I have now gone through the several Particulars I propos'd to treat of
in the Course of these Lectures: What I have too lightly touch'd upon,
or entirely omitted, I leave to my Successors to discuss more fully,
who will supply my Defects, and correct my Errors. Nothing now remains,
but to return to you, Gentlemen, my heartiest Thanks, and to testify my
sincerest Wishes for your Prosperity. I should quit this Office with
more Regret, did I not consider, that, at any Time, to have receiv'd
Marks of your Favour, will for ever remain to me those of Honour.
Nothing is in my Power to return for them, but my most ardent Prayers
for the Welfare of this University, that as it daily receives fresh
Ornaments in Buildings, so it may make new Acquisitions (if there is
Room for any) in Learning and Virtue, and in its Reputation for both;
and that you may be as secure from the Attempts, as you are above the
Reproaches of your Enemies. And, surely, unless we are much deceiv'd
in our Hopes, and our Wishes biass us with too fond Credulity, we may
esteem as fresh Omens of our Happiness, those numerous Towers that
rise sacred to the Muses, even in the most difficult Times; insomuch,
that if we retire from the University but a few Months, we are almost
Strangers to it upon our Return, and verify the old Saying, tho' from
a very different Reason, _Oxonium quærimus in Oxonio_, we seek for
_Oxford_ within her own Walls. It is amazing, then, that Men, who boast
of the greatest Zeal for their Country, should hate and despise that
which is the distinguishing Ornament of it. It would be blind Partiality
in us, if, in other Respects, we pretended to excel the whole Earth.
Brave, as we are, yet so are the _French_, so the _Germans_. Are we
powerful by Sea, and rich in Commerce? the _Dutch_ are also: And it
would be the Height of Arrogance, to claim to ourselves the Laurels, in
Point of Learning and Ingenuity. But that the _English_ Universities
are not to be parallel'd, is the Confession and Admiration of all the
World: Even one of them, the less of the Two, I need not say equals, but
exceeds all Foreign Ones together. This Glory is our peculiar Property,
which yet some endeavour to extinguish, who would be thought strenuous
Defenders of their Country. If you ask me the Reason for it, I know of
none but what the old Saying in _Terence_ supplies me with, _Mala mens,
malus animus_, Bad Principles produce bad Designs. To such I wish true
Repentance. As to myself, Words are too weak to express the Sentiments
of my Heart for that Candour and Affection with which you have honour'd
me with your Attendance, have pardon'd my Mistakes, and accepted my weak
Endeavours. May the _Oxford_ Muses flourish, for ever flourish, more
and more; and may you, the Encouragers and Promoters of them, go on to
promote them, and, by your Increase in Poetry, and all other Arts and
Sciences, in Virtue and Learning, afford to Poets perpetual Subjects of
Praise.
_FINIS._
_Addenda & Corrigenda._
Page 15. _l._ 3. _Vossius_'s Definition is short as it makes the Essence
of Poetry consist solely in Imitation.] _Add this Note_, The Author of
_Observations on Poetry occasioned by the late Poem on Leonidas_, p. 71.
finds the same Fault with _Aristotle_; who "by this, says he, excludes
all descriptive Poetry; and accordingly he (_Aristotle_) directs the
epic poet to introduce his characters, and write in dialogue, as much
as possible, for this reason, that when the poet speaks himself, he
is not an imitator. _Plato_ has more justly distinguish'd, that some
kinds of Poetry consist wholly in imitation, as tragedy and comedy;
some in narration only, where the poet speaks in his own person, as
odes; whereas some, as the epic, contain a mixture of both." For my
Part, I cannot think it any great Violence put upon Words to allow that
_Description_ or _Narration_ is _Imitation_. It is certain _Aristotle_
uses the Word _Imitation_ in this Sense, c. 3. και ναρ ιν τοις
αυ τοις και αιτα μιμε αθ αι ισιν, οτι μεν απαγρελλο, η ἑτιρον τε
γιγιομενσις, _A Poet may imitate the same Things either by Narration,
or by assuming the Character of some other Person_: And c. 22, 23. he
distinguishes περι της οιτε ορθτειν μιμησιως], ανδ [Γρεεκ:
περι της δραγεαστικης, and περι της δραγεαστικης,
between _Dramatic Imitation_, and _Narrative_:
and c. 2. & 4. he mentions the _Dithyrambics_ and _Nomi_, Hymns in
Honour of _Bacchus_ and _Apollo_, and other Odes, as Instances of
Poetic Imitation. Now, I need not observe, that if in these Hymns and
Odes, Actions, as _Dacier_ contends, were _imitated_ by Description or
Narration, other Things may likewise. Nay Plato himself has omitted
_descriptive_ Poetry, as well as _Aristotle_ if it is not included under
_narrative_.
