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and Advice to the Poets how to celebrate the Duke of Marlborough; but on occafion of another year of fuccefs, thinking himself. lified 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 fpecies of writers that gave Advice to Painters.

Not long after (1712) he published Greation, a philofophical Poem, which has been, by my recommendation, inferted in the late collection. Whoever judges of this by any other of Blackmore's performances, will do it injury. The praise 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 strength of its reasoning."

Why

Why an author furpaffes himself, it is naturál to enquire. I have heard from Mr. Draper, an eminent bookseller, 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 ftand 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 revifion, the author will still retain an ample dividend of praise; for to him must always be affigned the plan of the work, the diftribution of its parts, the choice of topicks, the train of argument, and, what is yet more, the general predominance of philofophical 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 chaG 2 racter

racter must always remain; the original conftitution can be very little helped by local re'medies; 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 tranfcendent 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 condescended to entertain his readers with plain profe. When the Spectator ftopped, he considered 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 supposition that fome literary men, whofe characters are defcribed, had retired to a house in the country to enjoy philofophical leifure, and refolved to inftruct 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; fuch 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 first I fhall name is Mr. Johnfon, 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, “ juft and delicate; his judgement clear, and "his reafon ftrong, accompanied with an imagination full of spirit, of great compaís, "and ftored with refined ideas. He is a "critic of the first rank; and, what is his "peculiar ornament, he is delivered from the " oftentation, malevolence, and fupercilious temper, that fo often blemish men of that "character. His remarks refult from the 66 nature and reason of things, and are formed "by a judgement free, and unbiaffed by the "authority of those who have lazily followed 46 each other in the fame beaten track of thinking, and are arrived only at the reputation of acute grammarians and commentators; men, who have been copying one another

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many hundred years, without any improve

ment; 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 discovered nothing but their own want of judgement and

66

capacity. As Mr. Johnson penetrates to "the bottom of his fubject, by which means' "his obfervations are folid and natural, las "well as delicate, for his defign is always to "bring to light fomething useful and orna~ "mental; whence his character is the reverse "to theirs, who have eminent abilities in in"fignificant knowledge, and a great felicity in "finding out trifles. He is no lefs induftri "ous to fearch out the merit of an author, ¿ than fagacious in difcerning his errors and "defects; and takes more pleasure in com→

mending the beauties than exposing the «blemishes of a laudable writing like Ho

t

race, in a long work, he can bear fome de"formities, and juftly lay them on the im"perfection of human nature, which is inca"pable of faultlefs 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

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"does