Plato, when he was eighty Years old, was bufily employ'd in the Review and Amendment of his divine Dialogues: And fome People are fevere upon Cicero, that, in Imitation of Plato, he was fo fcrupulous whether he ought to write ad Piraa or in Piraa, Piræum or in Piræum, that now in the fixtieth Year of his Age, in the Fury of the Civil Wars, when he knew not how to dispose of his Family, and scarce expected Safety, he earnestly intreated his noble and learned Friend Atticus to refolve that Difficulty, and ease him of the Perplexity which it created him. Whatever Raillery or Reflection fome humourfome Wits may make upon that great Man's Exactness and Nicety in that Refpect, and at fuch a Time; 'tis a plain Proof of his wonderful Care and Diligence in his Compofition, and the ftrict Regard he had to the Purity and Propriety of his Language. The Ancients fo accurately understood, and so indefatigably studied their Sub

ject,

ject, that they fcarce ever fail to finish and adorn every Part with strong Sense, and lively Expreffion. They feldom flag thro' their whole Work, but glorioufly keep up their Fire and Spirits to the laft. How many of our modern Pretenders, who have neither fufficient Genius nor Education, are ftrangely fond of a Subject that of all Things they leaft understand! They aukwardly court a Mufe that ftill flies; and, with a barren and perverfe Diligence, plod upon a Subject that can never anfwer their Pains. It seems to be in this Cafe, as hath been ob ferv'd in fome others, that Persons of the leaft Power, have the most intemperate Inclinations. They have not Flame nor Strength of Senfe to invigorate their Conceptions, and ftrike Life into a whole Piece.

But I must remember, 'tis not my Bufinefs to fhew the Deformities of some modern Pamphleteers, but the Beauties of the Ancients.

To

To make out a little farther what I have advanc'd upon this firft Head, I ask Leave to name a few particular Authors.

'Tis no romantic Commendation of Homer, to fay, that no Man understood Perfons and Things better than he; or had a deeper Infight into the Humours and Paffions of human Nature. He reprefents great Things with fuch Sublimity, and little ones with fuch Propriety, that he always makes the one admirable, and the other pleasant.

He is a perfect Mafter of all the lofty Graces of the figurative Style, and all the Purity and Easiness of the plain, Strabo, the excellent Geographer and Hiftorian, affures us, that Homer has defcrib'd the Places and Countries of which he gives Account, with that Accuracy, that no Man can imagine who has not feen 'em; and no Man but muft admire and be aftonifh'd who has. His Poems may juftly be compar'd with that Shield of divine Work

Workmanship so inimitablyr eprefented in the eighteenth Book of the Iliad. You have there exact Images of all the Actions of War, and Employments of Peace; and are entertain'd with the delightful View of the Universe. Homer has all the Beauties of every Dialect and Style scatter'd through his Writings; he is scarce inferior to any other Poet, in the Poet's own Way and Excellency; but excels all others in Force and Comprehenfion of Genius, Elevation of Fancy, and immenfe Copiousness of Invention. Such a Sovereignty of Genius reigns all over his Works, that the Ancients efteem'd and admir'd him as the great High Prieft of Nature, who was admitted into her inmoft Choir, and acquainted with her most folemn Myfteries.

The great Men of former Ages, with one Voice, celebrate the Praises of Homer; and old Zoilus has only a few Followers in these later Times, who detract from him either for want

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of

of Greek, or out of a Spirit of Con

ceit and Contradiction.

Thefe Gentlemen tell us, that the divine Plato himself banish'd him out of his Commonwealth; which, fay they, must be granted to be a Blemish upon the Poet's Reputation. The Reason why Plato would not let Ho mer's Poems be in the Hands of the Subjects of that Government, was because he did not efteem ordinary Men capable Readers of 'em. They would be apt to pervert his Meaning, and have wrong Notions of God and Religion, by taking his bold and beautiful Allegories in too literal a Senfe. Plato frequently declares, that he loves and admires him as the beft, the most pleafant, and the divineft of all the Poets; and ftudiously imitates his figurative and mystical Way of Writing. Tho' he forbad his Works to be read in public, yet he would never be without 'em in his own Closet. Tho' the Philofopher pretends, that for Reasons of

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State