Who, leaving Carthage, gather to the spas; Or the laborious Tyrians to the bees24. But swarming flies.", offensive animals, That buzz incessant o'er the smoking pales, Are images too low, to paint the hosts: That roll and blacken s'er Ausonia's coasts, The lofty Muse who sung the Latian war, w 29; Would think such trivial things beneath her care How from his majesty would Virgil fall,~ If Turnus, scarce repell'd from Ilion's wall, Retiring grimly with a tardy pace,
Had e'er been figur'd by the patient ass! Whom unregarded troops of boys surround,
While o'er his sides their rattling strokes res : sound;
Unless the weeping hero", on the shore Tells his blue mother all we heard before, So much on punctual niceties they stand That, when their kings dispatch some high com mand, grib di abwasong All, word for word, th' embassadors rehearse In the same tebour of unvaried verse, Not so did Venulus ») from Arpį,bring The final answer of th' Etolian king
Let others laborem a vast design A less, but polish'd with due care, be thine To Change its structure, be your last delight; Thus spend the day, and exergise the night, Incessant in your toilBut if you choose, A larger field and subject for your Muse;
Slows he gives way, and crops the springing grain,If scanty limits should the theme confine, 1.
Turns on each side, and stops to graze again. In every point the thing is just, we know, na But then the image is itself too low a For Turnus, sprung from such a glorious strain, The vile resemblance would with scorn disdain. With better grace the lion " may appear, ste Who, singly impotent the crowd to dare, Repel, or stand their whole embody'd war, Looks grimly back, and rolls his glaring eye, Despairs to conquer, and disdains to fly.
Since fictions are allow'd, be sure, yo youths, Your fictions wear at least the air of truths. When Glaucus 28 meets Tydides on the plain, Inflam'd with rage, and reeking from the slain;
Some think they could not pass the time away, In such long narratives, and cool delay, Amidst the raging tumult of the day. But yet we hear fierce Diomed relate The crime of bold Lycurgus, and his fate; And Glaucus talks of brave Bellerophon, Doom'd for a lawless passion not his own; Sets forth the hero's great exploits to view, How the bold chief the dire Chimæra slew, The Solymaan host, and Amazonian crew. For those surprising fictions are design'd With their sweet falsehoods to delight the mind; The bards expect no credit should be given To the bare lie, though authoriz'd by Heaven, Which oft with confidence they vent abroad, Beneath the needful sanction of a god. 'Twas thus the roasted heifers 29 of the Sun Spoke o'er the fire with accents not their own; i 'Twas thus Achilles' steed his silence broke, And Trojan ships 31 in human voices spoke 1 As wrought by Heaven these wonders they relate, All airy visions of the ivory gate!
Speak things but once, if order be your care, o For more the cloy'd attention will not bear And tedious repetitions tire the ears 276suse In this we differ from the Grecian train, Who tell Atrides' visions" a'er again. 'Tis not enough with them we know the cause Why great Achilles from the war withdraws,
Learn with just art to lengthen the design an Beyond its native bounds; the roving mind A thousand methods to this end may find Unnumber'd fictions may with truths be join'd Nature supplies a fund of matter still; Then cull the rich variety at willo See! how the bard calls down th' embattled gods, All rang'd in factions, from their bright abodes; Who, fir'd with mutual hate, their arms employ, And in the field declare for Greece or Troy; Till Jove convenes a council to assuage Their rising fury, and suspend their rage; Though the blest gods, remov'd from human eyes, Live in immortal case within the distant skies. And now th' infernal realm his theme he makes, The reign of Pluto, the Tartarean lakes, - The Furies dreadful with their curling snakes. He gathers omens from each bird that flies, And signs from every wing that beats the skies. He now describes a banquet, where the guest - Prolongs with narratives the royal feast, Or at the glorious hero's tomb we read Of games ordain'd in honour of the dead. And oft for mercies in old times display'd, To their own gods their annual rites are paid. For monstrous Python slain, their praises rise, And lift the fame of Phoebus to the skies. In hymns Alcides' labours they resound: While Cacus lies extended on the ground, Alternate sing the labours of his hands, Enjoin'd by fierce Eurystheus' stern commands; The den of Cacus crowns the grateful strain, Where the grim monster breathes his fames in vain.toaji
Mark how sometimes the bard without contro Exerts his fire, and pours forth all his soul;1 His lines so daring, and his words so strong; † We see the subject figur'd in the song: When with the winds old ocean" he deforms, Or paints the rage and horrours of the storms; Or drives on pointed rocks the bursting ships,. Tost on the Euxine, or Sicilian deeps When beasts by herds, and men by nations die; Or sings the plagues that blast the livid sky, Or the fierce dames that Etna's jaws expire", Her melted rocks, and deluges of fire, -4
301 ext Bur
13 Iliad. Lib. Lev. 370. als
34 1bid. Lib. IX. v. 264.
