mentators. We have had fome Attempts made at Criticism in the Spectators, Guardians, &c. but they have proceeded no farther than Words, and the fubfervient Parts to Poetry, but never durft advance to the Dif pofition of the Parts, and an Economy of an entire Poem, except in the excellent Examination of Milton, which is every where directed by the Rules of Ariftotle, and the receiv'd Critics.

As it is the laft Perfection in Painting, rightly to order and difpofe of things, fo it is in Poetry. This Order and Difpofition must be observ'd as well in a Picture of one Figure, as in one of many. The Nature of Man, fays Xenophon, can name nothing fo fair and useful as Order; a confus'd Piece of Work can never deserve Admiration. Those things only affect us, in which every Part is not only perfect in it felf, but also well difpofed by a natural Connection. Nature it self seems to be upheld by Order, and so are all things elfe which are fubject to the fame Caufe. The Sun, Moon, and Stars have gone their eternal Rounds by Rule, and in Order; and yet certainly they must be allow'd to be beautiful, and more charming than they could have been without it.

I confefs (reply'd Tyro) I have not yet thought enough of this Matter to eftablish our Rules. But I can't perfwade my felf but that is a Work to be effe ted by Pains and Leifure.

Since then, Sir, (faid I) you are not furnish'd with a new Syftem, give me Leave to urge from the admirable Dacier his Reafons why that of Ariftotle is to be admitted; and if you have any Objections to make upon hearing that, I do not doubt but I fhall be able to give you a fatisfactory Anfwer.

As the Injustice of Men gave Occafion for the ma king of Laws; fo the Decay of Arts, and the Faults committed in them, brought in a Neceffity of making of Rules, and of reviving them. But to prevent the Objections of fome who difdain to be confin'd to any Rules, but thofe of their own Fancy, it feems to me

very

very neceffary to prove, not only, that Poetry is an Art, but that this Art is known, and its Rules be certainly thofe of Ariftotle, that it is impoffible to fucceed in this Art by any other Ways. Having prov'd this Point, I fhall examine the two Confequences which naturally follow. Firft, that the Rules, and what pleases, are never contrary to one another, and that you can never obtain the latter, that is, you can never please, without the former, that is the Rules. Secondly, that Poefy being an Art can never be preju dicial to Mankind; and that it was invented and improv'd only for their Advantage.

This Method obliges me to trace Poetry from its Original, to fhew, that it was the Daughter of Religion; that, in Procefs of time, it was debauch'd and vitiated; and laftly, that it was brought under the Rules of Art, which affifted in the Correcting the Failures of Nattire.

God, touch'd with Compaflion for the Mifery of Men, who were oblig d to toil and labour for their Subfiftance, inftituted Days of Festival to give them Reft and Ceffation from their Work; ordaining the Offering Sacrifices to himself, as a juft Thankfgi-. ving for the Bleflings receiv'd from his Bounty. This is a Truth which was, and is acknowledg'd by the Heathens themselves. For they not only imitated thefe Days of Festival and Reft, but always froke of them as a Gift of the immortal Gods, who having, granted a Time of Repofe, requir'd fome Testimony of their Gratitude for the Benefit..

The first Festivals of the Antients were in this Man-、 ner; they affembled at certain Times, especially in the Autumn, after the gathering in of the Fruits of the Earth, to rejoice, and offer the most valuable, and choice of them to God. And this was it, that first gave Birth to Poetry For Men who are naturally en chin'd to the Imitation and Music, employ'd their Tar lents to fing the Praises of that particular God whom

they

they worship, and to celebrate his most confpicnous, and remarkable Actions.

If they had always kept to that primitive Simplicity, all the Poetry we fhou'd have had, wou'd have only been Hymns and Songs of Thanksgiving and Praife, as we find among the Ifraelites and Jews in the Old Teftament: But it was very difficult, or rather impoffible, that Wifdom and Purity should reign long in the Affemblies of the Heathens. They foon mingled the Praifes of Men, with those of their Gods; and at laft came to the filling of their Poems with biting Satires, which they fung to one another at their drunken Meetings. Thus Poetry was entirely corrupted, the prefent carrying very few Marks of Religion, e'en in our Age of Chriffianity.

The Poets, that follow'd, and who (properly fpeaking) were the Philofophers, and Divines of thofe early Times, obferving the general and earnest Bent of the People for thofe Festivals, and Shows, and the Impoffibility of recovering the firft Simplicity, purfu'd another Way of giving a Remedy to this Disorder; and making an Advantage of the Peoples Inclinations, gave them Inftructions difguis'd under the Charms of Pleafure, as Phyficians gild or fweeten the Pills they, adminifter to their Patients..

