The No. 617. Nov. 8, gloriously illuminated on this joyful Occasion. Mayor and Aldermen, those Pillars of our Constitution, Monday, began to totter; and if any one at the Board could have 1714. so far articulated, as to have demanded intelligibly a Reinforcement of Liquor, the whole Assembly had been by this time extended under the Table. The Celebration of this Night's Solemnity was opened by the obstreperous Joy of Drummers, who, with their Parchment Thunder, gave a Signal for the Appearance of the Mob under their several Classes and Denominations. They were quickly joined by the melodious Clank of Marrow-bone and Cleaver, whilst a Chorus of Bells filled up the Consort, A Pyramid of Stack-Faggots cheared the Hearts of the Populace with the Promise of a Blaze: The Guns had no sooner uttered the Prologue, but the Heavens were brightened with artificial Meteors, and Stars of our own_making; and all the High-street lighted up, from one End to another, with a Galaxy of Candles. We collected a Largess for the Multitude, who tippled Eleemosynary till they grew exceeding Vociferous. There was a Paste-board Pontiff with a little swarthy Dæmon at his Elbow, who, by his diabolical Whispers and Insinuations, tempted his Holiness into the Fire, and then left him to shift for himself. The Mobile were very sarcastick with their Clubs, and gave the old Gentleman several Thumps upon his triple Head-piece. Tyler's Phiz is something damaged by the Fall of a Rocket, which hath almost spoiled the Gnomon of his Countenance, The Mirth of the Commons grew so very outrageous, that it found Work for our Friend of the Quorum, who, by the help of his Amanuensis, took down all their Names and their Crimes, with a Design to produce his Manuscript at the next Quarter-Sessions. &c. &c. &c.' Tom I shall subjoin to the foregoing Piece of a Letter, the following Copy of Verses translated from an Italian Poet, who was the Cleveland of his Age, and had Multitudes of Admirers, The Subject is an Accident that hap pened under the Reign of Pope Leo, when a Firework, that had been prepared upon the Castle of St. Angelo, begun Nov. 8, 1714. No. 617. begun to play before its Time, being kindled by a Flash Monday, of Lightning. The Author hath written his Poem in the same kind of Style, as that I have already exemplified in Prose. Every Line in it is a Riddle, and the Reader must be forced to consider it twice or thrice, before he will know that the Cynick's Tenement is a Tub, and Bacchus his Cast-coat a Hogshead, &c. 'Twas Night, and Heav'n, a Cyclops, all the Day, The Pile, still big with undiscover'd Shows, Whilst now the Multitude expect the Time, The Clouds invelop'd Heav'n from Human Sight, Tall Groves of Trees the Hadrian Tow'r surround, When When blazing Leaves appear above their Head, The Trees now kindle, and the Garland burns, Bright Spears and shining Spear-men mount on high, A Seven-fold Shield of Spheres doth Heav'n defend, Pour out their Souls, their Sulph'rous Souls, and groan, With Joy, great Sir, we view'd this pompous Show, } No. 617. 1714. No. 618, Wednesday, November 10. -Neque enim concludere versum Dixeris esse satis: neque siquis scribat, uti nos, 'Mr. SPECTATOR Y Towa couple of remarkable Letters, in very YOU having in your two last Spectators given the different Styles; I take this opportunity to offer to you some Remarks upon the Epístolary way of writing in Verse. This is a Species of Poetry by it self; and has not so much as been hinted at in any of the Arts of Poetry that have ever fallen into my Hands: Neither has it in any Age, or any Nation, been so much cultivated, as the other several Kinds of Poesie. A Man of Genius may, if he pleases, write Letters in Verse upon all manner of Subjects, that are capable of being embellished with Wit and Language, and may render them new and agreeable by giving the proper Turn to them. But in speaking, at present, of Epistolary Poetry, I would be understood to mean only such Writings in this Kind, as have been No. 618, 1714. in Use amongst the Ancients, and have been copied from Wednes them by some Moderns. These may be reduced into day, Nov. 10, two Classes: In the one I shall range Love-Letters, Letters of Friendship, and Letters upon mournful Occasions: In the other I shall place such Epistles in Verse, as may properly be called Familiar, Critical, and Moral; to which may be added Letters of Mirth and Humour. Ovid for first, and Horace for the latter, are the best Originals we have left. He that is ambitious of succeeding in the Ovidian way, should first examine his Heart well, and feel whether his Passions (especially those of the_gentler Kind) play easie, since it is not his Wit, but the Delicacy and Tenderness of his Sentiments, that will affect his Readers. His Versification likewise should be soft, and all his Numbers flowing and querulous. The Qualifications requisite for writing Epistles, after the Model given us by Horace, are of a quite different Nature. He that would excel in this kind must have a good Fund of strong Masculine Sense: To this there must be joined a thorough Knowledge of Mankind, together with an Insight into the Business, and the prevailing Humours of the Age, Our Author must have his Mind well seasoned with the finest Precepts of Morality, and be filled with nice Reflections upon the bright and the dark sides of human Life: He must be a Master of refined Raillery, and understand the Delicacies, as well as the Absurdities of Conversation. He must have a lively Turn of Wit, with an easie and concise manner of Expression; Every thing he says, must be in a free and disengaged manner. He must be guilty of nothing that betrays the Air of a Recluse, but appear a Man of the World throughout. His Illustrations, his Com parisons, and the greatest part of his Images must be drawn from common Life, Strokes of Satyr and Criticism, as well as Panegyrick, judiciously thrown in (and as it were by the by) give a wonderful Life and Ornament to Compositions of this kind. But let our Poet, while he writes Epistles, though never so familiar, still remember that he writes in Verse, and must for that reason have a more than ordinary care not to fall into Prose Prose, and a vulgar Diction, excepting where the Nature No. 618. and Humour of the Thing does necessarily require it. WednesIn this Point Horace hath been thought by some Criticks day, Nov. 10, to be sometimes careless, as well as too negligent of his 1714. Versification; of which he seems to have been sensible himself, All I have to add is, that both these Manners of Writing may be made as entertaining, in their way, as any other Species of Poetry, if undertaken by Persons duly qualify'd; and the latter sort may be managed so as to become in a peculiar manner Instructive. I am, &c,' I shall add an Observation or two to the Remarks of my ingenious Correspondent, and, in the First place, take Notice, that Subjects of the most sublime Nature are often treated in the Epistolary way with Advantage, as in the famous Epistle of Horace to Augustus. The Poet surprizes us with his Pomp, and seems rather be trayed into his Subject, than to have aimed at it by de sign: He appears like the Visit of a King Incognito, with a mixture of Familiarity, and Grandeur. In Works of this kind, when the Dignity of the Subject hurries the Poet into Descriptions and Sentiments, seemingly unpremeditated, by a sort of Inspiration; it is usual for him to Recollect himself, and fall back gracefully into the natural Stile of a Letter, I might here mention an Epistolary Poem, just Pub lished by Mr. Eusden on the King's Accession to the Throne: Wherein, amongst many other noble and beautiful Strokes of Poetry, his Reader may see this Rule very happily observed. No. 619. I Friday, November 12. Exerce ímpería, & ramos compesce fluentes.-Virg. HAVE often thought, that if the several Letters, which are Written to me under the Character of SPECTATOR, and which I have not made use of, were published in a Volume, they would not be an unentertaining Collection. The Variety of the Subjects, Stiles, Sentiments, and In formations |
