Ut jam nunc dicat, jam nunc debentia dici COMMENTARY. 50 and extent of his own talents: and to be careful to chufe a fubject, which is, in all its parts, proportioned to his ftrength and ability. Befides, from fuch an at-` tentive furvey of his fubject, and of his capacity to treat it, he will alfo derive thefe further advantages [41] 1. That he cannot be wanting in a proper fund of matter, wherewith to inlarge under every head: nor, 2. can he fail, by fuch a well-weighed choice, to difpofe of his fubject in the best and most convenient method. Efpecially, as to the latter, which is the principal benefit, he will perceive [to 45] where it will be useful to preserve, and where to change, the natural order of his fubject, as may beft ferve to answer the ends of poetry. Thus far fome general reflexions concerning poetical diftribution; principally, as it may be affected by falfe notions, 1. Of poetic licence [10] and, 2. Of poetic perfection [25]. But the fame caufes will equally affect the language, as method, of poetry. To these then are properly fubjoined fome directions about the use of words. Now this particular depending fo entirely on what is out of the reach of rule, as the Continget: dabiturque licentia fumta pudenter. Et nova factaque nuper habebunt verba fidem; fi Gracco fonte cadent, parce detorta. quid autem; Caecilio Plautoque dabit Romanus, ademtum Virgilio Varioque? ego cur adquirere pauca, 55 Si poffum, invideor? quum lingua Catonis et Ennî COMMENTARY. the fashion of the age, the taste of the writer, and his knowledge of the language, in which he writes, the poet only gives directions about new words: or, fince every language is neceffarily imperfect, about the coining of fuch words, as the writer's neceffity or convenience may demand. And here, after having prefcribed [1. 46] a great caution and sparingness in the thing itself, he obferves, 1. [to 1. 49] That where it ought to be done, the better and lefs offenfive way will be, not to coin a word entirely new (for this is ever a task of some envy) but, by means of an ingenious and happy pofition of a well-known word, in respect of some others, to give it a new air, and cast. Or, if it be neceffary to coin new words, as it will be in fubjects of an abftrufe nature, and efpecially fuch, as were never before treated in the language, that then, 2. [to 1. 54] this liberty is very allowable; but that the reception of them will be more easy, if we derive them gently, and without too much violence, from their proper fource, that is, from a language, as the Greek, already known, and approved. And, to obviate the prejudices of over-fcrupulous critics on this head, he goes on [from 1. 54 to 1. 73] in a vein of popular illuftration, to alledge, in favour of this li Sermonem patrium ditaverit, et nova rerum Res geftae regumque ducumque, et tristia bella, COMMENTARY. berty, the examples of antient writers, and the vague, unfteddy nature of language itself. From these reflexions on poetry, at large, he proceeds now to particulars: the most obvious of which being the different forms and meafures of poetic compofition, he confiders, in this view [from 75 to 86] the four great fpecies of poetry, to which all others may be reduced, the Epic, Elegiac, Dramatic, and Lyric. Poft etiam inclufa eft voti fententia compos. mum, 85 Et juvenum curas, et libera vina referre. COMMENTARY. 90 Lyric. But the distinction of the measures to be obferved in the feveral fpecies of poetry is fo obvious, that there can scarcely be any mistake about them. The difficulty is to know [from y 86 to 89] how far, each may partake of the Spirit of other, without deftroying that natural and necessary difference, which ought to fubfift betwixt them all. To explane this, which is a point of great nicety, he confiders [from 89 to 99] the cafe of dramatic poetry; the two fpecies Iratufque Chremes tumido dilitigat ore. Et tragicus plerumque dolet fermone pedeftri. 95 COMMENTARY. ΙΟΙ fpecies of which are as distinct from each other, as any two can be, and yet there are times, when the features of the one will be allowed to refemble those of the other. For, 1. Comedy, in the paffionate parts, will admit of a tragic elevation: and, 2. Tragedy, in its foft diftrefsful fcenes, condefcends to the ease of familiar converfation. But the poet had a further view in chufing this inftance. For he gets by this means into the main of his subject, which was dramatic poetry, and, by the most delicate tranfition imaginable, proceeds [from 1. 89 to 323] to deliver a feries of rules, interfpersed with historical accounts, and enlivened by digreffions, for the regulation and improvement of the ROMAN STAGE. PART II. DIRECTIONS FOR THE REGULATION AND IMPROVEMENT OF THE ROMAN STAGE. HAVING fixed the diftin&t limits and provinces of the two fpecies of the drama, the poet enters directly on his fubject, and confiders, I. [from 99 to |