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learned from it; and it is no fmall benefit

81. Recourfe muft chiefly be had to the to be made accquainted with Cicero's own

original Writers.

It is to the original ancient writers that we muft chiefly have recourfe; and it is a reproach to any one, whofe profeffion calls him to speak in public, to be unacquainted with them. In all the ancient rhetorical writers, there is, indeed, this defect, that they are too fyftematical, as I formerly fhewed; they aim at doing too much; at reducing rhetoric to a complete and perfect art, which may even fupply invention with materials on every fubject; infomuch that one would imagine they expected to form an orator by rule, in as mechanical a manner as one would form a carpenter. Whereas, all that can, in truth be done, is to give openings for affifting and enlightening tafte, and for pointing out to genius the courfe it ought to hold.

Ariftotle laid the foundation for all that was afterwards written on the fubject. That amazing and comprehenfive genius, which does honour to human nature, and which gave light into fo many different sciences, has investigated the principles of rhetoric with great penetration. Ariftotle appears to have been the first who took rhetoric out of the hands of the fophifts, and introduced reafoning and good fenfe into the art. Some of the profoundeft things which have been written on the paffions and manners of men, are to be found in his Treatife on Rhetoric; though in this, as in all his writings, his great brevity often renders him obfcure. Succeeding Greek rhetoricians, most of whom are now loft, improved on the foundation which Ariftotle had laid. Two of them ftill remain, Demetrius Phalerius, and Dionyfius of Halicarnaffus; both write on the conftruction of fentences, and deferve to be perufed; efpecially Dionyfius, who is a very accurate and judicious critic.

I need fcarcely recommend the rhetorical writings of Cicero, Whatever, on the fubject of eloquence, comes from fo great an orator, must be worthy of attention. His molt confiderable work on this fubject is that De Oratore, in three books. None of Cicero's writings are more highly finished than this treatife. The dialogue is polite; the characters are well fupported, and the conduct of the whole is beautiful and agreeable. It is, indeed, full of digreffions, and his rules and obfervations may be thought fometimes too vague and general. Ufeful things, however, may be

idea of eloquence. The "Orator ad M. "Brutum," is also a confiderable treatise; and, in general, throughout all Cicero's rhetorical works there run thofe high and fublime ideas of eloquence, which are fitted both for forming a juft tafte, and for creating that enthufiafm for the art, which is of the greateft confequence for excelling in it.

But, of all the ancient writers on the fubject of oratory, the most inftructive, and moft ufeful, is Quinctilian. I know few books which abound more with good fenfe, and difcover a greater degree of just and accurate tafte, than Quinctilian's Inftitutions. Almoft all the principles of good criticifm are to be found in them. He has digefted into excellent order all the ancient ideas concerning rhetoric, and is, at the fame time, himself an eloquent writer. Though fome parts of his work contain too much of the technical and artificial fyftem then in vogue, and for that reafon may be thought dry and tedious, yet I would not advife the omitting to read any part of his Inflitutions. To pleaders at the bar, even these technical parts may prove of fome ufe. Seldom has any per fon, of more found and distinct judgment than Quinctilian, applied himself to the study of the art of oratory. Blair.

$82. On the Necefity of a Claffical Edu

cation.

The fairest diamonds are rough till they are polifhed, and the pureft gold muft be run and washed, and fifted in the ore. We are untaught by nature; and the fineft qualities will grow wild and degenerate, if the mind is not formed by difcipline, and cultivated with an early care. In fome perfons, who have run up to men without a liberal education, we may obferve many great qualities darkened and eclipfed; their minds are crusted over like diamonds in the rock, they flash out fometimes into an irregular greatnefs of thought, and betray in their actions an unguided force, and unmanaged virtue; fomething very great and very noble may be difcerned, but it looks cumbersome and awkward, and is alone of all things the worfe for being natural. Nature is undoubtedly the best miftrefs, and apteft fcholar; but nature herself must be civilized, or the will look favage, as the appears in the Indian princes, who are vefted with a native majesty, a fur-`

