A waving Glow the bloomy beds display, 85 Enjoy them, you! Villario can no more ; NOTES. Painting in the judicious exe but time can unite and incorcution of the Pencil, and in porate their tints : the happy improvement of it by time. To understand what And strength of Shade contends is meant by supporting (which with strength of Light. is a term of art common both And now the work becomes a to Planting and Painting) we very picture; which the poet must consider what things make informs us of, in the sublime the natural defect or weakness way of poetical instruction, by of a şude uncultivated Plain; setting that picture before our and there are, the having a dif eyes ; and not merely a picagreeable flatness, and the not ture, but a perfe&t picture, in having a proper termination. But which the lights and shades, not a Wood, rightly disposed, takes only bear a proportion to one away the one, and gives what another in their force (which is is wanting of the other. implied in the word contends) but are both at their height, The parts unite. (which the word strength figThe utmost which art can do, nifies.) As the use of the finwhen it does its full office, is į gular number in the terms to give the work a consent of Shade and Light, alludes to parts ; but it is time only that another precept of the art, that can make the union here spoken not only the Thades and lights of; there being the fame dif- should be great and broad, but ference betwcen these, as be that the masses of the clairtween a simple Contract, and obscure, in a groupe of objects, a Confummalion. So in paint. Thould be so managed, by a subing the skill of the master can ordination of the groups to the go no further, in the chroma- unity of design, as that the tic part, than to set those co whole together may afford one lours together, which have a great shade and light. natural friendship and sympa VER. 84. Blushing in bright thy for each other : But nothing | diversities of day,] i. e. The Tir'd of the scene Parterres and Fountains yield, He finds at last he better likes a Field. Thro' his young Woods how pleas’dSabinus stray'd Or fat delighted in the thick’ning shade, 90 With annual joy the red’ning lhoots to greet, Or see the stretching branches long to meet ! His Son's fine Taste an op’ner Vista loves, Foe to the Dryads of his Father's groves; One boundless Green, or flourish'd Carpet views, With all the mournful family of Yews ; The thriving plants ignoble broomsticks made, Now sweep those Alleys they were born to shade. 96 NOTES. several colours of the grove in something great and noble ; bloom, give several different tho' it be too apt, in its flights, tints to the lights and shades. to leave sense behind it: and VER. 94. Foe to the Dryads this was the good man's case. of his Father's groves ;] Finely But his Son's was a poor de intimating, by this sublime spicable superstition, a low somclaffical image, that the Fa brous passion, whose perversity ther's taste was enthusiastical; of Taste could only gratify itin which paffion there is always felf With all the mournful family of Yewse VER.95. The two extremes to too many parts, with scrollid in parterres, which are equally works and beds, of which the faulty; a boundless Green, large examples are frequent. P. and naked as'a field, or a flou VER. 96. -- mournful farish'd Carpet, where the great- mily of Yerus ;] Touches upon ness and nobleness of the piece the ill taste of those who are is lessened by being divided in- ! fo fond of Ever-greens (parti At Timon's Villa let us pass a day, Where all cry out, “What sums are thrown away! So proud, fo grand; of that stupendous air, 101 Soft and Agreeable come never there. Greatness, with Timon, dwells in such a draught As brings all Brobdignag before your thought. To compass this, his building is a Town, 105 His pond an Ocean, his parterre a Down: COMMENTARY. II. VER. 99. At Timon's Villa, &c.] As the first part ended with exposing the works of Tafte without Sense, the second begins with a description (from 98 to 173) of false Magnificence WITHOUT FITHER SENSE OR Taste, in the gardens, buildings, table furniture, library, and way of living of Lord Timon; who, in none of these, could diftinguish between greatness and vaftnefs, between regularity and form, between dignity and state, or, between learning and pedantry. But what then says the poet, here resuming the great principle of his Philosophy (which these moral Epistles were written to illustrate, and consequently on which they are all regulated) tho' Hiqu’n visits with a Talle the wealthy Fool, NOTES. cularly Yews, which are the ed to comprize the principles moft tonsile) as to destroy the of a falle Taste of Magnifi. nobler Forest-trees, to make cence, and to exemplify what way for such little ornaments was said before, that nothing as Pyramids of dark-green con but Good Senfe can attain it. ținually repeated, not unlike a P. Funeral procession. P. VER. 104. - all BrobdigVER. 99. At Timon's Vil nag] A region of giants, in the hor] This description is intend lațircs of Gulliver, Who but must laugh, the Master when he fees, 115 COMMENTARY. Yet the punishment is confined as it ought; and the evil is turned to the benefit of others : For - hence the Poor are cloath'd, the Hungry fed; NOTES. Ver. 109. Lo! what huge VER. 117, 118. Grove nods heaps of littleness around,] Gran at grove, each Alley has a brodeur in building, as in the hu ther, And half the platform man frame, takes not its de- just reflects the other.] This is nomination from the body, but exactly the two puddings of the the foul of the work: when citizen in the foregoing fable, the soul therefore is loft or only served up a little more incumber'd in its invelope, the rragnificently : But both on the unanimated parts, how huge so fame absurd principle of wrong ever, are not members of gran taste, viz. that one can never deur,but mere heaps of littleness, I have too much of a good thing. I 20 The fuff ring eye inverted Nature fees, My Lord advances with majestic mien, thighs, His Study! with what Authors is it stor'd ? In Books, not Authors, curious is my Lord; NOTES. Ibid. Grove nods at grove, one common parent. &c.] The exquisite humour of VER. 124. The two Statues this expression arises solely from of the Gladiator pugnans and its fignificancy. These groves, Gladiator moriens. P. that have no meaning, but very VER. 130. The Approaches near relation-ship, can express and Communication of house themselves only like twin-ideots with garden, or of one part by nods; which just serve to let with another, ill judged, and us understand, that they know inconvenient. P. one another, as having been Ver. 133. His Study! &c.] nursed, and brought up by The false Taste in Books ; 2 |