fion, instead of the Proportion and Harmony of the whole, Ver. 97. and the fecond, either in joining together Parts incoherent, or too minutely resembling, or in the Repetition of the fame too frequently, Ver. 105, &c. A word or two of falfe Tafie in Books, in Mufic, in Painting, even in Preaching and Prayer, and lastly in Entertainments, Ver. 133, &c. Yet PROVIDENCE is juftified in giving Wealth to be fquandered in this manner, fince it is difperfed to the Poor and laborious part of mankind, Ver. 169. [recurring to what is laid down in the first book, Ep. ii. and in the Epiftle preceding this, Ver. 159, &c.] What are the proper Objects of Magnificence, and a proper field for the Expence of Great Men, Ver. 177, &c. and finally the Great and Public Works which become a Prince, Ver. 191, to the end.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS,

N. Blakey inv.et del.

Ravenet Sculp

What brought S." listo's ill-got Wealth to waste?
Some Demon whisperd,
Nisto! have a Taste?.

:on Taste.

EPISTLE IV.

'TIS

IS ftrange, the Mifer fhould his Cares.
employ

To gain those Riches he can ne'er enjoy :
Is it lefs ftrange, the Prodigal fhould waste
His wealth, to purchase what he ne'er can taste?

COMMENTARY.

EPISTLE IV.] The extremes of Avarice and Profufion being treated of in the foregoing Epiftle; this takes up one particular branch of the latter, the Vanity of Expence in people of wealth and condition; and is therefore a corollary to the preceding, juft as the Epiftle on the Characters of Women is to that of the Knowledge and Characters of Men. It is equally eftimable for exactness of method with the reft. But the nature of the subject, which is lefs philofophical, makes it capable of being analyfed in a lefs compafs.

VER. I. 'Tis firange, &c.] The Poet's introduction (from Ver. 1 to 39.) confifts of a very curious remark, arifing from his intimate knowledge of nature; together with an illustration of that remark, taken from his obfervations on life. It is this, that the Prodigal no more enjoys his profufion, than the Mifer his rapacity. It was generally thought that Avarice only kept, without enjoyment; but the Poet here first acquaints us with a circumstance in human life much more to be lamented, viz. that Profufion too can communicate, without it; whereas Enjoyment was thought to be as peculiarly the reward of the beneficent paffions (of which this has the appearance) as want of enjoyment was the punishment of the selfish. The phænomenon obferved is odd enough. But if we look more narrowly into this matter, we shall find, that Prodigality, when in pursuit of Tafte, is only a mode of vanity, and

Not for himself he fees, or hears, or eats;

5

Artists much chufe his Pictures, Mufic, Meats: He buys for Topham, Drawings and Designs, For Pembroke, Statues, dirty Gods, and Coins;

COMMENTARY.

Confequently as felfish a paffion as even Avarice itfelf; and it is of the ordonnance and conftitution of all selfish paffions, when growing to an excefs, to defeat their own end, which is Selfenjoyment. But befides the accurate philofophy of this obfervation, there is a fine morality contained in it; namely, that ill-got Wealth is not only as unreasonably, but as uncomfortably, fquandered, as it was raked together; which the Poet hims felf further infinuates in Ver. 15.

"What brought Sir Vifto's ill-got wealth to waste ?”

He then illuftrates the above obfervation by divers exam. ples in every branch of wrong Tafte; and to fet their abfurdities in the strongest light, he, in conclufion, contrasts them with feveral inftances of the true, in the Nobleman to whom the Epiftle is addreffed. This difpofition is productive of various beauties; for, by this means, the introduction becomes an epitome of the body of the Epiftle; which, as we shall see, contifts of general reflections on Tafte, and particular examples of bad and good. And his friend's example concluding the introduction, leads the Poet gracefully into the subject itfelf; for the Lord, here celebrated for his good Tafte, was now at hand to deliver the firft and fundamental precept of it himself, which gives authority and dignity to all that follow,

NOTES.

VER. 7. Topham] A Gentleman famous for a judicious collection of Drawings. P.

VER. 8. For Pembroke, Statues, dirty Gods, and Coins] The Author fpeaks here not as a philofopher, or divine, but as a Connoiffeur and Antiquary only; confequently, the dirty