. A Man, who cannot write with Wit on a proper Subject, is dull and stupid, but one who fhews it in an improper place, is as impertinent and abfurd. Befides, a Man who has the Gift of Ridicule is very* apt to find Fault with any thing that gives him an Opportunity of exerting his beloved Talent, and very often cenfures a Passage, not because there is any Fault in it, but because he can be merry upon it. Such kinds of Pleasantry are very unfair and difingenuous in Works of Criticism, in which the greatest Masters, both Ancient and Modern, have always appeared with a serious and inftructive Air. As I intend in my next Paper to shew the Defects in Milton's Paradife Loft, I thought fit to premise these few Particulars, to the End that the Reader may know I enter upon it, as on a very ungrateful Work, and that I fhall just point at the Imperfections, without endeavouring to enflame them with Ridicule. I must also obferve with Longinus, that the Productions of a great Genius, with many Lapfes and Inadvertencies, are infinitely preferable to the Works of an inferior kind of Author, which are fcrupulously exact and conformable to all the Rules of correct Writing. I shall conclude my Paper with a Story out of Boccalini, which fufficiently fhews us the Opinion that Judicious Author entertained of the fort of Criticks I have been here mentioning. A famous Critick, fays he, having gathered together all the Faults of an Eminent Poet, made a Present of them to Apollo, who received them very graciously, and refolved to make the Author a fuitable Return for the Trouble he had been at in collecting them. In order to this, he set before him a Sack of Wheat, as it had been just threshed out of the Sheaf. He then bid him pick out the Chaff from among the Corn, and lay it aside by it felf. The Critick applied himself to the Task with great Industry and Pleasure, and after having made the due Separation, was presented by Apollo with the Chaff for his Pains. The SPECTATOR. -velut fi Hor. Egregio infperfos reprendas corpore nævos. Saturday, February 9, 1712. FTER what I have faid in my laft Saturday's Paper, I shall enter on the Subject of this without farther Preface, and remark the feveral Defects which appear in the Fable, the Characters, the Sentiments, and the Language of Milton's Paradife Loft; not doubting but the Reader will pardon me, if I alledge at the fame time whatever may be said for the Extenuation of fuch Defects. The firft Imperfection which I shall observe in the Fable is, that the Event of it is unhappy. The Fable of every Poem is according to Ariftotle's Division either Simple or Implex. It is called Simple when there is no change of Fortune in it, Implex when the Fortune of the chief Actor changes from Bad to Good, or from Good to Bad. The Implex Fable is thought the most perfect; I fuppofe, because it is most proper to ftir up the Paffions of the Reader, and to furprize him with a greater variety of Accidents. The Implex Fable is therefore of two kinds : In the first the chief Actor makes his way through a long Series of Dangers and Difficulties, 'till he arrives at Honour and Prosperity, as we fee in the Stories [Story] of Ulyffes and*Æneas.* In the second, the chief Actor in the Poem falls from fome eminent pitch of Honour and Prosperity, into Misery and Difgrace. Thus we see Adam and Eve finking from a State of Innocence and Happiness, into the most abject Condition of Sin and Sorrow. |