35 Æneid. Lib. XI. v. 243.
"All these particulars, to the end of this para graph, are taken from Homer and Virgil.
37 Æneid. Lib. I.
19 Ibid. v. 571...
When from her mouth the bursting vapour flies, And, charğ'd with ruin, thunders to the skies; While drifts of smoke in sooty whirlwinds play, And clouds of cinders stain the golden day. See! as the poet sounds the dire alarms, Calls on the war, and sets the hosts in arms; Squadrons on squadrons driven, confas'dly dle; Grim Mars in all his terrours strikes the eye; More than description rising to the sight, *Presents the real horrours of the fight;
A new creation seems our praise to claim; (Hence Greece derives the sacred poet's name); The dreadful clang of clashing arms we bear; >The agonizing groan, the fruitless prayer, Chen And shrieks of suppliants thicken on the eat. » Who, when he reads a city storm'd", forbears To feel her woes, and sympathize in tears ? are When o'er the palaces the flames aspire From wall to wall, and wrap the domes in fire? The sire, with years and hostile rage opprest! The starting infant, clinging to the breast! The trembling mother runs, with piercing cries, Through friends and foes, and shrieking rends the skies.
Dragg'd from the altar, the distracted fair Beats her white breast, and tears her golden hair. Here in thick crowds the vanquish'd fly away, There the proud victors heap the wealthy prey; With rage relentless ravage their abodes, Nor spare the sacred temples of the gods. O'er the whole town they run with wild affright, Tumultuous haste, and violence of flight.
By just degrees; they feed the glowing vein, And all th' immortal ardour burns again In its full light and heat; the Sun's bright ray Thus (when the clouds disperse) restores the day, Whence shot this sudden flash that gilds the pole; The god, the god comes rushing on his soul; Fires with ethereal vigour every part,
Through every trembling limb he seems to dart, Works in each vein, and swells his rising heart. Deep in, his breast the heavenly tumult plays, And sets his mounting spirits on a blaze. Nor can the raging flames themselves contain, For the whole god descends into the man. He quits mortality, he knows no bounds, But sings inspir'd in more than butnan sounds. Nor from his breast can shake th' immortal load, But pants and raves impatient of the god; And, rapt beyond himself, admires the force That drives him on reluctant to the course, He calls on Phoebus, by the god opprest, Who breathes excessive spirit in his breast; No force of thirst or hunger can control The fierce, the ruling transport of his soul. Oft in their sleep, inspir'd with rage divine, Some bards enjoy the visions of the Nine: Visions! themselves with due applause may crown; Visions! that Phoebus or that Jove may own. To such an height the god exalts the flame, And so unbounded is their thirst of fame. But here, ye youths, exert your timely care, Nor trust th' ungovernable rage too far; Use not your fortune, nor unfurl your sails, Though softly courted by the flattering gales. Refuse them still, and call your judgment in, While the fierce god exults and reigns within; To reason's standard be your thoughts confin'd, Let judgment calm the tempest of the mind. Indulge your heat with conduct, and restrain; Learn when to draw, and when to give, the rein, But always wait till the warm raptures cease, - And lull the tumults of the soul to peace; Then, nor till then, examine strictly o'er What your wild sallies might suggest before, Be sure, from Nature never to depart; To copy Nature is the task of art. A The noblest poets own her sov'reign sway, And ever follow where she leads the way. From her the different characters they trace, That mark the human or the savage race, Each various and distinct; in every stage They paint mankind; their humours, sex, and age; They show what manners the slow sage become, What the brisk youth in all his sprightly bloom. In every word and sentiment explain, How the proud monarch differs from the swain. I nauseate all confounded characters, Where young Telemachus too grave appears, Or reverend Nestor acts beneath his years. The poet suits his speeches, when he sings, To proper persons, and the state of things; On each their just distinctions are bestow'd, To mark a male, a female, or a god. Thus when in Heaven seditious tumults rise Amongst the radiant senate of the skies, The sire of gods, and sovereign of mankind, In a few words unfolds his sacred mind. Not so fair Venus; who at large replies, And pities Troy, and counts her miseries,