I will not here pretend to observe and give a History of all the Changes, that have happen'd in Poetry, or fhew by what Degrees it is arriv'd to that Perfe tion, in which we now find it.

Homer was the firft that either invented or render'd compleat the Epic or Heroic Poem; for he certainly found out the Unity of the Subject, the Manners, the Characters, and the Fable. But this Poem cou'd only affect Customs; and was not moving enough to correct the Paffions. There was wanting a Poem, which by imitating our Aftions, might work on our Spirits a more ready and fenfibile Effect: This gave Rife to Tragedy, and banish'd all Satyns, by which Means Poe-try was entirely purg?d from all the Disorders into which its Corruption had brought it

This

This is no Place to fhew, that Men, who are quickly weary of regulated Pleasures, labour'd, and took Pains to plunge themfelves again into their firmer Licencioufnefs by the Invention of Comedy. I fhall keep my felf to Tragedy, which is the most noble Imitation; in which all the Parts of an Heroic Poem are compriz'd.

How fhort foever this Account may be, it is yet fufficient to let you fee that Poetry is an Art for fince it has a certain End, there must be fome certain Way of arriving at that End. No Body can doubt of fo evident a Truth, that in all Things, where there may be a Right, and a Wrong, there is an Art, and fure Rules to lead you to the former, and direct you how to avoid the latter.

The Question therefore now is, Whether thefe Rules are known, and whether they are thofe which are. given us by Ariftotle? This Question is no lefs doubtful than the former; I must alfo confefs, that this cannot be determin'd, but by the Unlearned, who, be-caufe they are the greater Number, I fhall make my Examination in their Favour. To do this with fome fort of Method, there are fome Things to be confider'd, (1.) Who gives the Rules? (2.) The Time when he gives them. (3) The Manner, in which be gives them. (4.) And the Effects they have wrought in different Times on different People. For I believe, from thefe four Circumftances, I can draw fuch Conclufions, as the most obftinate shall not be able to deny.

He, who gives thefe Rules, is one of the greatest Philofophers, that ever was in the World; his Genius was large, and of a vast Extent; the great Discoveries he made in all Sciences, particularly in the Knowledge of Man, are certain Signs, that he had fufficient Infight into our Paffions, to difcover the Rules of the Art of Poetry, which is founded on them. But I shall fufpend my Judgment, and pafs on to the Time in which he gave these Rules.

I find, that he was born in the Age, in which Trai gedy first appear'd, or at least made its first Advances towards Perfection. For he liv'd with the Disciples of Efchylus, who brought it out of Confufion, and he had the fame Mafters, that Sophocles and Euripides had, who carry'd it to its utmost Perfection. Befides, he was Witness of the Opinion, that the most nice, and knowing People of the World had of this Poem. 'Tis therefore impoffible, that Ariftotle fhou'd be ignorant of the Origin, Progrefs, Design, and Effects of this Art; and confequently even before I examine thefe Rules, I am perfectly affur'd, on his Account, who gives them, that they have all the Certainty and Authority, that Rules can poffibly have.

But when I came to examine the Manner in which Ariftotle delivers them, I find them fo evident, and fo conformable to Nature, that I cannot but be fenfible, they are true. For Ariftotle gives not his Rules as Legiflators do their Laws, without any other Reason than his Will; all that he advances is confirm'd by Reafons drawn from the common Sentiments of Man-kind, fo that Men themselves become the Rule and Measure of what he lays down. Thus, without confidering, that the Rules are of almost equal Date with the Art, they teach, or any Prepoffeffion in favour of Ariftotle's Name; (for 'tis the Work that ought to make the Name valuable, and not the Name the Work) I find my felf oblig'd to fubmit to all his Decifions, the Truth of which I am convinc'd of in my felf, and whofe Certainty I discover by Reafon, and Experience, which never yet deceiv'd any Body.

To this I fhall add, The Effects which these Rules have, produc'd in all Ages, on different Sorts of People; and I find, that as they made the Beauty of the Poems of Homer, Sophocles, and Euripides in Greece, from which they were drawn, fo four or five Hundred Years after, they adorn'd the Poems of Virgil, and other famous Latin Poets; and that now after two Thousand Years, they make the beft Tragedies, we have, in which all

that