fpeechless with Difappointment to behold nothing but a heap of Bones, Duft, and Putrefaction, with this Infcription over it. HERE WOULD HAVE DWELT ETERNAL REPOSE A TREASURE CROESUS NEVER POSSESSED WHICH THOU HAST DRIVEN HENCE BEING EXCITED BY AN INSATIABLE LOVE OF GOLD TO DISTURB THE SACRED REMAINS OF THY PROGENITORS. HAD NOT THY REASON BEEN DELUDED BY A FALSE FANCY SHE WOULD HAVE TOLD THEE THAT THE GRAVE CONTAINS NOTHING BUT DUST AND ASHES. Adieu, my dear EUGENIO, and build no Expectations but upon the Rock of Certainty. I am, Your, &c. LETTER I [71] TO EUPHEMIUS. Am greatly pleased, EUPHEMIUS, that you was of the fame Opinion as myself, in a late Converfation, that nothing would vitiate a Man's Taste for Poetry more, than frequently reading the Italian Poets. Their forced Allufions, their tinfel Concetti, and perpetual Affectation of hunting for prety Thoughts indifcriminately upon every Subject, are so many Deviations from good Writing, which degrade the Dignity of Heroic, and totally destroy the fimplicity of Paftoral Poefy. Sir PHILIP SIDNEY'S ARCADIA affords a fufficient Example how much the finest Genius may be corrupted by a too familiar Intercourse with those exotic Triflers. I don't mean by this to extend my Cenfure to every Part of their poetical Compofitions, as there are many beautiful F 4 beautiful Paffages in TASSO'S JERUSALEM in one Species, and in his AMINTA in the other; in ARIOSTO'S ORLANDO, and in GUARINI'S PASTOR FIDO, which are worthy of the highest Commendations; much lefs would I recommend the total neglect of them, or fnatch that Palm of Glory from their Heads, which they have justly merited, from being the Inventors of the Dramatic Paftoral. Nevertheless I ftill retain the Sentiments, I then advanced, that there were even in those two celebrated Pieces, the AMINTA, and PASTOR FIDO, such a tasteless Profufion of that shining Stuff, which BOILEAU calls Clinquant, as muft greatly disgust every Reader whofe Fancy is properly chaftened by that Parent of fober Criticism, from whom the STAGYRITE drew every Precept, unerring Nature. The first Act of both is full of those pretty Abfurdities; indeed GUARINI fo faithfully copies his Predeceffor, that LINCO utters DAFNE'S Thoughts Thoughts throughout, and almoft too in the fame Expreffions. For Example, Odi quel Ufcignuolo Che va di ramo in ramo Cantando, lo amo, Io amo. Dafn. in Am. Act 1. Quell' Augellin, che canta Si dolcemente, e lafcivetto vola Direbbe, ardo d'amore, ardo d'amore.' La Bifcia lafcia il fuo veleno, e corre Cupida al fuo Amatore : Van le Tigri in amore: Ama il Leon fuperbo: Dafne in Aminta, Act 1.. This last description of TAsso's, of the force of Love in the Brute Creation, is iddeed unaffectedly beautiful, but GUARINI, thinking thinking it a plain and spiritless Observation, has Italianiz'd it to his own Fancy in the following manner. Mugge in mandra l'armento, et quei muggiti Rugge il Leone al bofco, Ne quel ruggito è d'ira, Paftor Fido, A&t 1. This Lion (as THESEUS fays of his Brother in SHAKESPEAR's Midfummer Night's Dream) is a very gentle Beast, and of a good Confcience. But I cannot dismiss this Paffage without noticing the Merit of the AMSTERDAM Editor of 1732, who founds this ingenious explanatory Note upon the poor Word Cofi. nell ifteffo modo (fays he) or forfe meglio: quando fa Cofi, cio è quando rugge. It may eafily be conceiv'd how a luxuriant Fancy may in the Heat of poetic Rapture glow up into Nonfenfe; but how a Commentator can coolly explain it afterwards is beyond my Understanding to account for. 3 should |