His Lordship points out the reason of these different effects. In the former inftances, the Perfonification is paffionate; in the latter it is defcriptive.

Abstract terms, which of themselves prefent no image to the mind, are frequently perfonified. Thus Slander is imagined to be a voluntary agent.

No, 'tis Slander;

Whofe edge is sharper than the fword; whofe tongue
Outvenoms all the worms of Nile; whose breath
Rides on the pofting winds, and doth belie

All corners of the world, Kings, Queens, and States,
Maids, Matrons; nay, the fecrets of the Grave
This viperous Slander enters.

His Lordship next-proceeds to afcertain the proper province of Perfonification. All difpiriting paffions, he obferves, are averse to it. Remorfe, in particular, is too ferious and fevere, to be gratified by a phantom of the mind. With regard to defcriptive Perfonification, he remarks, that it ought to be cautiously ufed. In plain narrative, the mind, ferious and fedate, rejects Perfonification altogether. The Perfonification of mean objects is ridiculous; and his Lordfhip cenfures feveral Poets for improprieties of this kind.

How now? What noife? That fpirit's poffefs'd with hafte,
That wounds th' unrefifting postern with these strokes.
Thomson, he obferves, is licentious in this article:

Then fated Hunger bids his brother Thirst
Produce the mighty bowl.

The Apoftrophe, which beftows a momentary prefence upon a fenfible Being who is abfent; and the Hyperbole, which magnifies or diminishes objects, come next under confideration. The firft, like all other figures, requires an agitation of mind. The latter is generally more fuccefsful in magnifying than in diminishing.

The next figure taken notice of, is that whereby the means. or inftrument is conceived to be the agent.

For Neleus' fons Alcides' rage had flain.

The enfuing fection treats of a figure not dignified by any proper name and which, among related objects, extends the properties of one to another. Giddy Brink, jovial wine, daring wound, are examples of this figure. A brink is termed giddy, from producing that effect on those who ftand on it.

In the fame manner a wound is faid to be daring, not with respect to itself, but with refpect to the boldnefs of the perfon who inflicts it and wine is faid to be jovial, as infpiring mirth and jollity.

In the next fection, which treats of Metaphors and Allegories, it is very accurately remarked, that a Metaphor differs from a Simile in form only, not in fubftance. In a Simile, the two different fubjects are kept diftinct in thought only, not in expreffion. An Allegory, his Lordship obferves, differs from a Metaphor, for it requires no operation of the imagination, nor is one thing figured to be another: it confifts in chufing a fubject having properties or circumftances refembling those of the principal fubject: and the former is described in such a manner as to reprefent the latter.

With due deference to the learned Writer, we are of opinion, that his fentiments here are too fubtle and refined. We cannot agree with him that an Allegory requires no operation of the imagination: the famous Allegory of the Ship in Horace, which is mentioned by Quintilian, is an inftance to the contrary: for, unless the imagination operates, we can never conceive, that by the Ship is to be understood the Republic, and that by the Port is meant Peace and Concord.

His Lordship exhibits feveral inftances of ftrained and incongruous Metaphors from the best Writers; and proceeds in the next fection to treat of Figurative Speech, which is defined to be, " Employing a word in a fenfe different from what is proper to it." Many words, he acutely remarks, originally figurative, having, by long and conftant ufe, loft their figurative power, are degraded to the inferior rank of terms---, as a foft nature, jarring tempers, &c. Several improprieties in figurative fpeech are pointed out and cenfured. As thus,

Strepitumque Exterritus baufit.

Write, my Queen,

And with mine eyes I'll drink the words you fend.

The twenty-firft chapter, concerning Narration and Defcription, contains many excellent rules for fine Writing and juft Criticifin, and is divided into two parts: the first refpecting Thought; the next Words. The thoughts, his Lordship obferves, which embellifh a narration, ought to be chafte and folid. Poetical images in a grave hiftory are intolerable; and Strada's Belgic History is especially cenfured in this re

fpect,

spect, being stuffed with poetical flashes, which, even laying afide the impropriety, are mere tinfel.

Again, it is judicioufly obferved, that a man, who, at his first appearance, endeavours to exhibit all his talents, is never relished: the first periods of a work therefore ought to be short, natural, and fimple. Cicero, in his oration pro Archia Poeta, errs against this rule: his Reader is out of breath at the very firft period, which seems never to end. Several examples likewife of inconfiftencies, in point of thought, are quoted from the best Writers.

Again,

He fled, but flying left his life behind.

Full through his neck the weighty faulchion fped:
Along the pavement roll'd the mutt'ring head.

Improprieties in Language come next under confideration. A Poet of any genius will not readily dress a high subject in low words; as thus,

Not one looks backward, onward still he goes,

Yet ne'er looks forward farther than his nofe.

On the other hand, to raise the expreffion above the tone of the fubject, is a very common fault:

In the inner room

I fpy a winking lamp, that weakly ftrikes
The ambient air, fcarce kindling into light.

