MARTINUS SCRIBLERUS, IT ΠΕΡΙ ΒΑΘΟΥΣ; CHAP. I. T hath been long (my dear Countrymen) the fubject of my concern and furprize, that whereas numberlefs Poets, Criticks and Orators, have compiled and digefted the Art of ancient Poefy, there hath not arisen among us one Person so publick-spirited, as to perform the like for the Modern. Although it is universally known, that our every-way induftrious Moderns, both in the Weight of their writings, and in the Velocity of their judgments, do fo infinitely excel the faid Ancients. Nevertheless, too true it is, that while a plain and direct road is paved to their os, or Sublime; no track has been yet chalked out, to arrive at our Bálor, or Profound. The Latins, as they came between the Greeks and Us, make use of the word Altitude, which implies equally height and depth.. Wherefore confidering with no small grief, how many promifing Geniuses of this age are wandering (as I may fay) in the dark without a guide, I have undertaken this arduous but neceffary task, to lead them as it were by the hand, and step by ftep, the gentle down-hill way to the Bathos; the bottom, the end, the central point, the non plus ultra, of true Modern Poefy! When I confider (my dear Countrymen) the extent, fertility, and populoufness of our Lowlands of Parnaffus, the flourishing state of our Trade, and the plenty of our Manufacture; there are two reflections which adminifter great occafion of furprize: The one, that all dignities and honours should be bestowed upon the exceeding few VOL. III. meagre meagre inhabitants of the Top of the mountain; the other, that our own nation should have arrived to that pitch of greatness it now poffeffes, without any regular Syftem of Laws. As to the firft, it is with great pleasure I have obferved 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, But as when they without any may condescend to ours. we have now an unquestionable Majority on our fide, I doubt not but we fhall fhortly be able to level the Highlanders, and procure a farther vent for our own product, which is already fo much relifhed, encouraged, and rewarded, by the Nobility and Gentry of Great Britain, Therefore, to fupply our former defect, I propofe to collect the scattered rules of our Art into regular Inftitutes, from the example and practice of the deep Geniuses of our nation; imitating herein my predeceffors the Mafter of Alexander, and the Secretary of the renowned Zenobia. And in this my undertaking I am the more animated, as I expect more fuccefs than has attended even those great Criticks; fince their Laws (though they might be good) have ever been flackly executed, and their precepts (however ftrict) obey'd only by fits, and by a very small number. At the fame time I intend to do juftice upon our neighbours, inhabitants of the upper Parnaffus; who, taking advantage of the rifing ground, are perpetually throwing down rubbish, dirt, and ftones upon us, never fuffering us to live in peace. These men, while they enjoy the crystal ftream of Helicon, envy us our common water, which (thank our stars) though it is fomewhat muddy, flows in much greater abundance. Nor is this the greatest injustice that we have to complain of; for though it is evident that we never made the least attempt or inroad into Their territories, but lived con tented tented in our native fens; they have often not only committed Petty Larcenies upon our borders, but driven. the country, and carried off at once whole Cart-loads of our manufacture; to reclaim fome of which ftolen goods is part of the defign of this Treatise. For we shall fee, in the courfe of this work, that our greatest Adverfaries have fometimes defcended towards us; and doubtless might now and then have arrived at the Bathos itself, had it not been for that iniftaken opinion. they all entertained, that the Rules of the Ancients were equally neceffary to the Moderns; than which there cannot be a more grievous Error, as will be amply proved in the following difcourfe. And indeed when any of thefe have gone fo far, as by the light of their own Genius to attempt new Models, it is wonderful to obferve, how nearly they have approached us in those particular pieces; though in their others they differed toto cœlo from us. CHA P. II. That the Bathos, or Profound, is the natural Taste of Man, and in particular, of the present Age. THE HE Tafte of the Bathos is implanted by Nature itfelf in the foul of man; till, perverted by cuftom or example, he is taught, or rather compelled, to relish the fublime. Accordingly, we fee the unprejudiced minds of Children delight only in such productions, and in fuch images, as our true modern writers fet before them. I have obferved how faft the general Tafte is returning to this first Simplicity and Innocence: and if the intent of all Poetry be to divert and inftruct, certainly that kind which diverts and inftructs the greatest number, is to be preferred. Let us look round among the Admirers of Poetry, we fhall find those who have a tafte of the Sublime to be very few; but the Profound strikes univerfally, and is adapted to every capacity, 'Tis a fruitless undertaking to write for men of a nice and foppish Gufto, whom, after all, it is almost impoffible to please, and it is ftill more chimerical to write for Pofterity, of whofe Tafte we cannot make any judgment, and whofe applaufe we can never enjoy. It must be confeffed our wiser authors have a prefent end. Et prodeffe volunt et delectare Poeta. Their true defign is Profit or Gain; in order to acquire which, 'tis neceffary to procure applaufe by adminiftering pleasure to the reader: From whence it follows demonftrably, that their productions must be fuited to the prefent Tafte. And I cannot but congratulate our age on this peculiar felicity, that though we have made indeed great progrefs in all other branches of Luxury, we are not yet debauched with any high Relish in Poetry, but are in this one Tafte lefs nice than our ancestors. If an Art is to be estimated by its fuccefs, I appeal to experience whether there have not been, in proportion to their number, as many ftarving good Poets as bad ones. Nevertheless, in making Gain the principal end of our Art, far be it from me to exclude any great Geniuses of Rank or Fortune from diverting themselves this way. They ought to be praised no lefs than thofe Princes, who pass their vacant hours in fome ingenious mechanical or manual Art. And to fuch as thefe, it would be ingratitude not to own, that our Art has been often infinitely indebted. СНАР, |