187 MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS ΠΕΡΙ ΒΑΘΟΥΣ. CHAP. I. IT hath been long (my dear Countrymen) the subject of my concern and surprise, that whereas numberless Poets, Critics, and Orators have compiled and digested the Art of ancient Poesy, there hath not risen among us one person so public-spirited, as Martinus] The learned Mr. Upton has made an ingenious remark on the title of this piece: "It is pleasant enough to consider how the change of a single letter has often led learned Commentators into mistakes; and a II, being accidentally altered into a B, in a Greek Rhetorician, gave occasion to one of the best pieces of satire that ever was written in the English language, viz. ПEPI BAOOYE; a treatise concerning the Art of Sinking in Poetry. The blunder I mean is in the second section of Longinus: ΕΙ ΕΣΤΙΝ ΥΨΟΥΣ ΤΙΣ Η ΒΑΘΟΥΣ ΤΕΧΝΗ, instead of ПA®ÙYΣ; a most ridiculous blunder, which has occasioned as ridiculous criticisms." Observations on Shakspeare, p. 256. M. De Larchet, the translator of Herodotus, gave a French translation also of this Life of Scriblerus. It is easy to imagine that the humour has evaporated in a French translation. The blunder relating to the word πálovs, reminds one of a most egregious mistake of Rapin the critic, whose knowledge of Greek has been much questioned. Relating a story of Euphranor the painter, he says, "Apion has related it." Having read the story in Eustathius; who says, aπir eypaper; which meant, that Euphranor hearing a description of Jupiter read in Homer, "went away and painted it." to perform the like for the Modern. Although it is universally known, that our every-way industrious Moderns, both in the Weight of their writings, and in the Velocity of their judgments, do so infinitely excel the said Ancients. Nevertheless, too true it is, that while a plain and direct road is paved to their "Yoç, or Sublime; no tract has been yet chalked out, to arrive at our Bálos, or Profund. The Latins, as they came between the Greeks and Us, make use of the word Altitudo, which implies equally height and depth. Wherefore considering with no small grief, how many promising Geniuses of this age are wandering (as I may say) in the dark without a guide, I have undertaken this arduous but necessary task, to lead them as it were by the hand, and step by step, the gentle down-hill way to the Bathos; the bottom, the end, the central point, the non plus ultra, of true Modern Poesy! When I consider (my dear Countrymen) the ex-. tent, fertility, and populousness of our Lowlands of Parnassus, the flourishing state of our Trade, and the plenty of our Manufacture; there are two reflections which administer great occasion of surprise :The one, that all dignities and honours should be bestowed upon the exceeding few meagre inhabitants of the Top of the mountain; the other, that our own nation should have arrived to that pitch of greatness it now possesses, without any regular Sys tem of Laws. As to the first, it is with great pleasure I have observed of late the gradual decay of Delicacy and Refinement among mankind, who are become too reasonable to require that we should labour with infinite pains to come up to the taste of these Mountaineers, when they without any may condescend to ours. But as we now have an unquestionable Majority on our side, I doubt not but we shall shortly be able to level these Highlanders, and procure a farther vent for our own product, which is already so much relished, encouraged, and rewarded, by the Nobility and Gentry of Great Britain. Therefore to supply our former defect, I purpose to collect the scattered Rules of our Art into regular Institutes, from the example and practice of the deep Geniuses of our nation; imitating herein my predecessors the Master of Alexander, and the Secretary of the renowned Zenobia. And in this my undertaking I am the more animated, as I expect more success than has attended even those great Critics; since their Laws (though they might be good) have ever been slackly executed, and their Precepts (however strict) obeyed only by fits, and by a very small number. At the same time I intend to do justice upon our neighbours, inhabitants of the upper Parnassus ; who, taking advantage of the rising ground, are perpetually throwing down rubbish, dirt, and stones upon us, never suffering us to live in us to live in peace. These men, while they enjoy the crystal stream of Helicon, envy us our common water, which (thank our stars) though it is somewhat muddy, flows in much greater abundance. Nor is this the greatest injustice that we have to complain of; for though it is evident |