mer obfervation. Their attempts were always analytick; they broke every image into fragments; and could no more reprefent, by their flender conceits and laboured particularities, the profpects of nature, or the fcenes of life, than he, who diffects a fun-beam with a prism, can exhibit the wide effulgence of a fummer noon. What they wanted however of the fublime, they endeavoured to fupply by hyperbole; their amplification had no limits; they left not only reason but fancy be hind them; and produced combinations of confused magnificence, that not only could not be credited, but could not be imagined. Yet great labour, directed by great abilities, is never wholly loft: if they frequently threw away their wit upon falfe conceits, they likewife fometimes ftruck out unexpected truth: if their conceits were far-fetched, they were often worth the carriage. To write on their plan, it was at least neceffary to read and think. No man could be born a metaphysical poet, nor affume the dignity of a writer, by descriptions copied from defcriptions, by imitations borrowed from imitations, by traditional imagery, and hereditary fimilies, by readiness of rhyme, and volubility of fyllables. In perusing the works of this race of authors, the mind is exercised either by recollection or inquiry; either fomething already learned is to be retrieved, or fomething new is to be examined. If their greatness seldom elevates, their acuteness often furprises; if the imagination is not always gratified, at least the powers of reflection and comparison are employed; and in the mass of materials which ingenious abfurdity has thrown together, genuine wit and ufeful knowledge may be fometimes found, buried perhaps in groffnefs of expreffion, but but useful to those who know their value; and fuch as, when they are expanded to perfpicuity, and polished to elegance, may give luftre to works which have more propriety though lefs copiousness of fentiment. This kind of writing, which was, I believe, borrowed from Marino and his followers, had been recommended by the example of Donne, a man of a very extensive and various knowledge; and by Jonfon, whofe manner refembled that of Donne more in the ruggedness of his lines than in the caft of his fentiments. When their reputation was high, they had undoubtedly more imitators, than time has left behind. Their immediate fucceffors, of whom any remembrance can be faid to remain, were Suckling, Waller, Denham, Cowley, Cleiveland, and Milton. Denham and Waller fought another way to fame, by improving the harmony of our numbers. Milton tried the metaphyfick ftyle only in his lines upon Hobfon the Carrier. Cowley adopted it, and excelled his predeceffors, having as much fentiment, and more mufick. Suckling neither improved versification, nor abounded in conceits. The fashionable style remained chiefly with Cowley; Suckling could not reach it, and Milton difdained it. CRITICAL REMARKS are not easily understood without examples; and I have therefore collected instances of the modes of writing by which this fpecies of poets, for poets they were called by themselves and their admirers, was eminently distinguished. A S the authors of this race were perhaps more defirous of being admired than understood, they fometimes drew their conceits from receffes of learning not very much frequented by common readers of poetry. Thus Cowley on Knowledge: The facred tree midft the fair orchard grew; The phoenix Truth did on it reft, And built his perfum'd neft, That right Porphyrian tree which did true logic fhew. And th' apples were demonftrative: So clear their colour and divine, The very fhade they caft did other lights outfhine.' On Anacreon continuing a lover in his old age: Love was with thy life entwin'd, Of thine, like Meleager's fate. Th' antiperiftafis of age More enflam'd thy amorous rage. 67 In the following verfes we have an allufion to a Rab-ki binical opinion concerning Manna : Variety I ask not: give me one The perfon Love does to us fit, Like manna, has the tafte of all in it. Thus Donne fhews his medicinal knowledge in fome encomiastic verses : In every thing there naturally grows If 'twere not injur'd by extrinfique blows; Keeps off, or cures what can be done or faid. Though 70 72 Though the following lines of Donne, on the laft night of the year, have fomething in them too fcholaftic, they are not inelegant : This twilight of two years, not past nor next, DONNE. Yet more abftrufe and profound is Donne's reflection upon Man as a Microcofm: If men be worlds, there is in every one OF thoughts fo far fetched, as to be not only un expected, but unnatural, all their books are full. To a Lady, who wrote poefies for rings, They, who above do various circles find, For it wanteth one as yet, Then the fun pass through't twice a year, The difficulties which have been raised about iden- 73 tity in philosophy, are by Cowley with still more perplexity applied to Love: Five years ago (fays ftory) I lov'd you, For which you call me most inconstant now; My members then, the father members were From whence these take their birth, which now are If then this body love what th' other did, 'Twere inceft, which by nature is forbid. The love of different women is, in geographical po etry, compared to travels through different countries: Haft thou not found, each woman's breaft (The land where thou haft travelled) Either by favages possest, Or wild, and uninhabited? What joy could'st take, or what repose, Whilft Pride, the rugged Northern Bear, COWLEY. A lover, burnt up by his affection, is compared to Egypt: The |