Vana locum, curto modulo æftimat omnia censor,
Atque modo perversus in artibus errat eodem,
Moribus ac multi, dum parte laborat in unâ.

30.5

Sunt, qui nil sapiant, salibus nisi quæque redundet
Pagina, perpetuoque nitet distincta lepore,
Nil aptum soliti juftumve requirere, latè
Si micet ingenii chaos, indiscretaque moles.

310
Nudas naturæ veneres, vivumque decorem
Fingere, qui nequeunt, quorundam exempla fecuti
Pictorum, haud gemmis parcunt, haud sumptibus auri,
Ut sese abscondat rutilis inscitia velis.
Vis veri ingenii, natura est cultior, id quod

315 Senserunt multi, fed jam fcite exprimit unus, Quod primo pulchrum intuitu, re&tumque videtur Et mentis menti fimulachra repercutit ipfi. Haud secus ac lucem commendant suavitur umbræ, Ingenio fic fimplicitas superaddit honorem:

320 Nam fieri possit musa ingeniosior æquo, Et pereant

tumidæ nimio tibi fanguine venæ.

Nonnulli vero verborum in cortice ludunt,
Ornatusque libri solos muliebriter ardent.
Egregium ecce! ftylum clamant! sed semper ocellis
Prætereunt malé, fi quid inest rationis, inundis.

325

315

2

320

Words are like leaves, and where they most abound,
Much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found.
False eloquence, like the prismatic glass,
Its gaudy colours spreads on ev'ry place;
The face of nature we no more survey,
All glares alike, without distinction gays
But true expression, like th' unchanging sun;
Clears and improves whate'er it shines upon,
It gilds all objects but it alters none.
Expression is the dress of thought, and still
Appears more decent, as more suitable;
A vile conceit in pompous words express’d,
Is like a clown in regal purple dress’d;
For diff'rent styles with diff'rent subjects fort,
As sev’ral garbs, with country, town, and court.
Some * by old words to fame have made pretence,
Ancients in phrase, meer moderns in their sense!
Such labour'd nothings in so strange a style,
Amaze the unlearn'd, and make the learned smile.
Unlucky, as Fungoso in the + play;
These sparks with aukward vanity display
What the fine gentleman wore yesterday.

3.2.5

330.

* Abolita et abrogata retinere, insolentiæ cujusdam est, et frivolæ in parvis jactantiæ.

Quintil. lib. 1. cap. 6. Opus est ut verba a vetuftate repetita neque creba sint, neque manifesta ; quia nil eft odiosus affectatione, nec utique ab ultimis repetita temporibus. Oratio, cujus summa virtus eft perspicuitas ; quam sit vitiofa, si egeat interprete? Ergo ut novorum optima erunt maxime vetera, ita veterum maxime

Ibidem. + Ben Johnson's Every Man in his humour.

And

nova.

Verba, velut frondes, nimio cum tegmine opacant
Ramos, torpescunt mentis sine germine. Prava
Rhetorice, vitri latè radiantis ad instar
Prismatici, rutilos diffundit ubique colores;

330
Non tibi naturæ licet amplius ora tueri,
At malè discretis scintillant omnia flammis :
Sed contra veluti jubar immutabile folis,
Quicquid contrectat facundia, luftrat et auget,
Nil variat, sed cuncta oculo fplendoris inaurat.

335 Elòquium mentis nostræ quafi vestis habenda est, Quæ fi fit fatis apta, decentior inde videtur Scommata magnificis ornata procacia verbis. Indutos referunt regalia fyrmata faunos; Diverfis etenim diversa vocabula rebus.

340 Appirgi fas est, aulæ velut aulica vestis, Alteraque agricolis, atque altera congruit urbi. Quidam scriptores, antiquis vocibus usi, Gloriolam affectant, veterum æmula turba sonorum, Si mentem spectes juvenentur more recentûm. 345 Tantula nugamenta ftyloque operosa vetusto, Docti derident soli placitura popello. Hi nihilo magè felices quam comicus iste Fungoso, oftentant absurdo pepla tumore, Qualia nescio quis gestavit nobilis olim;

350

Atque

335

And but so mimic ancient wits at best,
As apes oựr grandfires in their doublets drest.
In words, as fashions, the same rule will hold;
Alike fantastic, if too new, or old;
Be not the first by whom the new are try'd,
Nor yet the last to lay the old aside.

* But most by numbers judge a poet's song,

340 And smoth, or rough, with them, is right or wrong; In the bright muse tho' thousand charms conspire, Her voice is all these tuneful fools admire; Who haunt Parnassus but to please the ear, Not mend their minds, as some to church repair, 345 Not for the doctrine, but the music there. These equal fyllables alone require, Tho't oft the ear the open vowels tire; While expletives their feeble aid do join, And ten low words oft creep in one dull line; 350 While they ring round the same unvary'd chimes, With sure returns of Aill-expected rhymes. Where'er you find, the cooling western breeze, In the next line, it whispers thro' the trees,

Quis populi fermo est? quis enim ? nisi carmine molli
Nunc demum numero fluere ut per læve severos
Effugit junctura ungues; scit tendere versum,
Nec fecus ac si oculo rubricam dirigat uno.

PERSIUS. Stat. I. + Fugiemus crebras vocaliuin concursiones, quæ vastam atque hiantem orationem reddunt.

Cic. ad Herenn. lib. 4.

If

Atque modo veteres doctos imitantur eodem,
Ac hominem veteri in tunicâ dum fimia ludit.
Verba, velut mores, a justis legibus errant,
Si nimium antiquæ fuerint, nimiumve novatæ;
Tu cave ne ten:es insueta vocabula primus,
Nec vetera abjicias poftremus nomina rerum.

355

Lævis an afper eat versus plerique requirunt Censores, folosque fonos damnantve probantve; Mille licet veneres formofam Pierin ornent, Stultitiâ vox argutâ celabrabitur una:

360 Qui juga Parnasli non ut mala corda repurgent; Auribus ut placeant, visunt: fic fæpe profanos Impulit ad refonum pietas aurita facellum. His folum criticis semper par fyllaba cordi est, Vastà etsi ufque omnis pateat vocalis hiatu;

365 Expletivaque fæpe suas quoque fuppetias dent, Acversum unum oneret levium heu! decas en! pigra vocum; Dum non mutato resonant malé cymbala planctu, Atque augur miser ufque fcio, quid deinde fequatur. Quacunque aspirat clementior aura Favoní,

370 •Mox (nullus dubito) graciles vibrantur arisiæ

Rivulus