totle, than for a mechanic to construct an engine on principles inconsistent with the laws of motion, and excuse himself by disclaiming the authority of Sir Ifaac Newton. The characters that distinguish poetry from other works of literature, belong either to the SUBJECT, or to the LANGUAGE: fo that this discourse naturally refolves itself into two parts.-What we have to say on Mufic will be found to belong to the firft. PART PART I. POETRY confidered with refpect to its MATTER OF SUBJECT. W HEN we affirm, that every art or contrivance which has a meaning must have an end, we only repeat an identical propofition : and when we say, that the effential or indispensable rules of an art are thofe that direct to the accomplishment of the end propofed by the artist, we repeat a definition whereof it would be captious to controvert the propriety. And therefore, before we can determine any thing in regard to the effential rules of this art, we must form an idea of its END or DESTINATION. CHAP. I. Of the end of Poetical Compofition. THAT one end of Poetry, in its first institution, and in every period of its progrefs, must have been, TO GIVE PLEASURE, will hardly admit of any doubt. If men firft employed it to exprefs their adoration of fuperior and invifible beings, their gratitude to the benefactors of mankind, their admiration of moral, intellectual, or corporeal excellence, or, in general, their love of what was agreeable in their own fpecies, or in other parts of Nature; they must be supposed to have endeavoured to make their poetry pleafing; because, otherwife, it would have been unfuitable to the occafion that gave it birth, and to the fentiments it was intended to enliven. Or if, with Horace, we were to believe, that it was first used as a vehicle to convey into favage minds the principles of government and civility *; ftill we must allow, that one chief thing attended to in its composition must have been, to give it charms fufficient to engage the ear and captivate the heart of an unthinking audience. In latter times, the true poet, though in chufing materials he never left fight of utility, yet in giving them form (and it is the form chiefly that diftinguishes poetry from other writings), has always made the entertainment of mankind his principal concern. Indeed, we cannot conceive, that, independently on this confideration, men would ever have applied themselves to arts fo little neceffary to life, and * The honour of civilizing mankind, is by the poets-afcribed to poetry (Hor. Ar. Poet. verf. 391);-by the orator, to oratory. (Cicero, de Orat. lib. 1. § 33.) ;-and by others to philofophy, (Cicero, de Orat. lib. 1. § 36, 37.; and Tufc. Queft, lib. 5. § 5.)— It is probably a gradual thing, the effect of many co-operating caufes; and proceeding rather from favourable accidents, or the fpecial appointment of Heaven, than from the art and contrivance of men. withal fo difficult, as mufic, painting, and poetry. Certain it is, that a poem, containing the most important truths, would meet with a cold reception, if destitute of thofe graces of found, invention, and language, whereof the fole end and aim is to give pleasure. But is it not the end of this art, to inftruct, as well as to please? Verses, that give pleasure only, without profit, what are they but chiming trifles? And if a poem were to please, and at the fame time, inftead of improving, to corrupt the mind, would it not deferve to be confidered as a poifon rendered doubly dangerous and deteftable by its alluring qualities?-All this is true and yet pleasure is undoubtedly the immediate aim of all those artifices by which poetry is distinguished from other compofitions,-of the harmony, the rhythm, the ornamented language, the compact and diverfified fable: for I believe it will be allowed, that a plain treatise, deftitute of all these beauties, might be made to convey more inftruction than any poem in the world. As writing is more excellent than painting, and speech than mufic, on account of its fuperior usefulness; so a discourse, containing profitable information even in a rude style, may be more excellent, because more useful, than any thing in Homer or Virgil: but fuch a discourse partakes no more of the nature of poetry, than language does of melody, or a manufcript of a picture; whereas an agreeable piece of writing may be poetical, though it yield little or no inftruction. To instruct, is an end end common to all good writing, to all poetry, all history, all found philofophy. But of these laft the principal end is to instruct; and if this fingle end be accomplished, the philofopher and the hiftorian will be allowed to have acquitted themselves well: but the poet muft do a great deal for the fake of pleasure only; and if he fail to please, he may indeed deferve praise on other accounts, but as a poet he has done nothing.-But do not hiftorians and philofophers, as well as poets, make it their ftudy to please their readers? They generally do: but the former pleafe, that they may inftruct; the latter instruct, that they may the more effectually please. Pleafing, though uninftructive, poetry may gratify a light mind; and what tends even to corrupt the heart may gratify profligates but the true poet addreffes his work, not to the giddy, nor to the worthless, nor to any party, but to mankind; and, if he means to please the general tafte, must often employ inftruction as one of the arts that minifter to this kind of pleasure. The neceffity of this arifes from a circumstance in human nature, which is to man (as Erasmus in Pope's opinion was to the priesthood)" at "once his glory and his fhame," namely, that the human mind, unlefs when debased by paffion or prejudice, never fails to take the side of truth and virtue-a fad reflection, when it leads us to confider the debafing influence of paffion and prejudice; but a moft comfortable one, when it directs our view to the original dignity and rectitude of the |