THE

CRITICAL REVIEW.

For the Month of November, 1777.

Effays, Moral and Literary. Small 8vo. 45. 6d. Sewed. Dilly.

TH

HE world, if we believe this writer, is now foold, the fame scene has been fo frequently difplayed, and the researches of industry have penetrated fo deeply into every object, that it is become almost impoffible to produce new difcoveries, to reprefent unobserved appearances, and to throw frefli light on science and philosophy.'-This is the language of timidity and diffidence, a partial and unjuft reprefentation of the state of literature. We can by no means entertain fo inglorious a thought, as that we are already arrived at the utmost boundary of science, No, the intellectual world has no limits. Many fair tracks lie undiscovered in the boundless regions of imagination. The ftorehouse of nature, the hidden treasures. of wisdom and philosophy are inexhaustible. An infinite variety of new appearances, new ideas, new images, new plans, will prefent themselves to the diligent enquirer, in all future ages, and amply reward him for all his refearches. The fentiments of Seneca on this fubject are strictly true, and calculated to produce a noble emulation: Veritas nondum eft occupata: multum ex illâ etiam futuris relictum eft.' Truth is not an◄ ticipated a confiderable part of it is left for the investigation of fucceeding generations. And, in another place, like a true philofopher, he fays: Multum adhuc reftat operis, multumque reftabit: nec ulli nato poft mille fecula præcludetur occafio aliquid adhuc adjiciendi*.' There will be always room for the

Epift. 33. 64.

VOL. XLIV. Nov. 1777.

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exertion

exertion of the human genius; and the philofopher, who shall rife up a thousand ages after the prefent æra, will find, that it is in his power to make additional discoveries in wifdom and knowledge.

Whenever, therefore, we look into a modern performance, which is known to be written by an author of learning and ingenuity, we expect to difcover fome new fentiments, fome uncommon traits of genius, or fome valuable obfervations exhibited in a ftriking and advantageous light. This is far from being an unreasonable expectation, when the author does not -confine himself to one subject, but ranges through the whole circle of literature, and makes choice of fuch topics as are more particularly agreeable to his genius, tafte, and inclination.

The writer of these Effays is very moderate in his expectations, when he fays: If the admirer of moral and claffical beauty fhall adopt one new idea, or correct one error, from the perusal of thefe pages, it will be an ample recompence to the author to reflect, that he has contributed his mite in promoting the cause of virtue and learning.' The reader, we make no doubt, will find many new ideas in the course of this volume; and many fentiments which evidently flow from a just sense of things, and a claffical tafte.

Thefe are fome of the principal-fubjects which the author has difcuffed: On Sentiment, on Affectation of the Graces, on the Complaints of Men of Learning, on Eloquence, on Modern Literature, on Concifenefs, on Verbal Criticism, on the Fluctuation of Tafte, on the Inequalities of Genius, on the Life and Writings of Dr. Jortin, on the character of Addison as ■ Poet, on fome of the Minor Greek Poets, on the Odyssey, on the Oedipus Tyrannus of Sophocles, on Cafimir, on the Neglect of Ancient Authors, on the Inferiority of Modern to Ancient Eloquence, on Pliny the Younger, on fome Paffages in Tacitus, on the Harmony of the Period, on Sculpture, Architecure, and the Art of Printing.

The following reflection is not new; but it is highly worthy of attention, as it fhews what laudable and exemplary pains the Romans took to preferve their faculties, during the whole day, in their full vigor and activity.

• It is well known, that the principal meal of the ancients was the fupper; and it has been a matter of furprize that they, whose wisdom was fo generally confpicuous in the feveral inftitutions of common life, fhould adopt a practice which is now univerfally esteemed injurious to health. It is however not unreafonable to fuppofe, that they were unwilling to clog their intellects by fatisfying the cravings of hunger in the day-time, the feason of business and deliberation, and chofe "rather to in

dulge

dulge themselves in the hour of natural feftivity, when no care remained, but to retire from the banquet to the pillow.

As we must confefs that we admire the plain, unaffected fimplicity of the ancient poets, and deteft a profufion of pompous and glaring images in all poetical compofitions, we cannot but think there is fome juftice in the following remarks.

• Some have infinuated, that there is a vein of this glittering nothingness in the tranflations of Pope; but it is fo overlaid with the folid ore of genuine poetry, that it gives no offence. Gray and Mafon have, at length, profeffedly adopted the clinquant, to the exclufion of the fimplicity of claffic elegance. Nor can the general reception their works have met with, be matter of furprize; for let it be remembered, that there have been times, when the complicated deformity of Gothic building was preferred to the regular fymmetry of Grecian architecture.

The Elegy in a Country Church-yard, breathes a spirit of melancholy which flatters the imagination of an Englishman. It is folemn, it is picturefque: but after all, it is thought, by fome, to be no more than a confused heap of fplendid ideas, thrown together without order and without proportion; and to Prefemble the loofe jewels in the artift's cafket before they are formed into a diadem. The Odes of the fame author, faid to be more unintelligible than the ænigma of a fphinx, are in the fame predicament, and prefent to the mind ideas fimilar to thofe which arife from a furvey of the clouds empurpled by the fetting fun. The variegated hues are indeed beautiful; but they quickly vanish, and leave no idea but that of a tranfient affemblage of vifionary colours.

Mafon has alfofometimes fhewn, that he is capable of true claffical poetry. But the taste of the age, and the example of his friends have led him into the fields of fancy, where he has foared, on the pinions of poetry, far above the aching fight of common fenfe.