Why should I mention how our souls aspire, Lost in the raptures of the sacred fire; For ev'n the soul not always holds the same, But knows at different times a different frame. Whether with rolling seasons she complies, Turns with the Sun, or changes with the skies; Or through long toil, remissive of her fires, Droops with the mortal frame her force inspires ; · Or that our minds alternately appear Now bright with joy, and now o'ercast with care. No!-but the gods, th' immortal gods supply* The glorious fires; they speak the deity. Then blest is he who waits th' auspicious nod, The warmth divine, and presence of the god; Who his suspended labours can restrain, Till Heaven's serene indulgence smiles again. But strive, on no pretence, against your power, Till time brings back the voluntary hour.” Sometimes their verdant honours leave the woods, And their dry urns defraud the thirsty floods; Nor still the rivers a full channel yield, Nor Spring with flowery beauties paints the field: The bards no less such fickle changes find, Dampt is the noble ardour of the mind ;** Their wonted toil her wearied powers refuseyno Their souls grow slack and languid to the Muse, Deaf to their call, their efforts are withstood o Round their cold hearts congeals the freezing blood. You'd think the Muses fled; the god no more Would fire the bosom where he dwelt before, No more return!how often, though in vain, The poet would renew the wonted straini! Nor sees the gods who thwart his fruitless care, Nor angry Heaven relentless to his prayer. Some read the ancient bards, of deathless fame, And from their raptures catch the noble flame Vid. Æneid. Lib. II.
Woes undesert but with contention fir'd, And with the spirit of revenge inspir'd'oro Fierce Juno storms amidst the blest abodes,noibu2 And stuns with loud complaints the listening gods. When youthful Turnus 4 the stern combat claims, His rising heart is fill'd with martial flamesside of Impell'd by rage and bent to prove his might, o His soul springs forward, and prevents the fight pi Rous'd to revenge, his kindling spirits glow,rq Confirm his challenge, and provoke the foepods A The fugitive of Troy But while his ragesyshithal And youthful courage prompts him to engage, On Latium's king incumbent it appears, tas do Grown old in prudence, piety, and years, toieq T To weigh events, and youthful heat assuage, 191 With the cold caution and the fears of age,svis OT In Dido's various character is seen woy. The furious lover and the gracious queen and When Troy's fam'd chief, commanded from above) Prepares to quit her kingdomy and her lovegnia She raves, she storms with unavailing careanods A Grown wild with grief, and frantic with despair Through every street she files, with anginish stung, And broken accents flutter on her tonguesit mo Her words confus'd and interrupted flowpas of bas Speak and express the hurry of hen woes bear adT How in this Dido is that Dido lostadt anredo tedT Who late receiv'd the Trojans on her coast, aidt al And bade them banish grief, and share her throne, Dismiss their fears, and think herrealms their own! Next the great orators consults and thencerda A Draw all the moving turns of eloquence itib a&M That Sinon may his Phrygian foes betray,id onT And lead the crowd, as fraud directs the way That wise Ulysses "may the Greeks detain, sa A While Troy yet stood, from measuring back the
main.bwenod sdt i stiam end asdiolo si Need I name Nestor who could talk to peace, With melting words, the factious kings of Greeks? Whose soft address their fury could controulpo Mould every passion, and subdue the souls These soothing arts to Venus sure were known, To beg immortal arms to grace her son past Her injur'd spouse each thrilling word inspires,fo With every pang of love to second her desires. With nicest art the fair adultress drawseds do Her fond addresses from a distant causesnog jed! And all her guileful accents are design'doyus ai To catch his passions and ensnare his mind.siA 'Tis hence the poet learns in every partisi sd oT To bend the soul and give with wondrous arts W A thonsand different motions to the heartor Hence, as his subject gay or sad appears, ar auT He claims our joyg or triumphs in our tearst y Who, when he sees how Orpheus sorrows flow, Weeps not his tears, and answers wod for woed oT When he his dear Eurydice deploresit dow bassi To the deaf rocks and solitaryishofes, to bworo A With the soft harp the bard relieves his pain) said For thee, when morning dawns, prolongs the strain, For thee, when Phoebus seeks the seat again.aw9V Or when the young Euryalusis kifl'dive dynod And rolls in death along the bloody fieldsut od siti mont sidorant att rit esse SH "Aneid. Lib. XI. 9is swobom gobile baA 44 Vid. Eneide Lib. us Homy Lindo Libid! "Eneid. Lib. VI.onds now "Iliad. Lib. I. v. 246.
