from the best poet, for verfification at leaft, that England has to boast of.

High on his helm celestial light'nings play,
His beamy thield emits a living ray,
Th' unweary'd blaze inceffant itreams fupplies,
Like the red ftar that fires th'autumnal skies.

Iliad, v. 5.

Strength and omnipotence inveft thy throne.

Iliad, viii. 576.

So filent fountains, from a rock's tall head,
In fable streams foft trickling waters fhed.

Iliad, ix. 19.

His clanging armour rung.

Iliad, xii. 94.

Fear on their cheek, and horror in their eye.

Iliad, XV. 4.

The blaze of armour flath'd against the day.

As when the piercing blafts of Boreas blow.

Iliad, xvii. 736,

Iliad, xix. 380.

And like the moon, the broad refulgent fhield
Blaz'd with long rays, and gleam'd athwart the field.

Iliad, xix. 402.

No-could our fwiftnefs o'er the winds prevail,

Or beat the pinions of the western gale,

All were in vain

The humid fweat from ev'ry pore defcends.

Iliad, xix. 460.

Iliad, xxiii. 829.

Redundant

Redundant epithets, fuch as bumid in the last citation, are by Quintilian difallowed to orators; but indulged to poets, becaufe his favourite poets, in a few inftances, are reduced to fuch epithets for the fake of verfification; for instance, Prata canis albicant pruinis of Horace, and liquidos fontes of Virgil.

As an apology for fuch careless expreffions, it may well fuffice, that Pope, in fubmitting to be a tranflator, acts below his genius. In a tranflation, it is hard to require the fame fpirit or accuracy, that is cheerfully bestowed on an original work. And to fupport the reputation of that author, I fhall give fome inftances from Virgil and Horace, more faulty by redundancy than any of those above mentioned:

Sæpe etiam immenfum cœlo venit agmen aquarum,
Et foedam glomerant tempeftatem imbribus atris
Collectæ ex alto nubes: fuit arduus ether,
Et pluviâ ingenti fata læta, boumque labores
Diluit.

Georg. lib. i. 322.

Poftquam altum tenuere rates, nec jam amplius ullæ Apparent terre; coelum undique et undique pontus: Tum mihi cæruleus fupra caput aftitit imber,

Noctem hyememque ferens: et inhorruit unda tenebris. Eneid, lib.iii. 192.

Here I can luckily apply Horace's rule against himfelf:

Eft brevitate opus, ut currat fententia, neu se
Impediat verbis lailas onerantibus aures.
Satir. lib. 1. fat. x. 9.

I close this chapter with a curious inquiry. An object, however ugly to the fight, is far from being fo when reprefented by colours or by words. What is the caufe of this difference? With refpect to painting, the caufe is obvious: a good picture, whatever the fubject be, is agreeable by the pleasure we take in imitation; and this pleasure overbalancing the difagreeableness of the fubject, makes the picture upon the whole agreeable. With refpect to the defcription of an ugly object, the caufe follows. To connect individuals in the focial ftate, no particular contributes more than language, by the power it poffeffes of an expeditious communication of thought, and a lively reprefentation of tranfactions. But nature hath not been fatisfied to recommend language by its utility merely independent of utility, it is made fufceptible of many beauties, which are directly felt, without any intervening reflection.* And this unfolds the mystery; for the pleasure of language is fo great, as in a lively defcription to overbalance the difagreeablenefs of the image raifed by it. This, however, is no encouragement to choofe a difagreeable fubject; for the pleasure is incomparably greater where the fubject and the defcription are both of them agreeable.

The following defcription is upon the whole agreeable, though the fubject defcribed is in itfelf difmal:

* See chap. 18.

+ See chap. 2. part 4,

Nine

Nine times the space that meafures day and night
To mortal men, he with his horrid crew
Lay vanquish'd, rolling in the fiery gulf,
Confounded though immortal! but his doom
Referv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought
Both of loft happiness and lafting pain

Torments him; round he throws his baleful
That witness'd huge affliction and difmay,
Mix'd with obdurate pride and stedfast hate :
At once as far as angels ken he views.
The difmal fituation waste and wild :
A dungeon horrible, on all fides round

eyes

As one great furnace flam'd; yet from those flames
No light, but rather darknefs visible
Serv'd only to difcover fights of wo,

Regions of forrow, doletul fhades, where peace
And reft can never dwell, hope never comes

That comes to all; but torture without end

Still urges, and a fiery deluge, fed

With ever burning fulphur unconfum'd!
Such place eternal juftice had prepar'd
For thofe rebellious.

Paradife Loft, b. 1. 1. 50.

An unmanly depreffion of fpirits in time of danger is not an agreeable fight; and yet a fine defcription or representation of it will be relifhed:

K. Richard. What must the King do now? must
he fubmit?

The King fhall do it: muft he be depos'd?
The King fhall be contented, must he lofe
The name of King? o' God's name, let it go;
I'll give my jewels for a fet of beads;
My gorgeous palace for a hermitage ;,
My gay apparel, for an almfman's gown ;
My figur'd goblets, for a dish of wood;
My fceptre, for a palmer's walking staff;
My fubjects, for a pair of carved faints;
And my large kingdom for a little grave;
A little, little grave ;- an obfcure grave.

Or,

Or, I'll be bury'd in the King's high-way;
Some way of common tread, where fubject's feet
May hourly trample on their fovereign's head;
For on my heart they tread now whilst I live;
And bury'd once, why not upon my head?

Richard II. act 3. fc. 6.

Objects that strike terror in a spectator, have in poetry and painting a fine effect. The picture by raifing a flight emotion of terror, agitates the mind; and in that condition every beauty makes a deep impreffion. May not contraft heighten the pleasure, by oppofing our prefent fecurity to the danger of encountering the object reprefented?

The other fhape,

If shape it might be call'd, that shape had none
Diftinguishable in member, joint, or limb;
Or fubitance might be call'd that thadow feem'd,
For each feem'd either; black it stood as night,
Fierce as ten furies, terrible as hell,

And thook a dreadful dart.

Paradife Loft, book 2. 1. 666.

Now ftorming fury rose,

And clamour fuch as heard in heaven till now
Was never arms on armour clashing bray'd
Horrible difcord, and the madding wheels
Of brazen chariots rag'd; dire was the noise
Of conflict: overhead the difmal hifs
Of fiery darts in flaming volleys flew,
And flying vaulted either hoft with fire.
So under fiery cope together ruth'd
Both battles main, with ruinous affault
And inextinguishable rage: all heaven
Refounded, and had earth been then, all earth
Had to her centre fhook.

Paradife Loft, book 6. 1. 207.

Ghoft.

But that I am forbid

To tell the fecrets of my prifon-house,

I could