The Art of Poetry: an Epistle to the Pisos Part 6

Monsieur Dacier, at a very early period, feels the influence of _the personal address_, that governs this Epistle. Remarking on this pa.s.sage, he observes that Horace, anxious to inspire _the Pisos _with a just taste, says earnestly _Trust me, my Pisos! Credite Pisones! _an expression that betrays fear and distrust, lest _the young Men _should fall into the dangerous error of bad poets, and injudicious criticks, who not only thought the want of unity of subject a pardonable effect of Genius, but even the mark of a rich and luxuriant imagination.

And although this Epistle, continues Monsieur Dacier, is addressed indifferently to Piso the father, and his Sons, as appears by v. 24 of the original, yet it is _to the sons in particular _that these precepts are directed; a consideration which reconciles the difference mentioned by Porphyry. _Scribit ad Pisones, viros n.o.biles disertosque, patrem et filios; vel, ut alii volunt,_ ad pisones fratres.

Desprez, the Dauphin Editor, observes also, in the same strain, Porro _scribit Horatius ad patrem et ad filios Pisones, _praesertim vero ad hos.

The family of the _Pisos_, to whom Horace addresses this Epistle, were called Calpurnii, being descended from Calpus, son of Numa Pompilius, whence, he afterwards stiles them _of the Pompilian Blood. Pompilius Sanguis! _

10.--THE VOLUME SUCH] Librum _persimilem. Liber_, observes Dacier, is a term applied to all literary productions, of whatever description. This remark is undoubtedly just, confirms the sentiments of Jason de Nores, and takes off the force of all the arguments founded on Quintilian's having stiled his Epistle LIBER de _arte poetica_.

Vossius, speaking of the censure of Scaliger, "_de arte, sine arte_,"

subsoins sed fallitur, c.u.m [Greek: epigraphaen] putat esse ab Horatio; qui inscipserat EPISTOLAM AD PISONES. Argumentum vero, ut in Epistolarum raeteris, ita in bac etiam, ab aliis postea appositum fuit.

l9.----OFT WORKS OF PROMISE LARGE, AND HIGH ATTEMPT.] Incaeptis gra- nibus plerumque, &c. Buckingham's _Essay on Poetry_, Roscommon's _Essay on Translated Verse_, as well as the Satires, and _Art Poetique_ of Boileau, and Pope's _Essay on Criticism_, abound with imitations of Horace. This pa.s.sage of our Author seems to have given birth to the following lines of Buckingham.

'Tis not a slash of fancy, which sometimes, Dazzling our minds, sets off the slighted rhimes; Bright as a blaze, but in a moment done; True Wit is everlasting, like the Sun; Which though sometimes behind a cloud retir'd, Breaks out again, and is the more admir'd.

The following lines of Pope may perhaps appear to bear a nearer resemblance this pa.s.sage of Horace.

Some to _Conceit_ alone their taste confine, And glitt'ring thoughts struck out at ev'ry line; Pleas'd with a work where nothing's just or fit; One glaring chaos, and wild heap of wit.

_Essay on Criticism._

49.---Of th' Aemilian cla.s.s ] _Aemilium circa ludum_--literally, near the Aemilian School; alluding to the Academy of Gladiators of Aemilius Lentulus, in whose neighbourhood lived many Artists and Shopkeepers.

This pa.s.sage also is imitated by Buckingham.

Number and Rhime, and that harmonious found, Which never _does_ the ear with _harshness_ wound, Are _necessary_, yet but _vulgar_ arts; For all in vain these superficial parts Contribute to the structure of the whole Without a _Genius_ too; for that's the _Soul_: A _Spirit_ which inspires the work throughout As that of _Nature_ moves the world about.

_Essay on Poetry._

Pope has given a beautiful ill.u.s.tration of this thought,

Survey THE WHOLE, nor seek slight faults to find Where nature moves, and rapture warms the mind; In wit, as Nature, what affects our hearts, Is not th' exactness of peculiar parts; 'Tis not a lip, or eye, we beauty call, But the joint force and full result of all.

Thus when we view some well-proportion'd dome, (The world's just wonder, and ev'n thine, O Rome!) No single parts unequally surprise, All comes united to th' admiring eyes; No monstrous height, or breadth, or length appear; THE WHOLE at once is bold and regular.

_Essay on Criticism._

56.--SELECT, ALL YE WHO WRITE, A SUBJECT FIT] _Sumite materiam, &c._

This pa.s.sage is well imitated by Roscommon in his Essay on Translated Verse.

The first great work, (a task perform'd by few) Is, that _yourself_ may to _yourself_ be true: No mask, no tricks, no favour, no reserve!

_Dissect_ your mind, examine ev'ry _nerve_.

Whoever vainly on his strength depends, _Begins_ like Virgil, but like Maevius _ends_.

Each poet with a different talent writes, One _praises_, one _instructs_, another _bites_.

Horace did ne'er aspire to Epick Bays, Nor lofty Maro stoop to Lyrick Lays.