prifing

prifing greatnefs and generofity of foul, and discover what we always regret, fine parts, and excellent natural endowments, without improvement. In thofe countries, which we call barbarous, where art and politenefs are not understood, nature hath the greater advantage in this, that fimplicity of manners often fecures the innocence of the mind; and as virtue is not, fo neither is vice, civilifed and refined: but in thefe politer parts of the world, where virtue excels by rules and difcipline, vice allo is more inftructed, and with us good qualities will not fpring up alone: many hurtful weeds will rife with them, and choak them in their growth, unless removed by fome filful hand; nor will the mind be brought to a juft perfection, without cherishing every hopeful feed, and repreffing every fuperfluous humour: the mind is like the body in this regard, which cannot fall into a decent and eafy carriage, unlefs it be fashioned in time: an untaught behaviour is like the people that use it, truly ruftic, forced and uncouth, and art must be applied to make it natural.

Felton.

83. On the Entrance to Knowledge, Knowledge will not be won without pains and application: fome parts of it are eafier, fome more difficult of accefs: we must proceed at once by fap and battery; and when the breach is practicable, you have nothing to do, but to prefs boldly on, and enter: it is troublefome and deep digging for pure waters, but when once you come to the spring, they rife and meet you: the entrance into knowledge is oftentimes very narrow, dark and tire fome, but the rooms are fpacious, and gloriously furnished the country is admirable, and every profpect entertaining. You need not wonder, that fine countries have strait avenues, when the regions of happiness, like thofe of knowledge, are impervious, and fhut to lazy travellers, and the way to heaven itself is narrow.

Common things are easily attained, and no body values what lies in every body's way: what is excellent is placed out of crdinary reach, and you will eafily be perfuaded to put forth your hand to the utmost ftretch, and reach whatever you afpire at.

Ibid.

84. Claffics recommended. Many are the fubjects which will invite and deferve the fteadieft application from

thofe who would excel, and be diftinguished in them. Human learning in general; natural philofophy, mathematics, and the whole circle of fcience, But there is no neceffity of leading you through these feveral fields of knowledge: it will be most commendable for you to gather fome of the fairest fruit from them all, and to lay up a store of good fenfe, and found reason, of great probity, and folid virtue. This is the true ufe of knowledge, to make it fubfervient to the great duties of our most holy religion, that as you are daily grounded in the true and faving knowledge of a Chriftian, you may ufe the helps of human learning, and direct them to their proper end. You will meet with great and wonderful examples of an irregular and mistaken virtue in the Greeks and Romans, with many initances of greatness of mind, of unfhaken fidelity, contempt of human grandeur, a moft paffionate love of their country, prodigality of life, difdain of fervitude, inviolable truth, and the most public difinterested fouls, that ever threw off all regards in comparison with their country's good: you will difcern the flaws and blemilhes of their faireft actions, fee the wrong apprehenfions they had of virtue, and be able to point them right, and keep them within their proper bounds. Under this correction you may extract a gene rous and noble spirit from the writings and hiftories of the ancients. And I would in a particular manner recommend the claflic authors to your favour, and they will recommend themfelves to your approbation.

If you would refolve to mafter the Greek as well as the Latin tongue, you will find, that the one is the fource and original of all that is most excellent in the other: I do not mean fo much for expreffion, as thought, though fome of the most beautiful ftrokes of the Latin tongue are drawn from the lines of the Grecian orators and poets; but for thought and fancy, for the very foundation and embellishment of their works, you will fee, the Latins have ranfacked the Grecian ftore, and, as Horace advises all who would fucceed in writing well, had their authors night and morning in their hands.

