_The Oration, on entering into the Professorship,_
_or First Lecture._
Page 1
LECTURE II, III.
OF THE NATURE AND ORIGIN OF POETRY IN GENERAL 13
POETRY _defin'd_ ibid.
Vossius's _Definition rejected_ ibid.
_Prov'd against_ Vossius, _and Mons._ Dacier,
_that_ Poetry _does not imitate_
Actions _only_ 14,15
_That_ Poetry _is an_ Art, _properly so call'd_ 15
_That_ Poetry _consists in_ Imitation
_and_ Illustration 15,16
_A Comparison between_ Poetry _and_ Painting 16,17
_The Meaning and Original of the Word_ Ποιητες 18,19
_Prov'd, against Mons_. Dacier,
_that fictitious Narrations, written in Prose,
are not properly_ Poems 20,21
_That_ Fiction _is not_ essential _to Poetry_ 21
_That_ Poetry _does not differ from_ History
_in the_ Diction _only_ 22
_The Difference between_ Poesy, Poetry, _and a_ Poem ibid.
_A Comparison between_ Poetry _and_ Music 23
_That the End of Poetry is twofold, to instruct,
and to please_ 24
_That_ Instruction _is the principal End of Poetry_ 24,25
_What the secret Sources of Pleasure are,
which all receive from Poetry_ 25,26
_That Poetry took its Rise from_ Love 26,27
_Owes its first Increase and Progress to_ Religion 27
_Who were the first_ Authors _of_ Verses 28
_The_ Rise _of Poetry_ fetch'd _farther back:
Shewn that the_ immediate _Causes of it are
founded in that Love of_ Imitation _and_
Harmony _which is natural to all; and that_
Vossius _has assign'd wrong ones_ 29
_The Reason why Mankind is so much given to_
Imitation _and_ Harmony 30
_That Prose is more_ ancient _than Poetry_ 30,31
_Whether, in Poetry,_ Nature _or_ Industry
_is of greater Force_ 31
_The Meaning of that Saying,_ Poeta nascitur; non fit 32
_Of the_ Inspiration _attributed to Poets_ ibid.
_Explanation of_ poetical Fables _rejected_ 33
_The Difference between Poetry and Oratory_ 34
LECTURE IV, V, VI, VII.
OF THE STYLE OF POETRY.
_What Style is; and in what its Beauty consists_ 37
_The Style of Poetry so_ singular, _that there
are many Expressions_ elegant _in the
Writings of the Poets, which in Prose would be
contrary to the Rules of_ Grammar ibid.
_Examples cited_ 38,39,40,41
_Other Expressions, which tho' not entirely poetical,
yet are much_ more suitable _to Verse,
than Prose_ 42
_A beautiful Poem may, however, consist of those which
are common both to Prose and Metre_ 43
_That it is the Property of Poetry to express the_
whole of a Thing _sometimes by some one Adjunct_ ibid.
_Sometimes by a Kind of_ Paraphrase,
_and little_ Description 44
_To use_ Specials _for_ Generals 45
_That_ Poetry _impresses upon the Mind the
Images of Things stronger than_ Prose 46,47
_That Descriptions are almost peculiar to Poetry_ 47
_That_ figurative _Expressions are more suitable
to poetic Writings than Prose; and why_ 51
_Of the Use and Abuse of_ Metaphors 51,52
_Of Books that teach the_ Elements _of_ Rhetoric 53
One and the same Thing _express'd_ different Ways,
_sometimes well, sometimes ill_ 54
_A Comparison in this Particular, and some others
between_ Virgil _and_ Ovid ibid.
Repetition of the same Words, _to be avoided
as much as conveniently may be_ 60
_Great Regard to be had to the_ Sound _and_
Order of Words 61
_A Mistake in those who think_ Ovid, Claudian,_and
others, excel_ Virgil _in Versification_ 62
_Of Verses that express the Thing they describe by
their_ Sound _and_ Numbers 64,65,66
_Of the Verses in the_ Æneid _that_ break off short 67
_An unwarrantable Liberty in modern Writers to imitate_
Virgil, _in this Particular_ 68
_Or too boldly to violate the_ Laws of Quantity 68,69
_Of the true and elegant Use of_ Epithets 69
_Divided into two Sorts_ ibid.
