Page images
PDF
EPUB

Our prefent writers are by thefe wretches reduced to the fame condition. Virgil was, when the centurion feized on his eftate.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

37

But

I don't doubt but I can fix upon the Maecenas
of the present age, that will retrieve them
from it. But, whatever effect this piracy
may have
have upon us, it contributed very much
to the advantage of Mr. Philips; it helped him
to a reputation, which he neither defired nor
expected, and to the honour of being put
upon a work of which he did not think
himself capable; but the event fhewed his
01 500

[ocr errors]

19.

01

modesty. And it was reasonable to hope, that he, who could raise mean fubjects fo high, should still be more elevated on greater themes; that he, that could draw fuch bu noble ideas from a fhilling, could not fail upon fuch a fubject as the duke of Marlborough, which is capable of heightening even the most low and trifling genius. And, indeed, most of the great works which have been produced in the world have been owing lefs to the poet than the patron. Men of the greatest genius are sometimes lazy, and want a spur, often modest, and dare not venture in publick; they certainly know their faults in the worst

4

things;.

"

things; and even their best things they are not fond of, because the idea of what they ought to be is far above what they are. This induced me to believe that Virgil defired his work might be burnt, had not the fanie Auguftus that defired him to write them, pres ferved them from deftruction. A fcribling beau may imagine a Poet may be induced to write, by the very pleasure he finds in writing ; but that is feldom, when people are neceffitated to it. I have known men row, and ufe very hard labour, for diverfion, which, if they had been tied to, they would have thought themselves very unhappy.

[ocr errors]

But to return to Blenheim, that work fo much admired by fome, and cenfured by others. I have often wifhed he had wrote it in Latin, that he might be out of the reach of the empty criticks, who could have as little understood his meaning in that language as they do his beauties in his own.

Falfe criticks have been the plague of all ages; Milton himself, in a very polite court, has been compared to the rumbling of a wheel-barrow he had been on the wrong

5

:

fide,

file, and therefore could not be a good poet. And this, perhaps, may be Mr. Philips's cafe.

But I take generally the ignorance of his readers to be the occafion of their diflike. People that have formed their taste upon the French writers, can have no relish for Philips they admire points and turns, and confequently have no judgement of what is great and majestick; he muft look little in their eyes, when he foars fo high as to be almoft out of their view. I cannot therefore allow any admirer of the French to be a judge of Blenheim, nor any who takes Bouhours for a compleat critick. He generally judges of the ancients by the moderns, and not the moderns by the ancients; he takes those paffages of their own authors to be really fublime which come the nearest to it; he often calls that a noble and a great thought which is only a pretty and fine one, and has more inftances of the fublime out of Ovid de Triftibus, than he has out of all Virgil.

I fhall allow, therefore, only those to be judges of Philips, who make the ancients, and particularly Virgil, their standard. G g

VOL. I.

But,

But, before I enter on this subject, I shall confider what is particular in the style of Philips, and examine what ought to be the style of heroick poetry, and next inquire how far he is come up to that ftyle.

His style is particular, because he lays afide rhyme, and writes in blank verfe, and ufes old words, and frequently poftpones the adjective to the substantive, and the fubftantive to the verb; and leaves out little particles, а, and the; her, and his; and uses frequent appofitions. Now let us examine, whether these alterations of ftyle be conformable to the true fublime.

WALSH.

W ALS H.

WILLIAM WALSH, the fon of

Jofeph Walth, Efq; of Abberley in Worcestershire, was born in 1663, as appears from the account of Wood; who relates, that at the age of fifteen he became, in 1678, a gentleman commoner of Wadham College.

He left the univerfity without a degree, and pursued his ftudies in London and at home; that he studied, in whatever place, is apparent from the effect; for he became, in Mr. Dryden's opinion, the beft critick in the

nation.

He was not, however, merely a critick or a fcholar, but a man of fashion, and, as Dennis remarks, oftentatiously splendid in his drefs. He was likewife a member of parliament and a courtier, knight of the shire G g 2

for

« PreviousContinue »