Season of applying fo forcible and intense a Sublime, as that of Demofthenes, is, in the ftrong Efforts of Difcourfe, in vehement Attacks upon the Paffions, and whenever the Audience are to be ftruck at once, and thrown into Con fternation. And Recourse must be had to fuch diffufive Eloquence, as that of Cicero, when they are to be footh'd and brought over by gentle and foft Infinuation. Befides, this diffuse kind of Eloquence is most proper for all familiar Topics, for Perorations, Digref fions, for eafy Narrations or pompous Amufements, for Hiftory, for fhort Accounts of the Operations of Nature, and many other forts.

TO leave this Digreffion. Tho' Plato's Stile particularly excels in Smoothness, and an eafy and peaceable Flow of the Words, yet neither does it want an Elevation and Grandeur; and of this you cannot be ignorant, as you have read the following Paffage in his Republic*." Thofe Wretches (fays he) who "never have experienced the Sweets of Wif"dom and Virtue, but fpend all their Time "in Revels and Debauches, fink downwards "Day after Day, and make their whole Life

D. 2

Plato, 1. 9. De rep. p. 586. edit. Steph.

one

"one

one continued Series of Errors. They ne

ver have the Courage to lift the Eye up "wards towards Truth, they never felt any "the leaft Inclination to it. They tafte no "real or fubftantial Pleasure, but resembling "fo many Brutes, with Eyes always fix'd on "the Earth, and intent upon their loaden Ta❝bles, they pamper themselves up in Luxury "and Excefs. So that hurried on by their « voracious and infatiable Appetites, they are ❝continually running and kicking at one ano"ther with Hoofs and Horns of Steel, and are embrued in perpetual Slaughter."

This excellent Writer, if we can but refolve to follow his Guidance, opens here before us another Path, befides thofe already mention'd, which will carry to the true Sublime.-And what is this Path?-Why, an Imitation and Emulation of the greatest Orators and Poets that ever flourifhed. And let this, my Friend, be our Ambition; be this the fix'd and lasting Scope of all our Labours.

For hence it is, that numbers of Imitators are ravish'd and tranfported by a Spirit not their own, 2 like the Pythian Prieftefs, when The approaches the facred Tripod. There is, if Fame fpeaks true, a Chafm in the Earth, from whence exhale divine Evaporations, which

impregnate

impregnate her on a fudden with the Infpiration of her God, and cause in her the Utterance of Oracles and Predictions. So, from the fublime Spirit of the Ancients, there arise fome fine Effluvia, like Vapours from the facred Vents, which work themselves infenfibly into the Breafts of Imitators, and fill those, who naturally are not of a tow'ring Genius, with the lofty Ideas and Fire of others. Was Heodotus alone the conftant Imitator of Homer? No: 3 Stefichorus and Archilochus imitated him more than Herodotus; but Plato more than all of them; who, from the copious Homeric Fountain, has drawn a thousand Rivulets to cherish and improve his own Productions. Perhaps there might be a Neceffity of my producing fome Examples of this, had not Ammonius done it to my Hand.

Nor is fuch Proceeding to be look'd upon as Plagiarifm, but, in Methods confiftent with the niceft Honour, an Imitation of the finest Pieces, or copying out those bright Originals. Neither do I think, that Plato would have fo much embellished his Philofophical Tenets with the florid Expreffions of Poetry, 4 had he not been ambitious of entering the Lifts, like a youthful Champion, and ardently contending for the Prize with Homer, who had a D3

long

x

long time engrofs'd the Admiration of the World. The Attack was perhaps too rash, thé Oppofition perhaps had too much the Air of Enmity, but yet it could not fail of some Advantage; for, as Hefiod fays,” *

Such brave Contention works the Good of Men.

A greater Prize than the Glory and Renown of the Ancients can never be contended for, where Victory crowns with never-dying Applaufe, when even a Defeat, in such a Competition, is attended with Honour.

SECTION XIV.

IF ever therefore we are engaged in a Work, which requires a Grandeur of Stile and exalted Sentiments, would it not then be of ufe to raise in ourselves fuch Reflexions as these? How in this cafe would Homer, or Plato, or Demofthenes, have raised their Thoughts? Or if it be hiftorical, How would Thucydides? For thefe celebrated Perfons, being propofed by us for our Pattern and Imitation, will in fome degree lift up our Souls to the Standard of their own Genius. It will be yet of greater use, if to the preceding Reflexions we add thefe What would Homer

Hefiod. in operibus & Diebus, ver. 24

or

or Demofthenes have thought of this Piece? or, what Judgment would they have pass'd upon it? It is really a noble Enterprize, to frame fuch a Theatre and Tribunal, to fit on our own Compofitions, and submit them to a Scrutiny, in which fuch celebrated Heroes muft prefide as our Judges, and be at the fame time our Evidence. There is yet another Motive, which may yield moft powerful Incitements, if we ask ourselves, rity form of this

What Character will Pofte

Work, and of me the Author? For if any one, in the Moments of compofing, apprehends that his Performance may not be able to furvive him, the Productions of a Soul, whofe Views are so short and confined, that it cannot promise itself the Efteem and Applause of fucceeding Ages, muft needs be imperfect and abortive.

SECTION XV.

VISIONS, which by fome are called Images, contribute very much, my deareft Youth, to the Weight, Magnificence, and Force of compofitions. The Name of an Image is generally given to any Idea, however represented in the Mind, which is communicable to others by Difcourfe; but a more particular Sense of it has now prevailed: “When "the

D4