Mr. DRYDEN has made the greatest Progrefs in this (affum'd LAUDON) of any Poet we have yet feen, (unless Milton may be allow'd to be his Rival in that particular) both in his Heroic and Lyric Compofitions. But firft of his Heroics. It is a general Rule, that an Heroic Verfe in English, fhould confift of five Lambics, that is, Madam, of five fhort and five long Syllables intermix'd and divided into Feet, of a short and a long Syllable each Foot; yet Mr. DRYDEN has frequently deviated with wonderful Beauty from this Rule, and by that gain'd a very confiderable Advantage to his Verfification..

Of the first fort, is this

His Paffion caft a Mift before his Sense.

But this he varies, by beginning the Verfe fometimes. with what they call a Trochee or long and fhort Syllable

as

Raging with high Disdain repeats the Blow.

Or with a Spondee or two long Syllables, follow'd by a Pyrrich or Foot of two fhort Syllables, and the rest. Iambics; as,

Huge Cantlets of his Buckler firew the Ground.

Sometimes with an Iambic in the firft Place, and a Pyrrick in the fecond, and in the fourth; as,

And. Charity it felf was in his Face

Va

Next as to his Lyrics, I fhall fhow a much greater riety of Numbers, or Change, or Intermixture of Quantities, as in his Alexander's Feast.

Softly Sweet in Lydian Meafures,

War he fung was Toil and Trouble,

Honour but an emp--ty Bubble, &c.

Bacchus ever fair and young,

Drinking Foys did firft or-dain..

Bacchus Bleffings are a Trea--fure,

Drinking is the Sol-diers Pleafure,

Rich the Treasure,

Sweet the Pleasure,

Sweet the Pleasure af--ter Pain..

Thofe are the Grecian Ghofts, that in Bat--tle were flain,

Behold how they tofs their Torches on high,

How they point to the Per---fian A-bodes,

And the glitter-ing Temples of their Hoftile Gods.

The Princes ap---plaud with a furious Joy,

And the King feiz'd a Flambeau with Zeal to de--ftroy.

Thais led the Way,

To light him to kis Prey,

And like a--no-ther Helen fir'd a--no--ther Troy..

I might do the fame with the Chorus's of Milton's Sampfon Agonistes; but this is. fufficient to fhow that there are Numbers, and that in a great Variety in the English Language. A more nice Difquifition of this is not the Bufinefs of our prefent Enquiry, which is the Art of Poetry, not of Verfifying.

Here,

Here, my Friend Crites, the Company broke up, and I now send you this fifth Dialogue, which compleats my Poetical Syftem, and which no Body but yourself can improve; and that you may do fo, is the Reafon of my troubling you with these Papers.

I fhall foon call on you for your Corrections; for I am at laft perfuaded to publifh thefe Difcourfes, in hopes, if poffible, to cure our abandon'd Taste of Poetry; and remove that Ignorance of the Art, which is the Cause.of. that bad Tafte..

FINI S.

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ADVERTISEMENT.

Inding the Inimitable Shakespear

Fjected by fomeModern Collectors

for his Obfolete Language, and having lately run over this great Poet, I could not but present the Reader with a Specimen of his Descriptions, and Moral Reflections, to fhew the Injustice of fuch an Obloquy. I might have been more large, for he abounds in Beauties; but these are fufficient to evince the Falfhood of their Imputation.