Bellula femihominum vix pæne elementa scientum
Primula gens horum est, premitur quibus Anglia, quantum
Imperfecta scatent ripis animalcula Nili,
Futile, abortivum genus,
&
prope Usque adeo æquivoca est, e quâ generantur, origo. 50 Hos centum nequeunt linguæ numerare, nec una Unius ex ipfis, quæ centum fola fatiget.
At tu qui famam fimul exigis atque redonas Pro meritis, criticique affectas nobile nomen. Metitor te ipsum, prudensque expendito quæ fit 55 Judicii, ingenii tibi, doctrinæque facultas; Si qua profunda nimis cauto vitentor, & ifta Linea, quâ coeunt ftupor ingeniumque, notator. Qui finem impofuit rebus Deus omnibus aptum, Humani vanurn ingenii restrinxit acumen.
60 Qualis ubi oceani vis noftra irrumpit in arva Tunc desolatas alibi denudat arenas; Sic animæ reminiscendi dum copia restat, Consilii gravioris abest plerumque potestas ; Ast ubi Phantasiæ fulgent radiantia tela, Mnemosyne teneris cum formis victa liquescit. Ingenio tantum Musa uni fufficit una, Tanta ars eft, tantilla fcientia nostra videtur: Non solum ad certas artes aftricta sequendas, Sæpe has non nisi quâdam in fimplice parte sequatur. 70 Deperdas partos utcunque labore triumphos, Dum plures, regum instar, aves acquirere laurus ;
Sed
Each might his several province well command,
Would all but stoop to what they understand.
First follow Nature, and your judgment frame
By her just standard, which is still the same.
Unerring Nature, still divinely bright,
One clear, unchang'd, and universal light,
Life, force, and beauty must to all impart,
At once the source, and end, and test of art.
Art from that fund each just supply provides,
Works without show, and without pomp presides:
In some fair body thus th' informing soul
With spirits feeds, with vigour fills the whole,
Each motion guides, and ev'ry nerve fustains
Itself unseen, but in th' effect, remains.
There are whom heav'n has blest with store of wit,
Yet want as much again to manage it;
For wit and judgment ever are at strife,
Tho' meant each other's aid, like man and wife.
'Tis more to guide, than spur, the Muse's steed;
Restrain his fury, than provoke his speed ;
The winged courser, like a gen'rous horse,
Shows most true Mettle when you check his course.
Those rules of old discover'd, not devis’d, Are Nature still, but Nature methodiz’d:
Sed, fua tractatu facilis provincia cuique eft,
Si non, quæ pulchre sciat, ut vulgaria, temnat.
Naturam sequere imprimis, atque illius æquâ
Judicium ex normâ fingas, quæ nescia flecti :
Illa etenim, fine labe micans, ab origine divâ,
Clarâ, constanti, lustrantique omnia luce,
Vitamque, fpeciemque, & vires omnibus addat,
Et fons, & finis fimul, atque criterion artis.
Quærit opes ex hoc thesauro ars, & sine pompa
Præsidet, & nullas turbas facit inter agendum.
Talis vivida vis formoso in corpore mentis,
Lætitiam toti inspirans & robora maffæ,
Ordinat & motus, & nervos sustinet omnes,
Inter
opus varium tamen ipfa abscondita fallit.
Sæpe is, cui magnum ingenium Deus addidit, idem
Indigus est majoris, ut hoc benè calleat uti ;
Ingenium nam judicio velut uxor habendum est
Atque viro, cui fas ut pareat, usque repugnat.
Mufæ quadrupedem labor est inhibere capistro,
Præcipites regere, at non irritare volatus.
Pegasos, inftar equi generosi, grandior ardet
Cum sentit retinacula, nobiliorque tuetur.
Regula quæque vetus tantum observata peritis
Non inventa fuit criticis, debetque profectò
Naturæ ascribi, fed enim
quam
lima polivit ;
Nature, like monarchy, is but restrain'd
By the same laws, which first herself ordain'd.
Hear how learn'd Greece her useful rules indites,
When to suppress, and when indulge our Aights !
High on Parnassus' top her fons she show'd,
And pointed out those arduous paths they trod,
Held from afar, aloft, th' immortal prize,
And urg'd the rest by equal steps to rise.
Just + precepts thus from great examples giv’n,
She drew from them what they deriv'd from heav'n.
The generous critic fann'd the poet's fire,
And taught the world with reason to admire.
Then Criticism the Muse's handmaid prov'd,
To dress her charms, and make her more belov'd :
But following wits from that intention stray'd :
Who could not win the mistress woo'd the maid :
Against the poets their own arms they turn'd,
Sure to hate most the men from whom they learn'd.
So modern ’pothecaries taught the art,
By doctor's bills to play the doctor's part,
Bold in the practice of mistaken rules,
Prescribe, apply, and call their masters fools.
Some on the leaves of ancient authors prey,
Nor time, nor moths e’er spoild so much as they.
+ Nec enim artibus editis factum est ut argumenta inveniremus, sed dicta funt omnia antequam preciperentur, mox ea scriptores observata & collecta ediderunt,
QUINTIL. 3
Some
Nullas naturæ divina monarchia leges,
Exceptis folum quas fanxerit ipfa, veretur.
Qualibus, audistin' resonat celeberrima normis
Græcia, seu doctum premit, indulgetve furorem?
Illa suos fiftit Parnassi in vertice natos,
Et, quibus ascendêre docet, salebrosa viarum,
Sublimique manu dona immortalia monftrat,
Atque æquis reliquos procedere passibus urget. 105
Sic magnis doctrinâ ex exemplaribus haustâ,
Sumit ab hisce, quod hæc duxerunt ab Jove summo.
Ingenuus judex musarum ventilat ignes,
Et
fretus ratione docet præcepta placendi.
Ars critica officiosa Camænæ servit, & ornat
Egregias veneres, pluresque irretit amantes.
Nunc vero docti longè diversa fequentes,
Contempti dominæ, vilem petiêre ministram ;
Propriaque in miseros verterunt tela poetas,
Discipulique suos pro more odêre magistros.
II5
Haud aliter fanè nostrates pharmacopolæ
Ex medicûm crevit quibus ars plagiaria chartis,
Audaces errorum adhibent sine mente medelas,
Et veræ Hippocratis jactant convicia proli.
Hi veterum authorum scriptis vescuntur, & ipfos
Vermiculos, & tempus edax vicêre vorando.
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