Nor lose for that malignant dull delight, 240 That shunning faults, one quiet tenour keep; NOTES. 245 lossal works, we do not seek for exactness and accuracy in every part, but rather attend to the general effect, and beauty of the whole; so ought we to judge of compositions. And, as Quintilian says, Ungues polire, et capillum reponere, is an useless and ill-placed Warton. care. Ver. 247. Thus when we view.] This is justly and elegantly expressed. Akenside has nobly succeeded, in speaking of the same subject: 66 Mark, how the dread Pantheon stands, Amid the domes of modern hands! Amid the toys of idle state, How simply, how severely great! Then pause!" Warton. Ver. 248. The world's just wonder, and ev'n thine, O Rome!] The Pantheon, I would suppose; perhaps St. Peter's; no matter which; the observation is true of both. There is something very Gothic in the taste and judgment of a learned man, who despises this master-piece of Art, the Pantheon, for those very qualities which deserve our admiration." Nous esmerveillons comme l'on fait si grande cas de ce Pantheon, veu que son édifice n'est de si grande industrie comme l'on crie: car chaque petit Masson peut bien concevoir la maniere de sa façon tout en un instant: car es No single parts unequally surprize, All comes united to th' admiring eyes; 250 No monstrous height, or breadth, or length, ap pear; The Whole at once is bold, and regular. Whoever thinks a faultless piece to see, Thinks what ne'er was, nor is, nor e'er shall be. COMMENTARY. Ver. 253. Whoever thinks a faultless piece to see,] He shews next [from ver. 252 to 263.] that to fix our censure on single parts, though they happen to want an exactness consistent enough with their relation to the rest, is even then very unjust and for these reasons, 1. Because it implies an expectation of a faultless piece, which is a vain fancy. 2. Because no more is to be expected of any work than that it fairly attains its end: but the end may be attained, and yet these trivial faults committed: therefore, in spite of such faults, the work will merit that praise that is due to every thing which attains its end. 3. Because sometimes a great beauty is not to be procured, nor a notorious blemish to be avoided, but NOTES. tant la base si massive, et les murailles si espaisses, ne nous a semblé difficile d'y adjouster la voute à claire voye." Pierre Belon's Observations, &c. The nature of the Gothic structures apparently led him into this mistake of the Architectonic art in general; that the excellency of it consists in raising the greatest weight on the least assignable support, so that the edifice should have strength without the appearance of it, in order to excite admiration. But to a judicious eye such a building would have a contrary effect, the Appearance (as our poet expresses it) of a monstrous height, or breadth, or length. Indeed did the just proportions in regular Architecture take off from the grandeur of a building, by all the single parts coming united to the eye, as this learned traveller seems to insinuate, it would be a reasonable objection to those rules on which this Master-piece of Art was constructed. But it is not so. The Poet tells us truly, "The Whole at once is bold and regular." Warburton. In ev'ry work regard the writer's End, 255 260 Since none can compass more than they intend ; COMMENTARY. but by suffering one of these minute and trivial errors. 4. And lastly, because the general neglect of them is a praise; as it is the indication of a Genius, attentive to greater matters. Ver. 263. Most Critics fond of some subservient art, &c.] II. The second way in which a narrow capacity, as it relates to the matter, shews itself, is judging by a favourite part. The author has placed this [from ver. 262 to 285.] after the other of judging by parts, with great propriety, it being indeed a natural consequence of it. For when men have once left the whole to turn their attention to the separate parts, that regard and reverence due only to a whole is fondly transferred to one or other of its parts. And thus we see, that heroes themselves, as well as hero-makers, even kings, as well as Poets and Critics, when they chance never to have had, or long to have lost the idea of that which is the only legitimate object of their office, the care and conservation of the whole, are wont to devote themselves to the service of some favourite part, whether it be love of money, military glory, despotic power, &c. And all, as our Author says on this occasion, NOTES. to Ver. 258. in spite of trivial] As if one was to condemn the divine Paradise Lost, on account of some low puns there introduced; or some passages in Ariosto, on account of vulgar and familiar images and expressions, that have crept into that enchanting and original Poem. Warton. They talk of principles, but notions prize, 265 Once on a time, La Mancha's Knight, they say, A certain Bard encount'ring on the way, COMMENTARY. "to one lov'd Folly sacrifice." This general misconduct much recommends that maxim in good Poetry and Politics, to give a principal attention to the whole: a maxim which our author has elsewhere shewn to be equally true likewise in Morals and Religion; as being founded in the order of things: For if we examine we shall find the misconduct here complained of, to arise from this imbecillity of our nature, that the mind must always have something to rest upon, to which the passions and affections may be interestingly directed. Nature prompts us to seek it in the most worthy object; and Reason points out to a Whole, or System: But the false lights which the passions hold out, confound and dazzle us; we stop short; and, before we get to a Whole, take up with some Part; which thenceforth becomes our favourite. NOTES. Ver. 267. Once on a time, La Mancha's Knight they say,] By this short tale Pope has shewed us, how much he could have excelled in telling a story of humour. The incident is taken from the Second Part of Don Quixote, first written by Don Alonzo Fernandez de Avellanada, and afterwards translated, or rather imitated and new-modelled, by no less an Author than the celebrated Le Sage. The Book is not so contemptible as some authors insinuate; it was well received in France, and abounds in many strokes of humour and character worthy of Cervantes himself. The brevity to which Pope's narration was confined, would not permit him to insert the following humorous dialogue at length, "I am satisfied you'll compass your design (said the scholar), provided you omit the combat in the lists. Let him have a care of that, said Don Quixote, interrupting him, that is the best part of the plot. But, Sir, quoth the Bachelor, if you would have me adhere to Aristotle's rules, I must omit the combat. Aristotle, replied the Knight, I grant was a man of some parts; but his capacity was not unbounded; and, give me leave to tell you, his. authority Discours'd in terms as just, with looks as sage, 270 Produc'd his Play, and begg'd the Knight's advice; Made him observe the subject, and the plot, 275 The manners, passions, unities; what not? NOTES. authority does not extend over combats in the list, which are far above his narrow rules, Would you suffer the chaste queen of Bohemia to perish? For how can you clear her innocence? Believe me, combat is the most honourable method you can pursue; and besides, it will add such grace to your play, that all the rules in the universe must not stand in competition with it. Well Sir Knight, replied the Bachelor, for your sake, and for the honour of chivalry, I will not leave out the combat; and that it may appear the more glorious, all the court of Bohemia shall be present at it, from the Princes of the blood to the very footmen. But still one difficulty remains, which is, that our common theatres are not large enough for it. There must be one erected on purpose, answered the Knight; and in a word, rather than leave out the combat, the play had better be acted in a field or plain." It may be observed, that there is but one Tale in this essay, nor in Boileau's art, nor Roscommon's essay, and this is superior to the other two. Warton. Ver. 276. Unities; what not?] The two unities of time and place have been so powerfully and irresistibly combated by Dr. Johnson (in his Preface to Shakespear), that I do not think a critic will be found hardy enough to undertake a defence of them : Non quisquam ex agmine tanto Audet adire virum! That these unities have, in fact, never been observed by the three Greek writers of tragedy, is demonstrated, at large, in the fifth chapter |