In the following chapter, concerning Epic and Dramatic Compofitions, it is remarked, that Tragedy differs from the Epic more in form than in fubftance. The ends propofed by each, are instruction and amusement; and each of them copy human actions as means to bring about these ends: they differ in the manner only of copying. Epic poetry deals in narration: Tragedy reprefents its facts as tranfacted in our fight. The effects of this difference, however, are very material: what we fee, makes a stronger impreffion than what we learn from others. A narrative poem is a story told by another: facts and incidents paffing upon the ftage, come under our own obfervation; and are befide, much enlivened by action. and gefture, expreffive of many fentiments, beyond the reach of language.

A poem, the learned Writer obferves, whether dramatic or epic, that hath no tendency beyond moving the paffions,

and

and exhibiting pictures of virtue and vice, may be diftinguished by the name of pathetic. But where a ftory is purposely contrived, to illuftrate fome important leffon of morality, by fhewing the natural connection betwixt diforderly paffions and external misfortunes, fuch compofitions may be denominated moral. The good effects of fuch compofitions are admirably defcribed; and it is fhewn, that they tend to a habit of virtue, by exciting emotions that produce good actions, and avert us from thofe that are vicious and irregular.

In the clofe of this chapter, his Lordship treats of the circumstances peculiar to each kind of compofition. In a theatrical entertainment, he obferves, which employs both the eye and the ear, it would be a monstrous abfurdity to introduce upon the ftage invifible Beings in a visible shape. But it has been much difputed, whether fuch Beings may not be properly introduced in an epic poem. His Lordship declares on the negative fide. Becaufe machinery gives an air of fiction to the whole, and prevents that impreffion of reality which is requifite to interest our affections, and to move our paffions. Were it poffible to difguife the fiction, an infuperable objection would remain, which is, that the aim or end of an epic poem can never be accomplished in any perfection, where machinery is introduced. Virtuous emotions cannot be raised fuccefsfully, but by the actions of those who are endued with paffions and affections like our own, that is, by human actions.

With refpect to a dramatic poem, his Lordfhip cenfures double plots. An under-plot in a tragedy has feldom a good effect; becaufe a paffionate piece cannot be too fimple. VioJent actions likewife, fuch as murder, ought to be excluded from the ftage; because it roufes the fpectator from a pleafing dream, and, gathering his fenfes about him, he finds all to be a fiction. His reflections on this fubject are ingenious, and unquestionably founded in nature.

The three unities, form the fubject of the next chapter. His Lordship admits that unity of action is equally effential to epic and dramatic compofitions; and proceeds to inquire how far the unities of time and place are effential. He declares himfelf fenfible that the drama differs fo far from the epic, as to admit different rules and on this head he facetioufly rallies Boffu, who, after obferving, that winter is an improper feafon for an epic poem, and night not lefs improper for tragedy, admits, however, that an epic poem may be fpread

4

through

through the whole fummer months, and a tragedy through the whole fun-fhine hours of the longeft fummer day.' this rate, Lord Kaims humouroufly obferves, an English tragedy may be longer than a French tragedy; and in Nova. Zembla, the time of a tragedy and of an epic poem may be

the fame.

His Lordship, in a comparison between the Grecian drama and our own, very juftly takes notice, that the former is a continued reprefentation, without any interruption.-The unities of time and place, were, in Greece, a matter of neceffity, not of choice. In our drama, by dropping the chorus, an opportunity is afforded to split it into parts or acts, which in the reprefentation are diftinguished by intervals of time; and during these intervals, the ftage is totally evacuated, and the bufinefs fufpended.-To admit an interruption, without relaxing from the ftrict unities of place and time, is in effect to lead us with all the inconveniencies of the ancient drama, and at the fame time to withold from us its advantages. Therefore, he continues, the only proper question is, Whether our model be or be not a real improvement? In the difcuffion of this query, he makes many acute and judicious criticifins on the Grecian and modern dramatifts; and upon the whole concludes in favour of the modern drama.

The enfuing chapter, which comes in as it were by furprize, treats of Gaidening and Architecture. Gardening, he very properly obferves, was at firft an ufeful art. The garden of Alcinous, as defcribed by Homer, was, in modern language, but a kitchen garden. Architecture has run the fame courfe. It continued, many ages, merely an ufeful art, before it afpired to be claffed with the fine arts. Architecture and gardening therefore must be confidered, as being useful arts as well as fine arts: and hence arifes that difference and wavering of tafte, which is more remarkable here than in any art that has but a single deftination.

In the concluding chapter, his Lordship enters into a curious difquifition concerning the Standard of Tafle. The proverb,, he obferves, "That there is no difputing about tafte," may be admitted fo far as it regards individuals. Nature, he remarks, in her scale of pleasures, has been sparing of divifions: fhe hath wifely and benevolently filled every divifion with many pleafures, in order that individuals may be contented with their own lot, without envying the happiness of others. In our prefent condition, happy it is that the pluREV. Aug. 1762. rality

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