_Of those that add to their Substantives_ new
_and_ distinct Ideas 69,70
_Of those that_ come nearer _to the_ general
_Nature of their Substantives, and are us'd
for_ Illustration _and_ Explanation,
_tho' they don't convey any_ new Idea
_to it_ 71
_The_ Gradus ad Parnassum, _and other Books of that
Nature, prejudicial to young Tyro's in Poetry_ 73
_Other Kinds of_ Epithets 74
_Of_ superfluous _and_ redundant _Epithets_ 76
_A Mistake of those, on the other Hand, who think
that very_ few Epithets _should be us'd_ 78
_When a Thing is to be_ strongly _express'd,
and with great_ Energy, _by all Means
to_ abstain _from Epithets_ 80
_All_ Adjectives _and_ Participles _not Epithets_ 81
_An Enumeration of different Sorts of Style_ 82
_Of the_ Sublime, _the_ Turgid,
_and the_ Low Style 82-90
_Of the_ Sarcastical _and_ Severe 91
_Of the_ Florid _Style_ 92
Other _Sorts of Style_ ibid.
_The Style to be_ varied; _and not always
preserve one even Tenor_ 93
_Style of_ Comedy _not poetical_ 94
_This Question carried on with Respect to Comedies
writ in the_ English _Tongue_ 95
_And to those in the_ French ibid.
_The_ Connexion _between Beauty of_ Expression,
_and Beauty of_ Thought 96
LECTURE VIII, IX, X, XI.
OF THE BEAUTY OF THOUGHT; OR OF ELEGANCE AND SUBLIMITY 101
_The Difficulty of treating of this Subject_ ibid.
_Definition of_ Wit 102
_The Foundation of true Wit_ ibid.
_The Difference between a Thought_ simply
_consider'd, and an_ ingenious _one_ 102
_The Difference between_ Falshood _and_ Fiction 103
_Specimens of false or spurious_ Wit 104
_Thoughts partly true, partly false_ 105
_The Difference between true and false Wit_ 106
_Some Verses have gain'd Esteem, not from Reason,
or true Merit, but merely from popular Fame_ 107
_The Opinion of the famous_ Boileau, _and a Passage
translated from him_ 108
_That some Thoughts are true, tho' Poetical Fiction
be added to them_ 109
_Care always to be taken, that_ some Truth
_be the Basis of the Thought_ 112
_That fine Thoughts and Words ought not to superabound_ 113
_In the right Disposal of them much Art required_ 113
_Beauty of Thought divided into two Kinds, the_
Elegant _and the_ Sublime 115
_How these differ_ ibid.
_Of a happy Genius_ ibid.
_Of the_ Impetus _or Poetic Fire_ 116
_Of moving the Passions_ 118
_Under this Head the Fourth Book of_
Virgil_'s_ Æneis _considered_ 120
_Of_ Images 125-129
_Of_ Antitheta 129
_Of_ Transitions 132-135
_Of_ Excursions _of another Kind_ 135
_Of_ Comparisons 136
_That_ pretty _Thoughts ill agree with the Passions_ 139
_Of_ Delicate _Thoughts_ 140,141
_Of_ Strong _Thoughts_ 142
_That_ Severity _and_ Gravity
_not inconsistent with Wit_ ibid.
_Of_ Sentences ibid.
_Of_ echoing _Turns_ 143
_Of Thoughts that seem to_ contradict _each other_ 144,145
_Of_ Æquivocations _and_ Playing upon Words 145,146
_Of Sublimity_ 147
_The Substance of that Idea of Sublimity,
which_ Longinus _describes_ ibid.
_A Mistake of those who think that_ Sublimity
_is more especially, if not only, suited
to_ Exultation _and_ Triumph 149
_Examples of Sublimity, exciting_ Terror _and_ Pity ibid.
_A Stricture upon_ Poetic Licence 151
LECTURE XII.
