ever had: for he noted the vices of all knowledges, in all creatures, and out of many mens perfections in a science, he formed ftill one art. So he taught us two offices together, how, we ought to judge rightly of others, and what we ought to imitate fpecially in ourselves. But alk this in vain, without a natural wit, and a poetical nature in chief. For, no man, fo foon as he knows this, or reads it, shall be able to write the better; but as he is adapted to it by Nature, he fhall grow the perfecter writer. He muft have Civil Prudence, and Eloquence, and that whole; not taken up by fnatches, or pieces, in fentences, or remnants, when he will handle bufinefs or carry counfels, as if he came then out of the declaimer's gallery, or fhadow, furnished, but of the body of the ftate, which commonly is the fchool of men. The Poet is the nearest borderer upon the orator, and expreffeth all his virtues, though he be tied more to numbers; is his equal in ornament, and above him in his ftrengths. And (of the kind) the Comick comes nearest because, in moving the minds of men, and stirring of affections (in which oratory fhews, and especially approves her eminence) he chiefly excels. What figure of a body was Lyfippus ever able to form with his graver, or Apelles to paint with his pencil, as the comedy to life expreffeth fo many, and various affections of the mind? There shall the spectator fee some in fulting fulting with joy; others fretting with melancholy; raging with anger; mad with love; boiling with avarice; undone with riot; tortured with expectation; confumed with fear: no preturbation in common life but the orator finds an example of it in the scene. And then, for the elegancy of language, read but this infcription on the Grave of a Comick Poet: Immortales mortales, fi fas effet, flere, Or, that modefter teftimony given by Lucius Elius Stilo upon Plautus; who affirmed, Mufas, fi Latinè loqui voluiffent, Plautino fermone fuiffe loquuturas. And that illuftrious judgement by the most learned M. Varro of him; who pronounced him the Prince of Letters, and Elegancy, in the Roman language. I am not of that opinion to conclude a Poet's liberty within the narrow limits of laws, which either the Grammarians, or Philofophers prefcribe. For, before they found out those laws, there were many excellent poets, that fulfilled them. Amongst whom none more perfect than Sophocles, who lived a little before Ariftotle. Which of the Greeklings durft ever give precepts to Demofthenes? or to Pericles (whom the age furnamed heavenly), because he seemed to thunder, and lighten, with his language? or to Alcibiades, who had rather Nature for his guide, than Art for his mafter? But, whatsoever Nature at any time dictated to the most happy; or long exercise to the most laborious, that the wifdom, and learning of Ariftotle, hath brought into an art; because, he understood the causes of things: and what other men did by chance or custom, he doth by reafon; and not only found out the way not to err, but the short way we should take, not to err. Many things in Euripides hath Ariftophanes wittily reprehended; not out of art, but out of truth. For, Euripides is fometimes peccant, as he is most times perfect. But judgement when it is greatest, if reafon doth not accompany it, is not ever abfolute. To judge of poets is only the faculty of poets; and not of all poets, but the best. Nemo infaliciùs de Poetis judicavit, quàm qui de Poetis fcripfit. But, fome will fay, Criticks are a kind of tinkers, that make more faults than they mend ordinarily. See their difeafes, and those of Grammarians. It is true, many bodies are the worse for the meddling with: And the multitude of Phyficians hath destroyed many found found patients, with their wrong practice. But the office of a true Critick, or Cenfor, is, not to throw by a letter any where, or damn an innocent fyllable, but lay the words together, and amend them; judge fincerely of the author, and his matter, which is the fign of folid, and perfect learning in a man. Such was Horace, an author of much civility; and (if any one among the heathen can be) the best mafter, both of virtue, and wifdom; an excellent, and true judge upon cause, and reason; not because he thought fo; but because he knew so, out of use and experience. Cato, the Grammarian, a defender of Lucilius. Cato Grammaticus, Latina Syren, Quintilian of the fame herefy, but rejected. Horace his judgement of Charilus, defended against Jofeph Scaliger. And of Laberius, against Julius. But chiefly his opinion of Plautus, vindicated against many, that are offended, and fay, it is a hard cenfure upon the parent of all conceit, and fharpness. And, they wish it had not fallen from so great a master, and cenfor in the art: K 4 whose whose bondmen knew better how to judge of Plautus, than any that dare patronize the family of learning in this age; who could not be ignorant of the judgement of the times, in which he lived, when Poetry, and the Latin language were at the height; especially, being a man fo converfant, and inwardly familiar with the cenfures of great men, that did discourse of these things daily amongst themselves. Again, a man fo gracious, and in high favour with the emperor; as Auguftus often called him his witty Manling, (for the littleness of his ftature;) and (if we may truft antiquity) had defigned him for a fecretary of eftate; and invited him to the place, which he modeftly prayed off, and refused. Horace did fo highly efteem Terence his comedies, as he afcribes the art in comedy to him, alone, among the Latins, and joins him with Menander. Now, let us fee what may be faid for either, to defend Horace his judgement to pofterity; and not wholly to condemn Plautus. The parts of a comedy are the fame with a Tragedy, and the end is partly the fame. For,. they both delight, and teach; the Comicks are called Sidonano, of the Greeks; no lefs than the Tragicks. Nor, is the moving of laughter always the end of Comedy, that is rather a fowling for the peoples' delight, or their fooling. For, as Arif totle |