into Statius, Lucan, Claudian, or Seneca the tragedian; authors, who by their forced conceits, by their violent metaphors, by their swelling epithets, by their want of a juft decorum, have a strong tendency to dazzle, and to mislead inexperienced minds, and taftes unformed, from the true relish of poffibility, propriety, fimplicity and nature. Statius had undoubtedly invention, ability and spirit; but his images are gigantic and outrageous, and his fentiments tortured and hyperbolical. It can hardly, I think, be doubted, but that Juvenal intended a fevere fatire on him, in these well known lines which have been commonly interpreted as a panegyric. Curritur ad vocem jucundam et carmen amica • Writers of this ftamp are always on the ftretch. They difdain the natural. They are perpetually grasping at the vast, the wonderful, and the terrible. ** Kar inasor CUT OF προς αυγας ανασκοπής, εκ τε φοβερα κατ' ολίγον ύπανση προς το ευκαταφρόνητοι.-Κακοι δε ογκοι, και επί σωματων και λογων, δι χαυνοι και αναληθείς, και μήποτε περιισαντες μας εις τεναντιον «δεν γαρ φασι, ξηρότερον ύδρωπικα. Longinus, Tepe vfus Tμ. y. Sect. iii. They should read the fenfible difcourfe of S. Wedrenfels, of Balle, De Me teoris Orationis. Promifitque Promifitque diem; tanta dulcedine captos In these verses are many expreffions, here marked with italics, which feem to hint obliquely, that Statius was the favourite poet of the vulgar, who were easily captivated with a wild and inartificial tale, and with an empty magnificence of numbers; the noisy roughness of which, may be particularly alluded to in the expreffion, fregit fubfellia verfu. One cannot forbear reflecting on the short duration of a true taste in poetry, among the Romans. From the time of Lucretius, to that of Statius, was no more than about one hundred and fortyfeven years; and if I might venture to pronounce so rigorous a sentence, I would say, that the Romans can boast of but eight poets who are unexceptionably excellent; namely, TERENce, LucretiuS, CATULLUS, VIRGIL, HORACE, TIBULLUS, PROPERTIUS, PHÆDRUS. Thefe only can be called legitimate models of just thinking C4 and and writing. Succeeding authors, as it happens in all countries, refolving to be original and new, and to avoid the imputation of copying, became distorted and unnatural: by endeavouring to open an unbeaten path, they deferted fimplicity and truth; weary of common and obvious beauties, they muft needs hunt for remote and artificial decorations. Thus was it that the age of Demetrius Phalerëus fucceeded that of Demofthenes, and the false relia of Tiberius's court, the chaste one of Auguftus. Among the various causes however that have been affigned, why poetry and the arts have more eminently flourished in fome particular ages and nations, than in others, few have been fatisfactory and adequate. What folid reafon can we give why the Romans, who fo happily imitated the Greeks in many respects, and breathed a truly tragic fpirit, could yet never excel in tragedy, though fo fond of theatrical Spectacles? Or why the Greeks, so fruitful in every species of poetry, yet never produced but one great epic poet? While on the the other hand, modern Italy, can fhew two or three illuftrious epic writers, yet has no Sophocles, Euripides, or Menander. And France, without having formed a fingle Epopëa, has carried dramatic poetry to fo high a pitch of perfection in Corneille, Racine, and Moliere. For a confirmation of the foregoing remark on Statius, and for a proof of the strength and spirit of POPE's youthful translation, I shall select the following paffage. He fends a monfter horrible and fell; The pest a virgin's face and bofom wears; } Guards her black front, and hiffes in her hairs: Oedipus, in Statius, behaves with the fury ▸ B. I. ver. 703. of of a blustering bully; in Sophocles*, with that patient fubmiffion, and pathetic remorfe, which are fuited to his lamentable condition. Art thou a father, unregarding Jove! And fleeps thy thunder in the realms above? Thou, fury, then, some lafting curse entail, OVID is also another writer of a bad taste, on whom POPE employed some of his youthful hours; in translating the ftories of Dryope and Pomona. Were it not for the useful mythological knowledge they contain, the works of Ovid ought not to be fo diligently read. The puerilities and affectations with which they abound, are too well known to be here infisted on. I See his addrefs to the furies in the Edipus Coloneus of Sophocles, beginning at the words, Q worriai dair@Tir, at verfe 85, down to verfe 117. And afterwards, when he becomes more particularly acquainted with the unnatural cruelty of his fons, yet his resentment is more temperate. See verfe 433 down to verse 472, of the fame moft enchanting tragedy. chufe |