And they have been fuch happy imitators, that the copies have proved more exact than the originals; and Rome has triumphed over Athens, as well in wit as arms; for though Greece may have the honour of invention, yet it is eafier to ftrike out a new courfe of thought,

than

than to equal old originals; and therefore it is more honour to furpass, than to invent anew. Verrio is a great man from his own defigns; but if he had attempted upon the Cartons, and outdone Raphael Urbin in life and colours, he had been acknowledged greater than that celebrated mafter, but now we must think him lefs. Felton.

§ 85.

rity of the Roman mufe, the poem is fill more wonderful, fince, without the liberty of the Grecian poets, the diction is fo great and noble, fo clear, so forcible and expreffive, fo chafte and pure, that even all the ftrength and compafs of the Greek tongue, joined to Homer's fire, cannot give us ftronger and clearer ideas, than the great Virgil has fet before our eyes; fome few

A Comparison of the Greek and instances excepted, in which Homer, thro' the force of genius, has excelled.

Roman Writers.

If I may detain you with a fhort comparifon of the Greek and Roman authors, I must own the last have the preference in my thoughts; and I am not fingular in my opinion. It must be confeffed, the Romans have left no tragedies behind them, that may compare with the majefty of the Grecian ftage; the belt comedies of Rome were written on the Grecian plan, but Menander is too far loft to be compared with Terence; only if we may judge by the method Terence ufed in forming two Greek plays into one, we shall naturally conclude, fince his are perfect upon that model, that they are more perfect than Menander's were. I fhall make no great difficulty in preferring Plautus to Ariftophanes, for wit and humour, variety of characters, plot and contrivance in his plays, though Horace has cenfured him for low wit.

Virgil has been fo often compared with Homer, and the merits of thofe poets fo often canvaffed, that I fhall only fay, that if the Roman shines not in the Grecian's flame and fire, it is the coolness of his judgment, rather than the want of heat. You will generally find the force of a poet's genius, and the strength of his fancy, difplay themselves in the defcriptions they give of battles, ftorms, prodigies, &c. and Homer's fire breaks out on thefe occafions in more dread and terror; but Virgil mixes compaffion with his terror, and, by throwing water on the flame, makes it burn the brighter; fo in the ftorm; fo in his battles on the fall of Pallas and Camilla; and that scene of horror, which his hero opens in the second book; the burning of Troy; the ghost of Hector; the murder of the king; the maffacre of the people; the fudden furprize, and the dead of night, are fo relieved by the piety and pity that is every where intermixed, that we forget our fears, and join in the lamentation. All the world acknowledges the Eneid to be most perfect in its kind; and confidering the difadvantage of the language, and the feve

I have argued hitherto for Virgil; and it will be no wonder that his poem fhould be more correct in the rules of writing, if that ftrange opinion prevails, that Homer writ without any view or defign at all; that his poems are loofe independent pieces tacked together, and were originally only fo many fongs or ballads upon the gods and heroes, and the fiege of Troy. If this be true, they are the completeft ftring of ballads I ever met with, and whoever collected them, and put them in the method we now read them in, whether it were Pififtratus, or any other, has placed them in fuch order, that the Iliad and the Odyffeis feem to have been compofed with one view and defign, one fcheme and intention, which are carried on from the beginning to the end, all along uniform and confiftent with themselves. Some have argued, the world was made by a wife Being, and not jumbled together by chance, from the very abfurdity of fuch a fuppofition; and they have illuftrated their argument, from the impoffibility that fuch a poem as Homer's and Virgil's fhould rife in fuch beautiful order out of millions of letters eternally fhaken together: but this argument is half fpoiled, if we allow, that the poems of Homer, in each of which appears one continued formed defign from one end to the other, were written in loofe fcraps on no fettled premeditated scheme. Horace, we are fure, was of another opinion, and fo was Virgil too, who built his Æneid upon the model of the Iliad and the Odyffeis After all, Tully, whofe relation of this paffage has given fome colour to this fuggeftion, fays no more, than that Pififtratus (whom he commends for his learning, and condemns. for his tyranny) obferving the bocks of Homer to lie confufed and out of order, placed them in the method the great author, no doubt, had first formed them in: but all this Tully gives us only as report. And it would be very strange, that Ariftotle should form his rules on Homer's poems; that Horace should follow