OF EPIGRAM, AND OTHER LIGHTER SPECIES OF POETRY 153
_The History and Origin of_ Epigram ibid.
_No need of dividing Epigrams into so many
distinct sorts as some do_ 154
_Epigrams some_ Satirical ibid.
_Panegyrical_ 155
_Upon the Subject of Love_ ibid.
_Upon any other Subject_ 155,156
Religious _Epigrams_ 156,157
_And_ sublime 157
_The Nature of true_ Epigram _in general_ 158
_Some Poems consisting of a few Verses, in_ Martial
_and others, not Epigrams properly so called_ 158
_Of the_ Lent Verses _made at Oxford, call'd_
Carmina Quadragesimalia 159
_Of_ Elogies, Inscriptions, _and_ Epitaphs ibid.
_Of_ Emblems _or_ Symbols ibid.
_That Epigrams should be_ short 160
_Of the_ Metre _of Epigram_ 161
_Of Hendecasyllables_ ibid.
_Whether the Ancients or the Moderns have deserv'd
greater Praise in this little Kind of Poems_ ibid.
_They are beautiful, and not without their Difficulty_ 161,162
LECTURE XIII.
OF ELEGY
_Few have treated of this Species of Poetry_ 163
_The Nature of it, and the Etymology of the Name_ 164
Melancholy _Subjects first and principally
suited to_ Elegy ibid.
_Afterwards by Analogy others of a very different Kind_ 164,165
Death _and_ Love _the chief Subjects of Elegy_ 165
_Tho' scarce any other sort of Matter repugnant to it_ ibid.
_But Circumstances of Joy with less Propriety
agreeable to it_ ibid.
_Many_ Epistles _are_ Elegies 166
_Of_ Ovid_'s Heroine Epistles; and the Difference
between them and Elegies commonly so called_ ibid.
_What the chief Property of_ Elegies 167,168
_Very few of our modern Poems, which are styled_
Elegies, _deserve our Notice_ 169
_Of the Elegiac_ Metre 169
_Among the Ancients we have scarce any_
Elegiac _Poets but Latin_ 169,170
_Of the Elegiac Writers_, Ovid, Tibullus,
_and_ Propertius 170
Catullus _not so properly reckon'd in the Number_ ibid.
_Of_ Gallus _a Writer of Elegies_ 170,171
LECTURE XIV.
OF PASTORALS
_None of the Ancients have treated
of this Species of Poem_ 172
_The Original of_ Pastoral 172-174
_The peculiar Nature of it_ 174
_No Difference between_ Pastorals _and_
Bucolics _but the Name_ ibid.
Virgil _undeservedly censured, for mixing_
Philosophy _and the_ Sublime _with Pastoral_ ibid.
_His Fourth and Sixth Eclogues true Pastorals_ 175
_As also his Tenth_ 176
Eclogue _and_ Idyllium _according to their
Etymology, include nothing of_ Bucolic
_or_ Pastoral _in their Meaning_ 177
_These Poems, the more_ simple _they are,
the truer_ Pastorals ibid.
_They contain an elegant sort of_ Simplicity 178
_More of the Nature and Turn of this sort of Poem_ 179
_Certain_ vulgar Mistakes
_concerning this_ Poem _noted_ ibid.
_The various_ Subjects _of Pastoral_ 180
_Whence the_ Delight _arises that is peculiar
to this Kind of Poem_ 181,182
_Of Primitive Simplicity, and a Country Life_ ibid.
_A Comparison between the Works of Nature and Art_ ibid.
_Between_ Theocritus _and_ Virgil 183
_Pastoral less suitable to the present Times_ 186
LECTURE XV.
OF DIDACTIC OR PRÆCEPTIVE POETRY
_Very few Writings now remaining upon this Subject_ 187
_That Poetry is the best adapted to give Rules_ ibid.
_Four Kinds of Didactic Poems_ 189
_Of_ those _which relate to_ Morality ibid.
----_to_ Natural Philosophy ibid.
_The Harmony between Poetry and Natural Philosophy_ ibid.
