his compleat and exquifite Writings. Demosthenes labour'd Night and Day, out watch'd the pooreft Mechanic in Athens, (that was forc'd to perpetual Drudgery to fupport himiclf and. his Family) till he had acquir'd fuch a Mastery in his noble. Profession, fuch a rational and overruling Vehemence, fuch a perfect Habit of ner-vous and convincing Eloquence, as enabled him to defy the strongest Oppofition, and to triumph over Envy: and Time.

Plato, when he was eighty Years old, was bufily employ'd in the Review and Amendment of hi dis vine Dialogues: and fome People are fevere upon Cicero, that in imitation of Plato he was fo fcrupulous whether he ought to write ad Pirea or in Piraa, Piræum or in Piraum, that now in the fixtieth Year of his Age, in the fury of the Civil Wars, when he knew not how to difpofe of. his Family, and scarce expected SafeB'6

ty,

ty, he earnestly entreated his noble and learned Friend Atticus to refolve that Difficulty, and cafe him of the Perplexity which it created him. Whatever Raillery or Reflection fome humourfome Wits may make upon that great Man's Exactnefs and Nicery in that Refpect and at fuch a Time; 'tis a plain Proof of his wonderful Care and Diligence in his Compofition, and the ftrict Regard he had to the Purity and Propriety of his Language. The Ancients fo accurately understood, and fo indefatigably ftudy'd their Subject, that they fcarce ever fail to finish and adorn every part with ftrong Senfe and lively Expreffion. They feldom flag thro' their whole Work, but glorioufly keep up their Fire and Spirits to the laft. How many of our modern Pretenders, who have neither fufficient Genius nor Education, are ftrangely fond of a Subject that of all things they least understand? They aukwardly

aukwardly court a Mufe that ftill. flies; and with a barren and perverse Diligence plod upon a Subject that can never answer their Pains. It feems to be in this Cafe, as has been obferv'd in fome others, that Perfons of the least Power have the most intemperate Inclinations. They have not Flame nor Strength of Senfe to invigorate their Conceptions, and ftrike Life into a whole Piece.

But I must remember 'tis not my Business to fhew the Deformities of fome modern Pamphleteers, but the Beauties of the Ancients.

To make out a little farther what I have advanc'd upon this first Head, I ask leave to name a few particular Authors.

'Tis no romantic Commendation of Homer to fay, that no Man underflood Perfons and Things better than he; or had a deeper Infight into the Humours and Paffions of human Na- ture.

He reprefents great Things

with

with fuch Sublimity, and little ones with fuch Propriety, that he always makes the one admirable, and the. other pleasant.

He is a perfect Mafter of all the lofty Graces of the figurative Style, and all the Purity and Eafinefs of the plain. Strabo the excellent Geographer and Hiftorian affures us, that Homer has defcrib'd the. Places and Countries of which he gives account, with that Accuracy that no Man can imagine who has not feen 'em; and. no Man but must admire and be aftōnifh'd who has. His Poems His Poems may... justly be compar'd with that Shield of divine Workmanfhip fo inimitably. reprefented in the eighteenth Book of the Iliad. You have there exact Images of all the Actions of War andTM Employments of Peace; and are entertain'd with a delightful View of the Univerfe. Homer has all the Beauties of every Dialect and Style. fcatter'd through his Writings; he is fcarcé

cy;

fcarce inferiour to any other Poet in the Poet's own Way and Excellenbut excels all others in Force and Comprehenfion of Genius, Elevation, of Fancy, and immenfe Copiousness of Invention. Such a Sovereignty of Genius reigas all over his Works,. that the Ancients efteem'd and ad-. mir'd him as the great High-Prief of Nature, who was admitted into her inmost Choir,, and acquainted: with her moft folemn Mysteries.

The great Men of former Ages with one Voice celebrate the Praifes of Homer; and old Zoilus has only a. few Followers in thefe later Times,. who detract from him either for want.. of Greek, or out of a Spirit of Conceit and Contradiction.

Thefe Gentlemen tell us; that the divine Plato himself banish'd him out of his Commonwealth; which, fay they, must be granted to be a Blemith upon the Poet's Reputation. The reafon why Plato wou'd not let

Homer's