by fome out of envy, and more out of ignorance.

The Splendid Shilling, which is far the leaft confiderable, has the more general reputation, and perhaps hinders the character of the reft. The ftile agreed fo well with the burlefque, that the ignorant thought it could become nothing elfe. Every body is pleased with that work. But to judge rightly of the other, requires a perfect mastery of poetry and criticism, a juft contempt of the little turns and witticisms now in vogue, and, above all, a perfect understanding of poetical diction and defcription.

All that have any taste of poetry will agree, that the great burlefque is much to be preferred to the low. It is much

eafier to make a great thing appear little, than a little one great: Cotton and others of a very low genius have done the former; but Philips, Garth, and Boileau only the latter.

A picture in miniature is every painter's talent; but a piece for a cupola, where all the figures are enlarged, yet proportioned to the eye, requires a maf ter's hand.

It muft ftill be more acceptable than the low burlefque, because the images of the latter are mean and filthy, and the language itfelf entirely unknown to all men of good breeding. The file of Billingfgate would not make a very agreeable figure at St. James's. A gentleman would take but little pleasure

in language, which he would think it hard to be accofted in, or in reading. words which he could not pronounce without blushing. The lofty burlefque is the more to be admired, because, to write it, the author must be mafter of two of the most different talents in nature. A talent to find out and expose what is ridiculous, is very different from that which is to raise and elevate. We must read Virgil and Milton for the one, and Horace and Hudibrafs for the other. We know that the authors of excellent comedies have often failed in the grave ftile, and the tragedian as often in comedy. Admiration and Laughter are of fuch oppofite natures, that they are feldom created by the fame perfon. The

man

man of mirth is always obferving the follies and weakneffes, the ferious writer the virtues or crimes of mankind; one is pleased with contemplating a beau, the other a hero. Even from the fame object they would draw different ideas: Achilles would appear in very different lights to Therfites and Alexander. The one would admire the courage and greatnefs of his foul; the other would ridicule the vanity and rafhnefs of his temper. As the fatyrift fays to Hannibal:

-I curre per Alpes,

Ut pueris placeas, & declamatio fias. The contrariety of ftile to the fubject pleases the more ftrongly, because it is more furprifing; the expectation of the

reader

E

reader is pleasantly deceived, who expects an humble ftile from the subject, or a great fubject from the stile. It pleases the more univerfally because it is agreeable to the tafte both of the grave and the merry; but more particularly fo to those who have a relish of the best writers, and the noblest sort of poetry. I fhall produce only one paffage out of this poet, which is the misfortune of his Galligafkins:

My Galligaskins, which have long withftood

The winter's fury and encroaching frofts, By time fubdued (what will not time fubdue!)