Lucretius _the Prince of Poets in this Kind of Writing_ 190
_What Things commendable in him, and what to be blamed_ 190,191
_A Comparison between him and_ Virgil 192
_That Poetic Fiction and the
Explanation of Nature may be elegantly united_ 192
_That this Kind of Writing may at this Day receive
Improvements from the Advantages of_
Experimental Philosophy 193
_Of Poems which relate to the Business or
Pleasures of Life_ ibid.
_Of_ Virgil_'s Georgics_ ibid.
_A Comparison between_ Hesiod _and_ Virgil 194
_Of the Various Methods of fetching in
Ornaments to the_ Georgics 194-197
_Few Writers in this Way among the Moderns_ 198
_Two mention'd_; Rapin _of Gardens,
and a Countryman of ours_ 199
_Of Country Diversions, Hunting, &c. and of_
Gratius_'s_ Cygnegeticon 199
_Of_ Oppian ibid.
_Of Rules concerning the Art of Poetry_ ibid.
_A Didactic Poem may be writ upon any Subject_ 200
_Some Subjects recommended for it hitherto untouch'd_ 200,201
LECTURE XIII.
OF LYRIC POETRY
_The Original and Antiquity of Odes_ 203
_The Peculiar Nature of them_ ibid.
_Of_ Digressions _and_ Transitions
_in Lyric Poetry_ 204,205
_Notwithstanding this Liberty, it is the most difficult,
as it is the most elegant Kind of Writing_ 206
_Two Kinds of Digressions_ 207
_This more suitable to Music than other Poetry_ 209
_Of the Music of the Antients_ 210
_Of the various_ Subjects _of Odes_ 211
Sublimity _and_ Poetic Rage _more suited to them
than any other Poems_ 212
_Treat of_ serious _and_ moral _Subjects_ 213
_Whence the Pleasure arises that attends Lyric Poetry_ 214,215
_Of_ Pindar 215
_Of_ Anacreon ibid.
_Of_ Horace ibid.
_The Ancients excell the Moderns in this Kind of Poetry_ ibid.
_Of_ Casimire 215
_Of_ Hannes 216
_Of_ modern Pindarics 216,217
_Of_ Songs ibid.
LECTURE XVII, XVIII.
OF SATIRE
_How the Word is spelt: Of the_ History
_and_ Origin _of Satire_ 218
_Difference between the Satyric Poetry of the_
Greeks _and the_ Roman _Satire_ 219
_The Etymology of the Word_ ibid.
Ennius _a Writer of Satires_ 222
Pacuvius ibid.
Lucilius ibid.
Varro 223
_That Satires not only expose Vices, but give
Encomiums of Virtue_ 223
_Prov'd against Mons._ Dacier, _that the Difference
between the_ Satyric Poetry _of the_
Greeks, _and the_ Roman Satire, _is not
so great as he makes it_ 225
_Two Sorts of Satire: The Humourous, like that of_
Horace; _and the Serious, like_ Juvenal_'s_ 227
_This last the more excellent of the two_ ibid.
Vossius _judges wrong of the Nature and
Difference of Satire_ 228
Horace_'s rightly entitled_ Discourses
_rather than_ Satires 232
_All_ Juvenal_'s are properly_ Satires,
_except the last_ ibid.
Horace _is not too_ acrimonious _in his Satires_ 233
_Some Satires are_ Dialogues; _some_ Epistles ibid.
_Some of_ Horace_'s Satires are_ Epistles,
_and some of his Epistles are_ Satires ibid.
_The different Nature of_ Juvenal_'s_ ibid.
Persius _more a_ Philosopher, _than a_ Satirist 235-6
_The Moderns not much inferior to the Ancients in
this Kind of Writing_ 236
LECTURE XIX. _&c._
OF THE DRAMA IN GENERAL
_What_ Poetry _is in the most proper Sense of the Word_ 237
_Applicable to the_ Drama _and_ Epic,
_beyond all other sorts of Writing;
but more especially to the_ Drama 237-8
_The Difference between an_ Epic _and_
Dramatic _Poem_ 238
_In what Respects this is preferable to that;
and so_ vice versa ibid.
