Homer's Poems be in the Hands of the Subjects of that Government, was because he did not esteem ordinary Men capable Readers of 'em. They wou'd be apt to pervert his Meaning, and have wrong Notions of God and Religion, by taking his bold and beautiful Allegories in too literal a Senfe. Plato frequently declares, that he loves and admires him as the best, the most pleasant and divineft of all the Poets; and ftudioufly imitates his figurative and mystical Way of Writing. Tho' he forbad his Works to be read in public, yet he would never be without 'em in his own Closet. Tho' the PhiloSopher pretends that for Reafons of State he must remove him out of his City, yet he declares he wou'd treat him with all poffible refpect while he ftaid; and difmifs him laden with Prefents and adorn'd with Garlands, (as the Priests and Supplicants of their Gods us'd to be) by which

Marks

Marks of Honour all People wherever he came might be warn'd, and induc'd to esteem his Perfon facred, and receive him with due Veneration. Virgil follows Nature and Homer her faithful Interpreter; fo that he is admirable upon every Subject, and Master of all Styles. He keeps to the Characters and Humours of the Shepherds of thofe Ages in his Paftorals, with fuch Plainnefs and Propriety, fuch Pleasantnefs and fuitable Eafinefs of Expreffion, that one wou'd think he had liv'd among those happy People, and been long acquainted with the Care of their Flocks, their Amours, and harmlefs Differences. In his Georgics he raises his Style, and defcribes the Art of Tillage, the Government of the Bees, and all the Affairs of the Husbandman, with fuch found Judgment, fui-. table Language, and proper Heightnings of Fancy, that every skilful Profeffor of Agriculture mult admire

him

him for the firft of his Excellencies and every learned Critic for the two next. In his Heroic Poem he has come fo near Homer, that he has rais'd himself far above all other Poets. Not to mention the Propriety and Sublimity of his Thought, the manly Elegance and majeftic Concifenefs of his Expreffion; he is very admirable in the judicious and most agreeable Variety of his Numbers. In that Excellency, I think, he does not in the least yield to the glorious Grecian, tho' he had the Difadvantage in his Language: Latin being. a Tongue more clofe and fevere than Greek; neither having different Dialects as that has; nor allowing that Latitude and Liberty of Variation which that does. The Plan of his Epic Poem is fo noble and regular, his Conduct fo prudent, his Characters fo just and accurate, and his Ornaments fo becoming, that both Macenas and Auguftus, two of the com

pleatest

pleatest Statesmen and Scholars in the World, must allow the Eneid to be a Masterpiece. In all Ages whoever fhall imitate these two fupreme Wits with the exactest Care and nearest Resemblance will be fuperiour to all Corrivals.

If we mention Theocritus he will be another bright Instance of the hapру Abilities and various Accomplish

ments of the Ancients. He has writ in feveral forts of Poetry, and fuc ́ceeded in all. It feems unneceffary to praise the native Simplicity and easie Freedom of his Paftorals; when Virgil himself fometimes invokes the Mufe of Syracufe; when he imitates him thro' all his own Poems of that kind, and in feveral Paffages tranflates him. Quintilian fays of our Sicilian Bard, that he is admirable in his Kind; but when he adds that his Mufe is not only thy of appearing at the Bar but in the City too, 'tis evident this Remark must

be

be confin'd to his Paftorals. In fe veral of his other Poems he fhews fuch Strength of Reason and Politenefs, that wou'd qualify him to plead among the Orators, and make him acceptable in the Courts of Princes. In his smaller Poems of Cupid ftung, Adonis kill'd by the Boar, &c. you have the Vigour and Delicacy of Anacreon; in his Hylas and Combat of Pollux and Amycus, he is much more pathetical, clear and pleafant, than Apollonius on the fame, or any other Subject. In his Converfation of Alcmena and Tirefias, of Hercu les and the old Servant of Augeas, in Cynifca and Thyonichus, and the Women going to the Ceremonies of Adonis there is all the Eafinefs and engaging Familiarity of Humour and Dialogue, which reign in the Odyf sëis; and in Hercules deftroying the Lyon of Nemea, the Spirit and Majefty of the Iliad. The Panegyric upon King Ptolomy is justly esteem'd

an