ed

poet

his example, and propofe Homer for the ftandard of epic writing, with this bright teftimony, that he never undertook any thing inconfiderately, nor ever made any foolish attempts; if indeed this celebratdid not intend to form his poems in the order and defign we fee them in. If we look upon the fabric and construction of thofe great works, we shall find an admirable proportion in all the parts, a perpetual coincidence, and dependence of one upon another; I will venture an appeal to any learned critic in this caufe; and if it be a fufficient reafon to alter the common readings in a letter, a word, or a phrase, from the confideration of the context, or propriety of the language, and call it the reftoring of the text, is it not a demonftration that these poems were made in the fame course of lines, and upon the fame plan we read them in at prefent, from all the arguments that connexion, dependence, and regularity can give us? If thofe critics, who maintain this odd fancy of Homer's writings, had found them loofe and undigefted, and restored them to the order they ftand in now, I believe they would have gloried in their art, and maintained it with more uncontested reasons, than they are able to bring for the difcovery of a word or a fyllable hitherto falfely printed in the text of any author. But, if any learned men of fingular fancies and opinions will not allow thefe buildings to have been originally defigned after the prefent model, let them at least allow us one poetical fuppofition on our fide, That Homer's harp was as powerful to command his fcattered incoherent pieces into the beautiful ftructare of a poem, as Amphion's was to fummon the ftones into a wall, or Orpheus's to lead the trees a dance. For certainly, however it happens, the parts are fo juftly difpofed, that you cannot change any book into the place of another, without fpoiling the proportion, and confounding the order of the whole.

The Georgics are above all controverfy with Hefiod; but the Idylliums of Theocritus have fomething fo inimitably fweet in the verfe and thoughts, fuch a native fimplicity, and are fo genuine, fo natural a refult of the rural life, that I must, in my poor judgment, allow him the honour of the paftoral.

In Lyrics the Grecians may seem to have excelled, as undoubtedly they are fuperior in the number of their poets, and variety of

their verfe. Orpheus, Alcæus, Sappho, Simonides, and Stefichorus are almoft entirely loft. Here and there a fragment of fome of them is remaining, which, like fome broken parts of ancient ftatues, preferve an imperfect monument of the delicacy, ftrength, and kill of the great mafter's hand."

Pindar is fublime, but obfcure, impetuous in his courfe, and unfathomable in the depth and loftiness of his thoughts. Anacreon flows foft and eafy, every where diffufing the joy and indolence of his mind through his verfe, and tuning his harp to the smooth and pleasant temper of his foul. Horace alone may be compared to both; in whom are reconciled the loftinefs and majefty of Pindar, and the gay, careless, jovial temper of Anacreon: and, I fuppofe, however Pindar may be admired for greatnefs, and Anacreon for delicateness of thought; Horace, who rivals one in his triumphs, and the other in his mirth and love, furpasses them both in justness, elegance, and happiness of expreffion. Anacreon has another follower among the choiceft wits of Rome, and that is Catullus, whom, though his lines be rough, and his numbers inharmonious, I could recommend for the foftnefs and delicacy, but muft decline for the looseness of his thoughts, too immodeft for chaste ears to bear.

I will go no farther in the poets; only, for the honour of our country, let me obferve to you, that while Rome has been contented to produce fome single rivals to the Grecian poetry, England hath brought forth the wonderful Cowley's wit, who was beloved by every mufe he courted, and has rivalled the Greek and Latin poets in every kind, but tragedy.

I will not trouble you with the historians any further, than to inform you, that the conteft lies chiefly between Thucydides and Salluft, Herodotus and Livy; though I think Thucydides and Livy may on many accounts more juftly be compared: the critics have been very free in their cenfures, but I fhall be glad to fufpend any farther judgment, till you fhall be able to read them, and give me your opinion.