Aristotle _and_ Horace _just touch upon other Species
of Poetry, and dwell only upon the_ Drama ibid.
_Many of the latter Times have treated fully of it_ ibid.
_What proposed to be treated of in this Discourse_ 239
_Two Species of the_ Drama; Comedy _and_ Tragedy ibid.
Tragic-Comedy _rejected; and for what Reasons_ 239
_Of a new Species of the_ Drama, _called_ Opera's
_The Ridiculousness of them_ 240
_A Short History of the ancient_ Drama,
_taken from Vossius's_ Institutiones Poeticæ 243
_The_ Apparatus _of the ancient Drama pass'd by_ 244
_The Absurdity of the_ Mask _among the Ancients_ 245
_A Slight Stricture of the_ Soccus _and_ Buskin 246
_The Theatrical Music of the Ancients pass'd by likewise_ ibid.
_A_ Definition _of the_ Drama _in general_ 246
_That the_ Action _ought to be_ one 247
_But that it may rightly sometimes_
seem _to be two Actions,_ &c. ibid.
_That Kind of_ Drama _the best however,
where the Action is_ entirely one ibid.
_The Difference between the_ Fable, _the_ Action,
_and_ Machinery _of the Drama_ 248
_The_ Manners, different Natures, Characters,
Passions, _and_ Diction _in the Drama_ 248
_The Subject Matter of the_ Drama _called the_
Fable, _tho' it is founded on true History_ 250
_Some Poems are rather_ Dramatical _Histories
than Drama's_ ibid.
_Our Countryman_ Shakespear _commended_ ibid.
_Various Foundations of a Drama.
1 - True History.
2 - Some private Action.
3 - A noted common Story.
4 - A fable, or Fiction less known.
5 - The mere Invention of the Poet's Brain_ 250,251
_The last of these the best, and why_ 252
_Three_ Unities _in the Drama; viz. of_
Place, Time, _and_ Action 253
_Of_ Action _before spoke of_ ibid.
_Of_ Time ibid.
_Of_ Place 254
_The Necessity of observing these and other Rules_ 256
_To these_ Unities _a Fourth may be added,
that of_ Characters 256
_Of things partly_ related, _and partly_ acted
_on the Stage; and the great Difference between
the Ancients and the Moderns in this Respect_ 257,259
_Of Persons_ adventitious _or_ superfluous,
_and brought_ only once upon the Stage 259
_The Reason ought to appear why each Person comes
in or goes out_ 260
_Of the Division of the Drama into_ Acts;
_of Acts into_ Scenes 261
_Of_ broken _and_ disjointed _Scenes_ 261
_Of_ Soliloquies 262
_Some Rules of the_ coming in, _and_ going out
_of the_ Number of the Actors, _superfluous_ ibid.
_Of the_ Number _of the_ Actors 263
Vossius _lays down wrong Rules of the Parts of_
Action _to be divided to each Act_ 265
_Of the_ Protasis, Epitasis _and_ Catastrophe ibid.
Vossius _gives to these an improper Division in the Drama_ 266
_The_ Catastrophe _ill defined by_ Scaliger
_or_ Evanthius 268
_The Unfolding of the Plot ought to be_ surprising
_and yet easy_ 268
_The preposterous Artifice of some, who in the very
Title of their Play, discover the_
Catastrophe _of it_ 268,269
_To these three Parts a fourth_
(_viz. the_ Catastasis) _improperly added_ 269
_Of_ Incidents ibid.
_Intire Scenes not to be added for Ornament sake only_ 269,270
Love _the_ usual, _but not the best
Subject for a Drama_ 270
_The_ Chorus _of the Antients_ 271
_Another Place reserv'd for a Comparison between the
ancient and modern Dramatic Writers_ ibid.
_The last Clause of the Definition consider'd,
containing the_ End _of Drama_ 272
LECTURE XXIII, &c.
