actly the fame with that in his own; in which no one will pretend, that there is the least appearance of that rhapfodical, detached form, which made the character of the old fatire. But, principally, because, on any other supposition, it does not appear, what could give Lucilius a claim to that high appellation of INVENTOR of this poem. That he was the first, who, copied the manner of the old comedy in fatire, could never be fufficient for this purpose. For all, that he derived into it from thence, was, as Quinctilian speaks, libertas atque inde acerbitas et abunde falis. It fharpened his invective, and polished his wit, that is, it improved the air, but did not alter the form of the fatire. As little can a right to this title be pleaded from the uniformity of meafure, which he introduced into it. For this, without an unity of defign, is so far from being an alteration for the better, that it even heightens the abfurdity; it being furely more reafonable to adapt different measures to different fubjects, than to treat a number of inconnected and quite different fubjects in the same measure. When therefore Horace tells us, that Lucilius was the Inventor of the fatire, it muft needs be understood, that he was the FIRST, who, from its former confused ftate, reduced it into a regular confiftent poem, refpecting one main end, as well as obferving one measure. Little now A 4 remained

remained for HORACE but to polish and refine. His only material alteration was, that he appro-: priated to the fatire ONE, that is, the heroic.

metre.

1

From this short hiftory of the satire we collect, 1. that its defign was one: And 2. we learn, what was the general form of its compofition. For, arifing out of a loose, disjointed, mifcellany, its method, when most regular, would be free and unconftrained; nature demanding fome chain of connexion, and a refpect to its origin requiring that connexion to be flight and somewhat concealed. But its aim, as well as origin, exacted this careless method. For being, as Diomedes obferves, archæa comœdiæ charactere compofitum, "profeffedly written after

the manner of the old comedy," it was of course to admit the familiarity of the comic mufe; whofe genius is averfe from all conftraint of order, fave that only which a natural, fucceffive train of thinking unavoidably draws along with it. And this, by the way, accounts for the dialogue air, fo frequent in the Roman fatire, as likewife for the loofer numbers which appeared fo effential to the grace of it. It was in learned allufion to this comic genius of the fatire, that Mr. Pope hath justly characterized it in the following manner :

"Horace

*Horace still charms with graceful negligence, "And, without method, TALKS us into sense.

2. It being now feen, what was the real form of the fatire, nothing, it is plain, was wanting, but the application of a particular address, to conftitute the didactic epiftle: the structure of this poem, as prescribed by the laws of nature and good sense, being in nothing different from that of the other. For here 1. an unity of fubject or defign is indifpenfably neceffary, the freedom of a mifcellaneous matter being permitted only to the familiar letter. And 2. not profeffing formally to inftruct (which alone juftifies the severity of ftrict method) but, when of the graveft kind, in the way of addrefs only to infinuate inftruction, it naturally takes an air of negligence and inconnexion, fuch as we have before feen effential to the fatire. All which is greatly confirmed by the teftimony of one, who could not be uninformed in these matters. In addreffing his friend on the object of his studies, he fays

five

Liventem fatiram nigra rubigine turpes,

Seu tua NON ALIA fplendefcat epiftola CURA. [Stat. lib. i. Sylv. Tiburt. M. V.] plainly intimating, that the rules and labour of compofition were exactly the fame in these two poems. Though the critics on Statius, not ap

prehending

prehending this identity, or exact correspondence between the fatire and epiftle, have unneceffarily, and without warrant, altered the text, in this place, from ALIA into ALTA.

3. The general form and ftructure of this epiftle being thus clearly understood, it will now be easy, in few words, to deduce the peculiar laws of its compofition.

And 1. it cannot wholly diveft itself of all method: For, having only one point in view, it muft of course purfue it by fome kind of connexion. The progress of the mind in rational thinking requires, that the chain be never broken entirely, even in its frecft excurfions.

2. As there muft needs be a connexion, fo that connexion will beft anfwer its end and the purpose of the writer, which, whilft it leads, by a fure train of thinking, to the conclufion in view, conceals itself all the while, and leaves to the reader the fatisfaction of fupplying the intermediate links, and joining together, in his own mind, what is left in a feeming pofture of neglect and inconnexion. The art of furnishing this gratification, fo refpectful to the fagacity of the reader, without putting him to the trouble of a painful investigation, is what conftitutes the fupreme charm and beauty of EPISTOLARY ME

THOD.

H.. What

II. What hath hitherto been advanced refpects chiefly the didactic form. It remains to. fay fomething of that other fpecies of the epiftle, the ELEGIAC; which, as I observed, had quite another original. For this apparently sprung up from what is properly called the Elegy: a poem of very antient Greek extraction: naturally arifing from the plaintive, querulous humour of mankind; which, under the preffure of any grief, is impatient to break forth into wailings. and tender expoftulations, and finds a kind of relief in indulging and giving a loose to that flow of forrow, which it hath not ftrength or refolution wholly [c] to reftrain. This is the account of the Elegy in its proper Greek form; a negligent, inconnected, abrupt fpecies of writing, perfectly fuited to an indolent disposition and paffionate heart. Such was OVID's; who, taking advantage of this character of the elegy, contrived [d] a new kind of poetry, without the expence of much invention, or labour to himfelf. For collecting, as it were, those scattered

[c] Mærorem minui, fays Tully, grieving for the lofs of his daughter, dolorem nec potui, nec, fi poffem, VELLEM. [Ep. ad Att. xii. 28.] A striking picture of real grief!

[d] Vel tibi compofita cantetur EPISTOLA VOCE ;

IGNOTUM HOC ALIIS ILLE NOVAVIT OPUS. ART, AMAT. 1. iii. † 345hints,