a ftrefs on Ariftotle in this point; he alas! knows "nothing of Poetry but what he has read in HOMER; "his rules are all extracted from him, or founded in "him. In short, HOMER'S works are the examples of "Ariftotle's precepts; and Ariftotle's precepts the " methods HOMER wrought by." From hence it is to be concluded as the opinion of this Critic, that whoever wou'd entirely destroy the reputation of HOMER, must renounce the authority of Aristotle before-hand. The rules of building may be of fervice to us, if we defign to judge of an edifice, and discover what may be amifs in it for the advantage of future artificers; but they are of no use to those who only intend to overthrow it utterly.

After the word [SONG,] in the first line the original adds, [WHAT I HAVE WEITTEN IN MY TABLETS.] These words, which are dropp'd in the tranflation as of no confequence, the great ZoILUS has thought fit to expunge; afferting for a reafon, without backing it with further proof, "That tablets were ff not of fo early invention." Now, it must be granted, this manner of proving by affirmation is of an extraordinary nature; but however it has its end with a fet of readers for whom it is adapted. One part of the world knows not with what affurance another part can express itself. They imagine a reasonable creature will not have the face to fay any thing which has not fome fhadow of reafon to fupport it; and run impli

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citly into the fnare which is laid for good nature, by thefe daring authors of definitive fentences upon bare affertion.

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Pag. 43. Ver. 15. WHOM CATS PURSU’D.] The Greek word here exprefly fignifiés a cat: ZOILUS, whom Perizonius follows, affirms "It was Weezels "which the Moufe fled from; " and then objects against its probability. But it is common with one fort of Critics, to fhew an author means differently from what he really did; and then to prove, that the meaning which they find out for him is good for nothing.

Pag. 44. Ver. 7. IF WORTHY FRIENDSHIP.] In this propofal begins the moral of the whole piece, which is, that hafty, ill-founded, or unnatural friendfhips and leagues, will naturally end in war and dif cord. But ZorLUS, who is here mightily concern'd to take off from HOMER all the honour of having defign'd a moral, afferts on the other hand, That the poet's "whole intent was to make a Fable; that a Fable he "has made, and one very idle and trifling; that many 66 things are afcrib'd to HOMER, which poor HOMER, "never dream'd of; and he who finds them out, ra "ther fhews his own parts than difcovers his author's "beauties." In this opinion he hath been follow'd by feveral of thofe Critics, who only dip into authors when they have occafion to write against them: and yet even thefe fhall fpeak differently concerning the writers, if the queftion be of their own performances;,

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for to their own works they write Prefaces, to dif39rder play the grandness of the moral, regularity of the scheme, nnmber and brightness of the figures, and a thousand other excellencies, which if they did not tell, no wou'd ever imagine. For others, they write Remarks, which tend to contract their excellencies within the narrow compafs of their partial apprehenfion. It were well if they cou'd allow fuch to be as wife as themselves, whom the world allows to be much wifer; but their being naturally friends. to themselves, and profeffedly adverfaries to fome greater genius, eafily accounts for thefe different manners of fpeaking. I will not leave this note, without giving you an instance of its practice in the great JuLIUS SCALIGER: he has been free enough with HoMER in the Remarks he makes upon him; but when he speaks of himself, I defire my reader wou'd take notice of his modefty; I give his own words, Lib. 3. Poet. Cap. 112. "In Deum Patrem Hymnum cum

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fcriberemus, tanquam rerum omnium conditorem, ab "orbis ipfius creatione ad nos noftraque ufque duxi-» 66 mus. -In quo abduximus animum noftrum a cor-> poris carcere ad liberos campos contemplationis, quae me in illum transformaret. Tum autem fanctiffimi Spiritus ineffabilis vigor ille tanto ardore celebratus eft, ut cum leniffimis numeris effet inchoa tus Hymnus, repentino divini Ignis impetu confla"gravit."

Pag. 45. Ver. 7. THE CIRCLED LOAVES.]" LUS here finds fault with the mention of loaves, "tripes, bacon and cheese, as words below the dig "nity of the EPIC, as much (fays he) as it wou'd be "to have opprobrious names given in it." By which expreffion we easily fee, he hints at the firft book of the ILIAD. Now, we mult confider in answer, that it is a Moufe which is fpoken of, that eating is the most appearing characteristic of that creature, that thefe foods are fuch as please it most; and to have der fcrib'd particular pleafures for it in any other way, wou'd have been as incongruous, as to have defcrib'd a haughty loud anger without those names which it throws out in its fiercenefs, and which raife it to its pitch of phrenzy. In the one inftance you ftill fee a Moufe before you, however the Poet raises it to a man; in the other, you fhall fee a man before you; however, the Poet raises him to a Demi-God. But fome call that Low, which others call NATURAL. Every thing has two handles, and the critic who fets himself to cenfure all he meets, is under an obligation still to lay hold on the worst of them.

Pag. 46. Ver. 1. BUT ME, NOR STALKS.] In this place ZOILUS laughs at the ridiculousness of the "Poet, who (according to his representation) makes " a prince refuse an invitation in heroics, because he "did not like the meat he was invited to." And, that the ridicule may appear in as ftrong a light to others

as to himfelf, he puts as much of the fpeech as concerns it into burlesque airs and expreffions. This is indeed a common trick with Remarkers. which they either practife by precedent from their mafter ZoLUS, or are beholden for it to the fame turn of temper. We acknowledge it a fine piece of fatire, when there is folly in a paffage, to lay it open in the way by which it naturally requires to be expos'd: do this handfomely, and the author is deservedly a jeft. If, on the contrary, you drefs a paffage which was not originally foolish, in the highest humour of ridicule, you only frame fomething which the author humfelf might laugh at, without being more nearly concerned than another reader.

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Page 47. Ver. 1. SO PASS'D EUROPA.] This fie mile makes ZoILUS, who fets up for a profess'd enemy of Fables, to exclaim violently." We had, says he, a

Frog and a Mouse hitherto, and now we get a Bull "and a Princess to illustrate their actions: when will "there be an end of this Fabling-folly and Poetry,

which I value myfelf for being unacquainted with? "O great POLYCRATES, how happily haft thou ob"ferv'd in thy accufation against SOCRATES, That "Whatever he was before, he deferv'd his poison when "he began to make verfes!" Now, if the question be concerning HOMER's good or bad Poetry, this is an unqualifying speech, which affords his friends juft grounds of exception against the Critic, Wherefore,

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