_The_ Etymology _of the Word_ Comedy 273
_Not very clear, whence this Kind of Poem arose_ 273,274
Three _Species of Comedy; the Old,
the Middle, and the New_ 275
_Of the_ Old _Comedy_ ibid.
_Of the_ Middle, _and the_ New 277,278
_A_ Definition _of Comedy, such as it ought to be_ 279
_Division of Comedy into the_ Moral _and_ Ridiculous ibid.
Scaliger_'s Definition of Comedy_ 280
_Mirth essential to Comedy_ ibid.
_And_ Happiness _in the Conclusion of it_ 281
_Upon these Heads_ Scaliger _and_ Vossius
_inconsistent with themselves_ ibid.
Vossius_'s Definition of Comedy_ ibid.
Persons _and_ Things _of a_ private _Character,
suitable to Comedy; neither of them ought to be_
great, _or_ concerned in the State 282
_Nor yet only such as_ are of low Life ibid.
_Two sorts of Comedy; the_ Sublime, _and the_ Low ibid.
_The_ Virtues, Vices, _and_ Follies _of Mankind,
the Subject of Comedy; but more
especially the_ Follies 283
_Proved against Mons._ Dacier _that the_
Γελοιος, _or What is Ridiculous,
is not the_ only _Subject of Comedy,
tho' it is the_ principal; _and that
Crimes of a more_ heinous Nature
_are not to be exposed in it_ 284
_That not only_ Joy, _but_ all the Passions
_are concerned in Comedy_ 288
_But in a quite different_ Manner _from what
they are represented in Tragedy_ 289
_The Difficulty of writing_ true Ridicule 290
_Whether Comic Writers may be allow'd to draw the
Characters_ beyond _Truth_ 291
_Of the_ Prologue _and_ Epilogue 292
_The_ Chorus, Mimus, _and_ Cantica
_of the Ancients_ ibid.
_That to write Comedy is a_ difficult _Task,
notwithstanding it imitates_ common Life 293
_Of the_ Diction _of Comedy_ 294
_Of_ Aristophanes _and_ Menander; Plautus
_and_ Terence ibid.
_A Comparison between the_ Ancients _and the_ Moderns 296
_Between the_ French _and_ our own _Writers_ 298
_Whether the English Comedies writ in Prose
are properly_ Poems 298
_Of the_ French _Comedies writ in_ Rhyme
_and_ Heroic _Verse_ 298
_Whence the Pleasure that arises from Comedy_ 299
_Why more are delighted with_ Comedy _than_ Tragedy 300
LECTURE XVI, _&c._
OF TRAGEDY
_The_ Etymology _of the Word_ 301
Aristotle_'s Definition proposed and examined_ 302
_And_ Vossius_'s_ 303
_A third offered made up of both_ 304
_The several Parts of the Definition_ ibid.
_Every thing in Tragedy ought to be_ great
_and_ sublime ibid.
_Of the_ Subject _of Tragedy_ ibid.
_Of the_ Morals, _the_ Thought _and_
Diction _of it_ ibid.
_The higher Species of_ Satire _of
Affinity with Tragedy_ 307,308
_The part of Tragedy to_ teach Virtue,
_even the most Heroic, no less than to_ expose Vice 308
_Tragedy form'd for_ Sublimity ibid.
_How reconcileable to Nature that Things so_ elevated
_and composed with so much Art, should be
represented to make Part of_ Common Conversation 308
_What has been said of the_ Magnificence _of this Part
of the Drama not_ equally _applicable to_
all _Tragedies; since there are two Species of it,
the one_ sublime, _the other more_ humble 309
_Another Distinction between Tragedies; and that it is
not_ essential _to them to end_ fortunately 310
_Those, whose_ Catastrophe is unfortunate _the more_
Tragical: _But such as have a_ fortunate
Conclusion _require more_ Art, _and
afford more_ Improvement 314
_Which Characters best adapted to move_ Pity,
_which Terror, and which both_ 315
_What species of Tragedy are of all others
the most Tragical_ 316
_Of_ Dramatic Justice ibid.
