240 But in fuch lays as neither ebb nor flow, No fingle parts unequally furprize, All comes united to th' admiring eyes; 245 250 COMMENTARY. parts must be fashioned with regard to their mutual relations in the ftations they occupy in that whole, from whence, the beauty required is to arife: But that regard will occasion so unreducible a form in each part, when confidered fingly, as to present a very mis-shapen Form. NOTES. VER. 248. The world's just wonder, and ev'n thine, O Rome!] The Pantheon, I would fuppofe; perhaps St. Peter's; no matter which; the observation is true of both. There is fomething very Gothic in the taste and judgment of a learned man, who defpifes this mafter-piece of Art, the Pantheon, for those very qualities which deferve our admiration. Nous ef "merveillons comme l'on fait fi grand cas de ce Pantheon, veu "que fon edifice n'eft de fi grande industrie comme l'on crie: car chaque petit Maffon peut bien concevoir la maniere de "fe façon tout en un inftant: car estant la base si massive, et "les murailles fi efpaiffes, ne nous a femblé difficile d'y ad"joufter la voute à claire voye." Pierre Belon's Obfervations, etc. The nature of the Gothic ftructures apparently led him into No monftrous height, or breadth, or length appear; The Whole at once is bold, and regular. Whoever thinks a faultlefs piece to see, Thinks what ne'er was, nor is, nor e'er fhall be. In ev'ry work regard the writer's End, 255 Since none can compass more than they intend; And COMMENTARY. VER. 253. Whoever thinks a faultless piece to fee,] He fhew next [from ver. 252 to 263.] that to fix our cenfure on fingle parts, though they happen to want an exactness confistent enough with their relation to the reft, is even then very unjuft: And for these reasons, 1. Because it implies an expecta-、 tion of a faultless piece, which is a vain fancy. 2. Because no more is to be expected of any work than that it fairly attains its end: But the end may be attained, and yet these trivial faults committed: Therefore, in fpight of fuch faults, the work will merit that praife that is due to every thing which attains its end. 3. Because fometimes a great beauty is not to be procured, nor a notorious blemish to be avoided, but by fuffering one of these minute and trivial errors. 4. And lastly, because the general neglect of them is a praife; as it is the indication of a Genius, attentive to greater matters. NOTES. into this mistake of the Architectonic art in general; that the excellency of it confifts in raising the greatest weight on the leaft affignable support, so that the edifice fhould have ftrength without the appearance of it, in order to excite admiration. But to a judicious eye fuch a building would have a contrary effect, the Appearance (as our poet expreffes it) of a monftrous height, or breadth, or length. Indeed did the just proportions in regular Architecture take off from the grandeur of a building, by all the fingle parts coming united to the eye, as this learned traveller feems to infinuate, it would be a reasonable objection to thofe rules on which this Mafter-piece of Art was conftructed. But it is not fo. The Poet tells us truly, "The Whole at once is BOLD and regular." And if the means be juft, the conduct true, VER. 263. Most Critics, fond of fame fubfervient art, etc.] II. The fecond way in which a narrow capacity, as it relates to the matter, fhews itfelf, is judging by a favourite Part. The author has placed this [from ver. 262 to 285.] after the other of judging by parts, with great propriety, it being indeed a natural confequence of it. For when men have once left the whole to turn their attention to the feparate parts, that regard and reverence due only to a whole is fondly transferred to one or other of its parts. And thus we fee, that Heroes themselves as well as Hero-makers, even Kings as well as Poets and Critics, when they chance never to have had, or long to have loft the idea of that which is the only legitimate object of their office, the care and confervation of the whole, are wont to devote themselves to the service of fome favourite part, whether it be love of money, military glory, defpotic power, etc. And all, as our Author fays on this occafion, "to one lov'd Folly facrifice." This general misconduct much recommends that maxim in good Poetry and Politics, to give a principal attention to the whole a maxim which our author has elfewhere fhewn to be equally true likewife in Morals and Religion; as being founded in 270 Once on a time, La Mancha's Knight, they say, A certain Bard encount'ring on the way, Discours'd in terms as juft, with looks as fage, As e'er could Dennis, of the Grecian stage; Concluding all were defp'rate fots and fools, Who durft depart from Ariftotle's rules. Our Author, happy in a judge so nice, Produc'd his Play, and begg'd the Knight's advice; Made COMMENTARY. in the order of things: For if we examine, we shall find the misconduct here complained of, to arife from this imbecillity of our nature, that the mind must always have fomething to rest upon, to which the paffions and affections may be intereftingly directed. Nature prompts us to feek it in the most worthy object; and Reason points out to a Whole or Syftem: But the falfe lights which the Paffions hold out, confound and dazzlè us; we ftop fhort; and, before we get to a Whole, take up with fome Part; which thenceforth becomes our Favourite. NOTES. VER. 267. Once on a time, etc.] This tale is fo very appofite, that one would naturally take it to be of the Poet's own invention; and yet fo much in the fpirit of Cervantes, that we might easily mistake it for one of the chief beauties of that incomparable Satire. Yet, in truth, it is neither; but a story taken by our Author from the Spurious Don Quixote, which fhews how proper an ufe a Genius may make of general reading, when if there be but one good thing in a book (as in that wretched performance there fcarce is more) it may be picked out, and employ'd to an excellent purpose. Made him obferve the fubject, and the plot, 275 "What leave the Combat out?" exclaims the Knight; Yes, or we must renounce the Stagirite. 280 "Not fo, by Heav'n!" (he answers in a rage) "Knights, fquires, and fteeds, muft enter on "the stage." So vaft a throng the ftage can ne'er contain. COMMENTARY. VER. 285. Thus Critics of lefs judgment than caprice, Form 2. He concludes his obfervations on those two forts of Judges by parts, with this general reflection-The curious not knowing are the first fort, who judge by parts, and with a microscopic fight. (as he fays elfewhere) examine bit by bit: The not exact but nice, are the fecond, who judge by a favourite part, and talk of a whole to cover their fondness for a part; as Philosophers do of principles, in order to obtrude notions and opinions in their stead. NOTES. VER. 285. Thus Critics of lefs judgment than caprice, Curious not knowing, not exact but nice.] But In these two lines the poet finely describes the way in which bad writers are wont to imitate the qualities of good ones. As true Judgment |