Reflections on Aristotle's treatise of poesie containing the necessary, rational, and universal rules for epick, dramatick, and the other sorts of poetry : with reflections on the works of the ancient and modern poets, and their faults noted / by R. Rapin.

XV.

HOmer is the most perfect Model of the Heroick Poesie; and he onely, saith Aristotle, deserves the name of Poet; 'tis certain, never man had a more hap∣py Genius. Dionysius Halicarnasseus com∣mends him chiefly for the contrivance of his design, the greatness and majesty of his expression, the sweet and passionate mo∣tions of his sentiments. Hestod, saith he, was content to be delightful, and to speak well. All the other Greek Poets that writ in this sort of Verse, have ac∣quitted themselves so meanly, that they have gain'd with posterity a reputation

only proportionable to the poorness of their Genius, Coluthus in his Poem of the rape of Helen, has nothing conside∣rable, the design is shallow, the stile cold and flat. The Poem of Tryphiodor•••• on the taking of Troy, is of a gross and low character, as likewise the History of Leander by Musaeus. The Poem of A∣pollonius Rhodius, on the expedition of the Argonauts, is of a slender character, and has nothing of that nobleness of expression of Homer; the Fable is ill invented, and the list of the Argonauts in the first Book is flat. Quintus Calaber who would undertake to write the sup∣plement to the Iliad and Odysseis, with∣out having the least sprinkling of Ho∣mers easie and natural vein, has nothing exact or regular. Nicander is hard, Op∣pian dry; and the Poem of Nonnus, not so much a Poem, as a Romance, or Histo∣ry of the Birth, Adventures, Victories, and Apotheosis of Bacchus. The design is too vast, the Fable ill wrought, with∣out art, without order, without proba∣bility, the stile is obscure and cumber'd. For the Latins, never any possess'd all the graces of Poesie in so eminent a de∣gree, as Virgil; he has an admirable taste for what is natural, an exquisite

judgment for the contrivance, an incom∣parable delicacy for the numbers and harmony of versification. The design of his Poem, well consider'd in all the cir∣cumstances, is the most judicious and the best devis'd that ever was, or ever will be. Ovid has wit, art, design in his Me∣tamorphosis; but he has youthfulnesses that could hardly be pardon'd, but for the vivacity of his wit, and a certain happiness of fancy. Lucan is great and sublime, but has little judgment. Sca∣liger blames his continual Transports, for, in effect, he is excessive in his dis∣course, where he affects rather to ap∣pear a Philosopher, than a Poet. Petro∣nius in his little Poem of the corruption of Rome, falls into all the faults that he condemns; never man gave more ••udi∣cious Rules for Poetry, and never man observ'd them worse. Statius is as fan∣tastical in his Idea's as in his expressi∣ons; the greatness that appears in his stile is more in the words, than in the things: his two Poems have nothing in them regular, all is vast and dispropor∣tionable. Silius Italicus is much more regular; he owes more to his industry, than to his nature, there seems some judgment and conduct in his design,

but nothing of greatness and nobleness in his expression; and if one may re∣lie on the younger Pliny's judgment, there is more art than wit in his Poem; it is rather the History of the second punick War, than a Poem. That of Va∣lerius Flaccus on the Argonauts, is incom∣parably mean; the fable, the contri∣vance, the conduct, all there are of a very low character. Claudian hath wit and fancy; but no taste for that delica∣cy of the numbers, and that turn of the Verse, that the skilful admire in Virgil; he falls perpetually into the same ca∣dence; for that cause, one can hardly read him without being wearied; and he has no elevation in any manner. An∣sonius and Prudentius had not a Genius strong enough, to overcome the gros∣ness of the Age they liv'd in.