Oratory and philofophy are the next difputed prizes; and whatever praises may be justly given to Ariftotle, Plato, Xenophon, and Demofthenes, I will venture to say, that the divine Tully is all the Grecian orators and philofophers in one. Felton.

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And now, having poffibly given you fome prejudice in favour of the Romans, I muft beg leave to affure you, that if you have not leifure to mafter both, you will find your pains well rewarded in the Latin tongue, when once you enter into the elegancies and beauties of it. It is the peculiar felicity of that language to fpeak good fenfe in fuitable expreffions; to give the finest thoughts in the happieft words, and in an easy majefly of flyle, to write up to the fubject. And in this, lies the great "fecret of writing well, It is that elegant fimplicity, that ornamental plainnefs of fpeech, which every common genius thinks fo plain, that any body may reach "it, and findeth fo very elegant, that all "his fweat, and pains, and study, fail him in the attempt.'

In reading the excellent authors of the Roman tongue, whether you converfe with poets, orators, or hiftorians, you will meet with all that is admirable in human compofure. And though life and fpirit, propriety and force of ftyle, be common to them all, you will fee that nevertheless every writer fhines in his peculiar excellencies; and that wit, like beauty, is diverfified into a thousand graces of feature and complexion.

I need not trouble you with a particular character of these celebrated writers. What I have faid already, and what I fhall fay farther of them as I go along, renders it lefs neceffary at prefent, and I would not pre-engage your opinion implicitly to my fide. It will be a pleasant exercife of your judgment to diftinguish them yourself; and when you and I fhall be able to depart from the common received opinions of the critics and commentators, I may take fome other occafion of laying them before you, and fubmitting what I fhall then fay of them to your approbation. Felton.

§ 87. Directions in reading the Claffics. In the mean time, I fhall only give you two or three cautions and directions for your reading them, which to fome people will look a little odd, but with me they are of great moment, and very necessary to be obferved.

The first is, that you would never be perfuaded into what they call Commonplaces; which is a way of taking an author to pieces, and ranging him under pro

per heads, that you may readily find what he has faid upon any point, by confulting an alphabet. This practice is of no ufe but in circumftantials of time and place, cuftom and antiquity, and in fuch inftances where facts are to be remembered, not where the brain is to be exercised. In thefe cafes it is of great ufe: it helps the memory, and ferves to keep those things in a fort of order and fucceflion. But, common-placing the fenfe of an author is fuch a flapid undertaking, that, if I may be indulged in faying it, they want common fenfe that prace it. What heaps of this rubbish have 1 feen! O the pains and labour to record what other people have faid, that is taken by those who have nothing to fay themfelves! You may depend upon it, the writings of thefe men are never worth the reading; the fancy is cramped, the invention fpoiled, their thoughts on every thing are prevented, if they think at all; but it is the peculiar happiness of thefe collectors of fenfe, that they can write without thinking,

I do mot readily agree, that all the bright fparkling thoughts of the ancients, their fineft expreflions, and nobleft fenti ments, are to be met with in these transcribers: but how wretchedly are they brought in, how miferably put together! Indeed, I can compare fuch productions to nothing but rich pieces of patch-work, fewed together with packthread.

When I fee a beautiful building of exact order and proportion taken down, and the different materials laid together by themfelves, it puts me in mind of these commonplace men. The materials are certainly very good, but they understand not the rules of architecture fo well, as to form them into juft and masterly proportions any more: and yet how beautiful would they ftand in another model upon another plan!

For, we must confefs the truth: We can fay nothing new, at least we can fay nothing better than has been faid before; but we may nevertheless make what we fay our own. And this is done when we do not trouble ourselves to remember in what page or what book we have read fuch a paliage; but it falls in naturally with the courfe of our own thoughts, and takes its place in our writings with as much ease, and looks with as good a grace, as it appeared in two thousand years ago.

This is the best way of remembering the ancient authors, when you relish their

way

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