_The_ End _of Tragedy_ 317
_How Tragedy_ purges the Passions; _and even by
putting them in Motion_ 319,320
_What the Source of_ Delight _which_ Tragedy
_affords, or of that Pleasure which
flows from_ Melancholy 323,326
_A Comparison between the_ Ancients _and_ Moderns
_Between the_ French _and our Countrymen_ 326
LECTURE XXIX, &c.
OF THE EPIC OR HEROIC POEM
_The_ Dignity _and_ Excellence
_of this Kind of Poem_ 328
_Little remains now to be said of it; several Circumstances
relating to it having fallen in with the
other Matter I have already discoursed of_ 329
_What_ Bossu _has done upon this Subject_ ibid.
Definition _of an_ Epic _or_ Heroic _Poem_ 330
_The_ Parts _of this Definition_ ibid.
_The Method laid down of this Dissertation_ 331
_In what Respects_ Tragedy _and_
Epic _differ and agree_ 331,332
_Of the_ Action, Place, _and_ Time
_of the Epic Poem_ 332,333
_What the_ Action _of the Poem in the_ strictest
_or most proper Sense, and from
whence it_ commences 333
_The Duration of the Action of the_ Iliad, Odyssey,
_and the_ Æneis ibid.
_Proved against_ Bossu _and Mons._ Dacier,
_that an Epic Poem ought not to imitate every Action,
but_ only _the_ great _Actions of_
great Personages 334
_Of the_ Forming a Heroe 336
_The Meaning of_ Aristotle, _who asserts that the
Fable in Epic ought to be_ Dramatical ibid.
_The_ Event _in an Epic Poem ought_ always
_to end fortunately; and for what Reasons_ 336
_Of the_ Marvelous 338
_The Mistake of some, who confound the_ Marvelous
_with the_ Improbable 338-340
_Essential to be founded upon History_ partly true 340
_Of the_ Machines 341
_Of the_ Versification _of Heroic Poems_ ibid.
_A Translation of one Chapter of_ Bossu _explaining
the_ Nature _and_ Origin _of the Epic Poem_ ibid.
_The Difference between the Eloquence of the_ Ancients
_and the_ Moderns ibid.
_What the first Use of_ Fables 342
_Why Poetry, in_ Aristotle_'s Judgment, is more_
grave _and_ Philosophical _than_ History 343-346
_Epic more suited to the_ Manners _and_ Habits
_than the_ Passions 346
_Yet Epic not without_ Passion 347
_Especially_ Joy _and_ Admiration ibid.
_Of the_ Ancients _and_ Moderns 348
_Of_ Homer _and_ Virgil ibid.
_Of_ Historical _Poems_ ibid.
_Of_ Lucan 349
_Of_ Silius Italicus ibid.
_Of_ Statius 350
_Of_ Tasso 351
_Of_ Spencer ibid.
_Of_ Milton ibid.
_Of too servile an Imitation of_ Homer _and_ Virgil ibid.
_Some_ New Subject _must be_ attempted 352
_The Conclusion._ 354
N. B. _The several Passages cited from_ Virgil _are printed
in_ English _from Dr._ Trapp_'s Version. The other
Poetical Translations without a Name, the Editor is
to be accountable for, tho' he wishes he had as good
a Title to the Excellence of two or three of
them as he has to the Imperfections of the rest._
The Notes added to this _English_ Edition are distinguish'd
thus * or thus †; whereas those that were
before in the _Latin_ are referr'd to by Letters a, b, c, etc.
[** Transcriber Note: All footnotes are treated the same,
in numerical order.]
_ERRATA._
_Pag._
3. _l._ 31. _for_ our World _r._ their Orbits.
4. _l._ 3. this House _r._ that House.
19. _l. antep._ _for_ consistent only with _r._
confined only to.
216. _l._ 16. _dele_ Countryman.
248. _l._ 30. _for_ adsunt _r._ adflent.
_And_ _l._ 32. _for_ ipse _r._ ipsi.
317. _l._ 16. _dele_ the
LECTURES
ON
POETRY, &_c_.
The ORATION upon entering into the
PROFESSORSHIP, or First LECTURE.