But still, if it is, the ingenious Author will not allow it to be
_Imitation_, upon the Authority of _Plato_. Now as to _Plato_, _Dan.
Heinsius_ long since observed, that tho', with Dr. _Pemberton_, he
sometimes speaks of _Imitation_ as a _Species_ of Poetry, yet at other
times he agrees with _Aristotle_, in making it the _Genus_. In short,
these two Philosophers are agreed, that All Poetry is Imitation; but
Dramatic Imitation, or that which is supported by Dialogue, is more
peculiarly so.
Next let us see if Dr. _Pemberton_'s own Account of Poetry will not
lead us to think _Description_ to be _Imitation_. He observes, p.
75. _That it is the peculiar Office of the Poet_, in Opposition to
the Prose-writer, _to exhibit continually sensible_ IMAGES
_of things_. Now _Images_ are surely _Likenesses_ or _Imitations_;
and whether these are the genuine Images of the Poet's Subject, or
adventitious ones fetch'd in to illustrate it, still 'tis all Imagery:
_Imitation_ is his distinguishing Character. Again, p. 98. he observes,
_The language of comedy receives its poetic Air not by departing from
the ordinary forms of speech, but by keeping more close to them_.
So that where we almost lose Sight of Poetry, the Traces of it are
preserved by Imitation. Upon the whole 1. we see _Plato_ and _Aristotle_
use Imitation in a larger Sense than Dr. _Pemberton_ was aware of; and
2. the Doctor naturally falls into the Sentiments of both, while he
opposes one of them.
_Vossius_, it seems, and _Dacier_ go farther, and suppose that
_Aristotle_ makes _Poetry consist in the Imitation of_ ACTIONS
_only_. But the Words, c. 2. as Dr. _Trapp_ observes, very well bear
another Sense, ιπειδη μιμενται ον μιμουμενοι πορθοντας, &c.
_Since Imitators_, or Poets _imitate Actions_, i.e. as well as other
things; or possibly thus, joining ποθιτδοιδας to μιμουμενοι,
_since those that imitate Actions are Imitators,--such
Actions_, he goes on, _must be either good or bad_.
As to _Dacier_, I cannot well make him consistent with himself:
_Aristotle_, says he, c. 2. rem. 1. _lays it down as an undoubted
Principle, that_ ALL _those that imitate, imitate Actions; and
indeed it is so, for there is nothing else but Actions which can be
imitated_. And yet upon _Aristotle_'s saying that Music is Imitation, he
observes, that _whatever employs means to shew and represent_ ANY
SUBJECT _as naturally as may be, whether it_ DOES REALLY
EXIST _or no, is called Imitation_. Does he by _Actions_ above mean
_Effects_? _Aristotle_, it must be own'd, instances in Actions as the
Objects of Poetic Imitation, being to treat of Epic and Dramatic Poetry
particularly. But he ascribes the Rise of Poetry in general to the
Desire of Imitation, and the Pleasure we take in comparing the Likeness
of Copies with their Originals. And this Faculty surely is exercised not
only in viewing the Description of a Man, but of a Mountain; not only in
representing the Conflicts of Passion, but
_A painted Meadow and a purling Stream._
_P. 154. l. 10, 11, r. thus_
_Tartuffe_ in _English_ freely I resign;
_The Excrement is his, the Food was mine._
_P. 303. l. 2. add this Note_, I make no Doubt, but for ιπαγγελιας
we should read with _Sylburgius_ απαγγελιας the
former being never used for _Narration_, the latter more than once by
_Aristotle_, as c. 2. ὁτε μεν απαγγελλοντα, and c. 6.
και απαγγελιας ειναι
_P. 333. Note † change thus_] _Bossu_ distinguishes very
clearly, and to the same Purpose with Dr. _Trapp_, between the Narration
the Poet himself makes, and that which he represents the Hero to make.
In the former View, the Action of the _Odyssee_ takes up Eight Years
and six Months, and the _Æneid_ almost seven Years. But in the latter,
_Bossu_ reduces the _Odyssey_ to fifty eight Days; and the _Æneis_
either to a Year and somewhat more, or else to a single Campaign,
beginning where Dr. _Trapp_ does. See _Bossu_ Book II. ch. xviii. and
Book III. c. xii.