The common herd of poets have followed the track of their fuperiors. The numerous contributors to our poetical collections, in the fame gaudy ftyle, have foared in Odes, and wept in Elegies and the importer Macpherfon has completed the work, with the nonfenfical jargon of his Offian.'

This writer gives a very unfavourable character of Mr. Addifon as a poet.

I know not, fays he, whether even Mr. Addison, who is fo deservedly esteemed the honour of our nation, was not indebted for a small part of his reputation to the blind bigotry of prejudice. On any other fuppofition, I know not how he could have been admired as a very eminent poet. That frigidity of temper, which conftituted a folid judgment, and qualified him for the cool difquifitions of criticifm and morality, rendered him incapable of that animated fpirit which is the foul of poetry.

Y 2

But

But the reader is unwilling to believe, that fo accurate a critic, and fo correct a writer, is himself faulty; and, therefore, when he paffes from his profe to his poetry, and obferves a manifest inferiority and deficiency of merit in the latter, he rather in clines to diftruft his own judgment than the abilities of the author. Reader after reader has toiled through the fame dull rhimes, perhaps blind to their faults, or if fenfible of their defeats, yet loud in their praife, which he bestows in oppofition to conviction, from a dread of the imputation of a depraved tafte. Had not a veneration for his name prevented critics from fpeaking their real fentiments, though Addison would, as a moral effayift, moft juftly have been called the Socrates, Plato, or Zenophon of his age; yet as a verfifier, he would, perhaps, long ago have ranked among the Mævii and Bavii. A verfe here and there might be felected, which would qualify him for a feat among the Grub-treet Mufes, and fome might be found nearly equal to the fublime compofitions of a London Bellman.

That fome of his pieces abound with grand conceptions, and have a few good lines, must be confeffed. But allowing Addifon all the merit in his poetry, which candour, or even partiality, in his favour, can allow, he never can be jufly efteemed one of the first poets of the nation.'

In favour of Mr. Addifon it may be obferved, that, if he is not one of the best poets of the nation, he is far superior to moft of his contemporaries".

We can by no means agree with our author, in his opinion of Mr. Pope's tranflation of the Odyffey.

• Without derogating from the merit of Mr. Pope as an original poet, we may venture to pronounce his Odyffey not to be a tranflation of Homer. The copy no more refembles the picture, than the portrait on a fign ufually refembles the perfonage intended to be exhibited. The chief beauty of Homer is fimplicity, which, in the tranflation is facrificed to falfe glare and artificial embellishments. As a poem confidered by itself, it has fome beautiful paffages; but as a tranflation, it is utterly unworthy the reputation it has obtained.

To cenfure fo celebrated a name, might appear arrogant in an individual, were he not fupported by a critic, whofe opinion is decifive and inftar omnium. This is no other than Mr. Spence, who, in his Effay on the Odyffey, with the greatest moderation and candour, points out defects in Pope's tranflation, which could never have efcaped fo great a poet, but from hafte and wearinefs. In this work Mr. Pope was affifted by inferior writers; but as the whole is published under his name, he will ever be anfwerable for its faults.'

* Addison was born 1672, and died in 1719.

Mr.

Mr. Pope, we confefs, has his defects; but they are the defects of a great poet. They are only like fpots in the fun. There are many inimitable paffages in his tranflation of the Odyffey; and we will venture to affert, that a better verfion of that poem will not appear; but, as Le Moyne fays of a complete history, in that year, which discovers the perpetual motion, and the philofopher's ftone.

We shall conclude this article with our author's remarks on the life and writings of Dr. Jortin.

• A review of the life of the late Dr. Jortin, cannot but suggest the most pleafing reflections. As a poet, a divine, a philofopher, and a man, he ferved the cause of religion, learning, and morality. There are, indeed, many writers whofe reputation is more diffufed among the vulgar and illiterate, but few will be found whofe names ftand higher than Dr. Jortin's in the efteem of the judicious. His Latin poetry is claffically elegant. His Difcourfes and Differtations, fenfible, ingenious, and argumentative. His Remarks on Ecclefiaftical History, interesting, and impartial. His Sermons, replete with found fenfe and rational morality, expreffed in a ftyle, fimple, pure, and attic.

Simplicity of ftyle is a grace, which, though it may not captivate at firft fight, is fure in the end to give permanent fatisfaction. It does not excite admiration, but it raifes eleem. It does not warm to rapture, but it fooths to complacency. Unfkilful writers feldon aim at this excellence. They imagine, that what is natural and common, cannot be beautiful. Every thing in their compofitions must be ftrained, every thing affected: but Dr. Jortin had ftudied the antients, and perhaps formed himself on the model of Xenophon. He wrote on fubjects of morality, and morality is founded on reafon, and reason is always cool and difpaffionate. A florid declamation, embellifhed with rhetorical figures, and animated with pathetic defcription, may indeed amufe the fancy, and raise a tranfient emotion in the heart, but rational difcourfe alone can convince the understanding, and reform the conduct.

The first efforts of genius have commonly been in poetry. Unrestrained by the frigidity of argument, and the confinement of rules, the young mind gladly indulges the flights of imagination. Cicero, as well as many other antient philofophers, ora tors, and hiftorians, are known to have facrificed to the Mules in their earlier productions. Dr. Jortin adds to the number of those who confirm the obfervation. In his Lufus Poetici, one of the first of his works, are united claffical language, beautiful fentiment, and harmonious verfe. Among the modern Latin poets, there are few who do not yield to Dr. Jortin. His Sapphics, on the ftory of Bacchus and Ariadne, are easy, elegant, and poetical. The little Ode, in which the calm life of the philofopher is compared to the gentle ftream gliding through a filent grove, is highly pleafing to the mind, and is perfectly elegant