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CHA P. III.

The Neceffity of the Bathos phyfically confidered.

FArthermore, it were great cruelty and injustice, if all fuch Authors as cannot write in the other way, were prohibited from writing at all. Againft this I draw an argument from what seems to me an undoubted phyfical Maxim, That Poetry is a natural or morbid fecretion from the Brain. As I would not suddenly stop a cold in the head, or dry up my neighbours Iffue, I would as little hinder him from neceffary writing. It may be af÷ firmed with great truth, that there is hardly any human creature paft childhood, but at one time or other has had fome Poetical Evacuation, and, no question, was much the better for it in his health; fo true is the saying Nafcimur Poeta. Therefore is the Defire of Writing properly termed Pruritus, the "Titillation of the generative fa"culty of the Brain," and the Perfon is faid to conceive; now fuch as conceive muft bring forth. I have known a man thoughtful, melancholy, and raving for divers days, who forthwith grew wonderfully eafy, lightsome, and chearful, upon a discharge of the peccant humour, in exceeding purulent Metre. Nor can I question, but abundance of untimely deaths are occafioned for want of this laudable vent of unruly paffions: yea, perhaps, in poor wretches, (which is very lamentable) for mere want of pen, ink, and paper! From hence it follows, that a fuppreffion of the very worst Poetry is of dangerous confe quence to the State. We find by experience, that the fame humours which vent themfelves in fummer in Ballads and Sonnets, are condenfed by the winter's cold into Pamphlets and Speeches for and against the Ministry : nay, I know not but many times a piece of Poetry may be the moft innocent compofition of a minifter himself.

It is therefore manifeft that Mediocrity ought to be allowed, yea indulged, to the good Subjects of England. Nor

Nor can I conceive how the world has swallowed the contrary as a Maxim, upon the fingle authority of * Horace? Why should the golden Mean, and quinteffence of all Virtues, be deemed so offensive in this Art? or Coolness or Mediocrity be so amiable a quality in a Man, and fo deteftable in a Poet?

However, far be it from me to compare these Writers with those great Spirits, who are born with a Vivacité de pefanteur, or (as an English Author calls it) an "Ala"crity of finking," and who by strength of Nature alone can excel. All I mean is to evince the Neceffity of Rules to these leffer Geniuses, as well as the Usefulness of them to the greater.

CHAP. IV.

That there is an Art of the Bathos, or Profound.

WE come now to prove, that there is an Art of Sinking in Poetry. Is there not an Architecture of Vaults and Cellars, as well as of lofty Domes and Pyramids? Is there not as much skill and labour in making Dikes, as in raifing Mounts? Is there not an Art of Diving as well as of Flying? And will any fober practitioner affirm, that a diving Engine is not of fingular use in making him long winded, affifting his fight, and furnishing him with other ingenious means of keeping under water?

If we fearch the Authors of Antiquity, we shall find as few to have been distinguished in the true Profound, às in the true Sublime. And the very fame thing (as it appears from Longinus) had been imagined of that, as now of this, namely that it was entirely the Gift of Nature, I grant that to excel in the Bathos, a genius is requifite;

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yet the Rules of Art must be allowed so far ufeful, as to add weight, or, as I may fay, hang on lead, to facilitate, and enforce our defcent, to guide us to the most advantageous declivities, and habituate our imagination to a depth of thinking. Many there are that can fall, but few can arrive at the felicity of falling gracefully; much more for a man who is amongst the loweft of the Creation, at the very bottom of the Atmosphere; to descend beneath himself, is not so easy a task, unless he calls in Art to his affiftance. It is with the Bathos as: with small Beer, which is indeed vapid and infipid, if left at large, and let abroad; but being by our Rules confined and well ftopt, nothing grows fo frothy, pert, and bouncing.

