and Advice to the Poets how to celebrate the Duke of Marlborough; but on occafion of another year of fuccefs, thinking himself qualified to give more inftruction, he again wrote a poem of Advice to a Weaver of Tapestry. Steele was then publishing the Tatler; and looking round him for fomething at which he might laugh, unluckily lighted on Sir Richard's work, and treated it with fuch contempt, that, as Fenton obferves, he put an end to the species of writers that gave Advice to Painters.

Not long after (1712) he published Creation, a philofophical Poem, which has been, by my recommendation, inserted in the late collection. Whoever judges of this by any other of Blackmore's performances, will do it injury. The praife given it by Addison (Spec. 339) is too well known to be tranfcribed; but fome notice is due to the teftimony of Dennis, who calls it a philofo"phical Poem, which has equalled that of "Lucretius in the beauty of its versification, "and infinitely furpaffed it in the folidity "and ftrength of its reafoning."

Why

Why an author furpaffes himself, it is natural to enquire. I have heard from Mr. Draper, an eminent bookfeller, an account received by him from Ambrofe Philips, "That "Blackmore, as he proceeded in this poem, "laid his manuscript from time to time be"fore a club of wits with whom he affociated; "and that every man contributed, as he "could, either improvement or correction; "fo that," faid Philips," there are perhaps "no where in the book thirty lines together, "that now stand as they were originally "written."

The relation of Philips, I fuppofe, was true; but when all reasonable, all credible allowance is made for this friendly revision, the author will still retain an ample dividend of praise; for to him must always be affigned the plan of the work, the distribution of its parts, the choice of topicks, the train of argument, and, what is yet more, the general predominance of philosophical judgement and poetical spirit. Correction feldom effects more than the fuppreffion of faults: a happy line, or a fingle elegance, may perhaps be added; but of a large work the general character

G 2

racter must always remain; the original conftitution can be very little helped by local remedies; inherent and radical dullnefs will never be much invigorated by extrinfic animation.

This poem, if he had written nothing else, would have tranfmitted him to pofterity among the first favourites of the English Muse; but to make verses was his transcendent pleafure, and as he was not deterred by cenfure, he was not fatiated with praise.

He deviated, however, fometimes into other tracks of literature, and condefcended to entertain his readers with plain profe. When the Spectator stopped, he confidered the polite world as deftitute of entertainment; and in concert with Mr. Hughes, who wrote every third paper, published three times a week the Lay Monaftery, founded on the fuppofition that fome literary men, whofe characters are described, had retired to a house in the coun→ try to enjoy philofophical leifure, and refolved to instruct the public, by communicating their difquifitions and amusements. Whether any real perfons were concealed under fictitious

names,

names,

is not known. The hero of the club is one Mr. Johnson; such a conftellation of excellence, that his character fhall not be fuppreffed, though there is no great genius in the defign, nor skill in the delineation,

"The firft I fhall name is Mr. Johnson, a "gentleman that owes to Nature excellent "faculties and an elevated genius, and to in

duftry and application many acquired accomplishments. His tafte is diftinguishing, "just and delicate; his judgement clear, and "his reafon ftrong, accompanied with an

imagination full of spirit, of great compass, "and ftored with refined ideas. He is a "critic of the firft rank; and, what is his "peculiar ornament, he is delivered from the "oftentation, malevolence, and fupercilious

temper, that so often blemish men of that "character. His remarks refult from the " nature and reason of things, and are formed by a judgement free, and unbiaffed by the authority of those who have lazily followed "each other in the fame beaten track of think

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ing, and are arrived only at the reputation of acute grammarians and commentators; แ men, who have been copying one another

ແ many hundred

..

years, without any improvement; or, if they have ventured farther, "have only applied in a mechanical manner "the rules of antient critics to modern writ"ings, and with great labour difcovered no

thing but their own want of judgement and "capacity. As Mr. Johnson penetrates to "the bottom of his fubject, by which means "his obfervations are folid and natural, as "well as delicate, fo his defign is always to "bring to light fomething useful and orna"mental; whence his character is the reverse ແ to theirs, who have eminent abilities in in"fignificant knowledge, and a great felicity in "finding out trifles. He is no lefs induftri

66

ous to fearch out the merit of an author, "than fagacious in difcerning his errors and "defects; and takes more pleafure in com"mending the beauties than expofing the "blemishes of a laudable writing: like Ho

'

race, in a long work, he can bear fome de

formities, and juftly lay them on the im

perfection of human nature, which is incapable of faultless productions. When an "excellent Drama appears in public, and by "its intrinfic worth attracts a general applause, "he is not ftung with envy and fpleen; nor

“ does