ON THE HEROIC POEM ΟΤ GONDIBERT. A PERSON engaged in the pursuit of literary fame must be severely mortified on obferving the very speedy neglect into which writers of high merit so frequently fall. The revolution of centuries, the extinction of languages, the vaft convulfions which agitate a whole people, people, are caufes which may well be fubmitted to in overwhelming an author with oblivion; but that in the fame country, with little variation of language or manners, the delights of one age fhould become utter ftrangers in the next, is furely an immaturity of fate which conveys reproach upon the inconftancy of national tafte. That noble band, the English poets, have ample reafon for complaining to what unjust guardians they have entrusted their renown. While we crown the ftatue of Shakespeare as the prince of dramatic poets, fhall we forget the works, and almost the names of his contemporaries who poffeffed fo much of a kindred fpirit? Shall the Italian Paftor Fido and Amyntas ftand high in our estimation, and the Faithful Shepherdefs, the most beautiful paftoral that a poet's fancy ever formed, be fcarcely known amongst us? Shall Shall we feel the fire of heroic poetry in tranflations from Greece and Rome, and never fearch for it in the native productions of our own country? THE Capital work of Sir William D'Avenant, which I now defire to call forth from its obfcurity, may well be confidered as in a state of oblivion, fince we no where meet with allufions to it, or quotations from it, in our modern writers; and few, I imagine, even of the profeffed ftudents in English claffics, would think their tafte difcredited by confeffing that they had never read GONDIBERT. A very learned and ingenious critic, in his wellknown difcourfe upon poetical imitation, has, indeed, taken notice of this poem; but, though he bestows all due praise upon its author, yet the purpose for which it is mentioned being to instance an effential error, we cannot fuppofe that his his authority has ferved to gain it more readers. Having very judiciously laid it down as a general obfervation, that writers, by ftudiously avoiding the fancied difgrace of imitation, are apt to fall into improper method, forced conceits, and affected expreffion; he proceeds to introduce the work in question after the following manner: "And, that << the reader may not fufpect me of "afferting this without experience, let <me exemplify what has been here said « in the cafe of a very eminent perfon, "who, with all the advantages of art "and nature that could be required "to adorn the true poet, was ruined <by this fingle error. The person I "mean was SIR WILLIAM D'avenant, "whose Gondibert will remain a per"petual monument of the mischiefs " which must ever arife from this af"fectation of originality in lettered and "polite poets." A CON A CONSIDERABLE degree of deference is undoubtedly due to a critic of fuch acknowledged taste and abilities; yet, fince it appears to me, that in this inftance he writes under the influence of system and learned prejudice, I fhall venture to canvafs the principles upon which he fupports his cenfure. THE method of Gondibert is first objected to by Dr. Hurd, and upon two accounts. First, that the compass of the poem is contracted from the limits of the ancient epic, to those of the dramatic form; and by this means, pursuing a close accelerated plot, the opportunity is loft of introducing digreffive ornaments, and of giving that minutenefs of defcription which confers an air of reality. Now, fince the author fets out with difavowing the common rules of epic poetry, it is certainly unjust to try him by thofe rules. That |