The Sublime of Nature is the Sky, the Sun, Moon, Stars, etc. The Profound of Nature is Gold, Pearls, precious Stones, and the Treasures of the Deep, which are ineftimable as unknown. But all that lies between thefe, as Corn, Flowers, Fruits, Animals, and things for the mere use of Man, are of mean price, and fo common as not to be greatly esteemed by the curious. It being certain that any thing, of which we know the true ufe, cannot be invaluable: Which affords a folution, why Common Sense hath either been totally despised, or held in small repute, by the greatest modern Criticks and Authors.

CHAP. V.

Of the true Genius for the Profound, and by what it is constituted.

AN

ND I will venture to lay it down, as the first Maxim and Corner-Stone of this our Art; that whoever would excel therein, muft ftudioufly avoid, deteft, and turn his head from all the ideas, ways, and workings of

that

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that peftilent Foe to Wit, and Destroyer of fine Figures, which is known by the name of Common Senfe. His bufinefs must be to contract the true Gout de travers; and to acquire a most happy, uncommon, unaccountable Way of Thinking.

He is to confider himself as a Grotefque painter, whofe works would be spoiled by an imitation of nature, or uniformity of defign. He is to mingle bits of the most various, or difcordant kinds, landscape, history, portraits, animals, and connect them with a great deal of flourishing, by heads or tails, as it shall please his imagination, and contribute to his principal end, which is to glare by ftrong oppofitions of colours, and surprise by contrariety of images.

Serpentes avibus geminenter, tigribus agni. HoR.

His defign ought to be like a labyrinth, out of which nobody can get clear but himself. And fince the great Art of all poetry is to mix Truth with Fiction, in order to join the Credible with the Surprizing; our author shall produce the Credible, by painting nature in her lowest fimplicity; and the Surprizing, by contradicting common opinion. In the very Manners he will affect the Marvellous; he will draw Achilles with the patience of Job; a Prince talking like a Jack-pudding; a maid of honour felling bargains; a footman fpeaking like a philofopher; and a fine gentleman like a scholar. Whoever is converfant in modern Plays, may make a moft noble collection of this kind, and, at the fame time, form a complete body of modern Ethicks and Morality.

Nothing feemed more plain to our great authors, than that the world had long been weary of natural things. How much the contrary are formed to please, is evident from the universal applaufe daily given to the admirable entertainments of Harlequins and Magicians on our ftage. When an audience behold a coach turned into a wheel-barrow, a conjurer into, an

old

old woman, or a man's head where his heels fhould be; how are they ftruck with transport and delight? which can only be imputed to this caufe, that each object is changed into that which hath been fuggefted to them by their own low ideas before.

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He ought therefore to render himself master of this happy and anti-natural way of thinking to fuch a degree, as to be able, on the appearance of any object, to furnish his imagination with ideas infinitely below it. And his eyes fhould be like unto the wrong end of a perspective glafs, by which all the objects of nature are leffened.

For example; when a true genius looks upon the sky, he immediately catches the idea of a piece of blue luteftring, or a child's mantle.

The fkies, whofe fpreading volumes fcarce have room, "Spun thin, and wove in nature's finest loom, "The new-born world in their foft lap embrac❜d, "And all around their starry mantle caft."

If he looks upon a Tempeft, he shall have an image of a tumbled bed, and describe a fucceeding calm in this

manner:

+ "The Ocean joy'd to fee the tempeft fled,

"New lays his waves, and smooths his ruffled bed."

The Triumphs and Acclamations of the Angels, at the Creation of the Universe, prefent to his imagination "the Rejoicings of the Lord Mayor's Day;" and he beholds thofe glorious beings celebrating the Creator, by huzzaing, making illuminations, and flinging fquibs, crackers, and fky-rockets.

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N. B. In order to do Justice to thefe great Poets, our Citations are taken from the best, the last, and moft correct Editions of their Works. That which we use of Prince Arthur, is in Duodecimo, 1714. The fourth Edition revised.

VOL. III.

Τ

* "Glori

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