Examine how your _humour_ is inclin'd, And which the ruling pa.s.sion of your mind: Then, seek a Poet who your way does bend, And chuse an Author as you chuse a friend.

United by this sympathetick bond, You grow familiar, intimate, and fond; Your thoughts, your words your stiles, your Souls agree, No longer his _interpreter_, but _He_.

_Stooping_ to Lyrick Lays, though not inapplicable to some of the lighter odes of Horace, is not descriptive of the general character of the Lyrick Muse. _Musa dedit Fidibus Divas &c._

Pope takes up the same thought in his Essay on Criticism.

Be sure yourself and your own reach to know, How far your genius, taste, and learning go; Launch not beyond your depth, but be discreet, And mark that point where sense and dulness meet.

Like Kings we lose the conquests gain'd before, By vain ambition still to make them more: Each might his servile province well command, Would all but stoop to what they understand.

71.--_A cunning phrase_.] _Callida junctura_.

_Jason de Nores_ and many other interpreters agree that Horace here recommends, after Aristotle, the artful elevation of style by the use of common words in an uncommon sense, producing at once an air of familiarity and magnificence. Some however confine the expression, _callida junctura_, to signify _compound words_. The Author of the English Commentary adopts the first construction; but considers the precept in both senses, and ill.u.s.trates each by many beautiful examples from the plays of Shakespeare. These examples he has accompanied with much elegant and judicious observation, as the reader of taste will be convinced by the following short extracts.

"The writers of that time had so _latinized_ the English language, that the pure _English Idiom_, which Shakespeare generally follows, has all the air of _novelty_, which other writers are used to affect by foreign phraseology.--In short, the articles here enumerated are but so many ways of departing from the usual and simpler forms of speech, without neglecting too much the grace of ease and perspicuity; in which well-tempered licence one of the greatest charms of all poetry, but especially of Shakespeare's poetry, consists. Not that he was always and every where so happy. His expression sometimes, and by the very means, here exemplified, becomes _hard_, _obscure_, and _unnatural_. This is the extreme on the other side. But in general, we may say, that He hath either followed the direction of Horace very ably, or hath hit upon his rule very happily."

76.--THE STRAIT-LAC'D CETHEGI.] CINCTUTIS _Cethegis_. Jason de Nores differs, and I think very justly, from those who interpret _Cinctutis_ to signify _loose_, _bare_, or _naked_--EXERTOS & NUDOS. The plain sense of the radical word _cingo_ is directly opposite. The word _cinctutis_ is here a.s.sumed to express a severity of manners by an allusion to an antique gravity of dress; and the Poet, adds _de Nores_, very happily forms a new word himself, as a vindication and example of the licence he recommends. Cicero numbers M. Corn. Cethegus among the old Roman Orators; and Horace himself again refers to the Cethegi in his Epistle to Florus, and on the subject of the use of words.

_Obscurata diu papula bonus eruet, atque_ Proseret in lucem speciosa vocabula rer*um; ***need a Latin speaker to check this out***

_Quae priscis memorata_ CATONIBUS _atque_ CETHEGIS, Nunc situs informis premit & deserta vetustas; Adsciscet nova quae genitor produxerit usus.

Mark where a bold expressive phrase appears, Bright thro' the rubbish of some hundred years; Command _old words_ that long have slept, to wake, Words, that wife Bacon, or brave Raleigh spake; Or bid _the new_ be English, ages hence, For Use will father what's begot by Sense.

POPE.

This brilliant pa.s.sage of Pope is quoted in this place by the author of that English Commentary, who has also subjoined many excellent remarks on _the revival of old words_, worthy the particular attention of those who cultivate prose as well as poetry, and shewing at large, that "the riches of a language are actually increased by retaining its old words: and besides, they have often _a greater real weight and dignity_, than those of a more _fashionable_ cast, which succeed to them. This needs no proof to such as are versed in the earlier writings of any language."--"_The growing prevalency of a very different humour_, first catched, as it should seem, from our commerce with the French Models, _and countenanced by the too scrupulous delicacy of some good writers amongst ourselves, bad gone far towards unnerving the n.o.blest modern language, and effeminating the public taste_."--"The rejection of _old words_, as _barbarous_, and of many modern ones, as unpolite," had so exhausted the _strength_ and _stores_ of our language, that it was high time for some master-hand to interpose, and send us for supplies to _our old poets_; which there is the highest authority for saying, no one ever despised, but for a reason, not very consistent with his credit to avow: _rudem esse omnino in nostris poetis, aut inertissimae nequitiae est, aut fastidii delicatissimi.-- Cic. de fin._ 1. i. c. 2.

[As woods endure, &c.] _Ut silvae foliis_, &c. Mr. Duncombe, in his translation of our Author, concurs with Monsieur Dacier in observing that "Horace seems here to have had in view that fine similitude of Homer in the sixth book of the Iliad, comparing the generations of men to the annual succession of leaves.

[Greek: Oipaeer phyllon genehn, toiaede ch ahndron.