"Georgic. Lib. IV 464 34' "Eneid. Lib. IX. v. 433 qua
For some, we know, affect to shun the light, W Lost in fore'd figures, and involv'd in night Studious and bent to leave the common way, 9019 They skulkin darkness, land abhor the dayete A Ohlsmay the sacred Nine inspire my lays To shines with pride in their own native rays is al For this we need not importune the skies, billsql In musowi power and will the blessing liesioa ail Expression boundless in extent, displaysos beno In different garbs from different quarters brought T It makes unnumber'd dresses for a thought ba Such vast varieties of hues we find air a'mited no To paint conception, and unfold the mind wov If e'er yon toil, but toil without success, die To give your images a shining dress, blos edd diw Quit your pursuits and choose a different way,Int Till, breaking forth the voluntary ray auoiul ed Cuts the thick darkness) and lets down the day,
Since then a thousand forms you may pursue, A thousand figures rising to the view,da var Unless con fiuld and straiten'd in your scheme, or With the short limits of a scanty theme, igno From these to those with boundless freedom pass And to each image give a different face, zinow The readers hence a wondrous pleasure find, esa That charms the ears and captivates the mind In this the laws of Nature we obey,viooot odol out W And act as her example points the way, obed ha Which has on every different species thrown i A shape distinct and figure of its own; o Man differs from the beast that haunts the woods, I The bird from every native of the floods.com and
See how the poet banishes with grace bil haA A native term to give a stranger place?! sai From different images with just success on old W He clothes his matter in the borrow'd dress: The borrow'd dress the things themselves admire. M And wonderay hence they drew the strange attire Proud of their ravish'd spoils they now disclaim Their former colour, and their genuine name,o Andyoin another garb more beauteous grown, saod T Prefer the foreign babit to their ownomi sd of Oft, as he paints a battle on the plain, hajai toll The battle's imagid by the roaring maingaye daw Now he, the fighba fiery delige names.sassi daW That pours along the fields afrod of famea; H In airy conflict now the winds appear and is ba Alarm the deepayand wage the stormy wars of To the fierde shock th' embattled tempests pourr Waves charge on waves,th'encountering billowsy
Oh sire! Oh country, once with glory crown'd! Oh wretched face of Priam, once renown'd! Oh Jove! see Ilion smoking on the ground!
They now name Ceres for the golden grain, Bacchus for wine, and Neptune for the main: Or from the father's name point out the son Or for her people introduce a town: So when alarm'd her natives dread their fates,
Afric shakes, and trembles through her states: some, by Achelous' streams alone, Comprise the floods of all the world in one.
Lo! now they start aside, and change the strain To fancy'd converse with an absent swain; To grots and caverns all their cares disclose, Of tell the solitary rocks their woes; To scenes inanimate proclaim their love, Talk with an hill, or whisper to a grove. On you they call, ye unattentive woods, And wait an answer from your bordering floods. Sometimes they speak one thing, but leave behind
Another secret meaning in the mind: A fair expression artfully dispense,
But use a word that clashes with the sense. Thus pious Helen stole the faithful sword, While Troy was flaming, from her sleeping lord. So glorious Drances tower'd amid the plan, And pil'd the ground with mountains of the slain; Immortal trophies rais'd from squadrons kill'd, And with vast spoils ennobled all the field.
9 But now to mention farther I forbear, With what strong charms they captivate the ear; When the same terms they happily repeat, The same repeated seem more soft and sweet. This, were Arcadia judge 10, if Pan withstood, Pan's judge, Arcadia, would condemn her god.
But though our fond indulgence grants the Muse A thousand liberties in different views, Whene'er you choose an image to express In foreign terms, and scorn the native dress; Yet be discreet, nor strain the point too far, Let the transition still unforc'd appear, Nor e'er discover an excess of care: For some, we know, with aukward violença Distort the subject, and disjoint the sense; Quite change the genuine figure, and deface The native shape with every living grace; And force unwilling objects to put on An alien face, and features not their own. A low conceit in disproportion'd terms," Looks like a boy dress'd up in giant's arms; Blind to the truth, all reason they exceed,
Tell us, in short, from whence the hint you drev, And set the whole comparison to view;
4 Hæc verba ex incerti nominis poeta citat Cicero.
The apostrophe.
7 See Æneid, Lib. VI. "The anaphora. "The catachresis
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