REMARKS, &c.

I Addreſs the following Remarks to you, not be⯑cauſe I pretend to gueſs at your Perſon, but becauſe I think you are moſt intereſted in them; and I ſend you them plain and ſimple, without prefacing them either with Compliments or Acri⯑mony.

I entirely agree with you in your firſt general Obſervation, (P. 2.) that of moſt, if not ‘"all Arts or Exertions of human Faculty, thoſe which Dr. Brown has choſen for his Subject are moſt liable to be influenced by a Variety of Cauſes; ſeem⯑ingly moſt remote and minute, and moſt difficult to be obſerved".’ But ſurely your Concluſion is not logical; ‘"That to think, by laying down one or a few Principles, to deduce the Progreſs of them ſyſtematically, is parallel to Almanack⯑makers foretelling the Weather."’ In my Opi⯑nion the preſent Queſtion is not whether they can be ſolved ſyſtematically or not, but whether Dr. B—'s Solution is juſt or groundleſs: And if [2] you apply this Concluſion to his Work, before you have examined it, your Determination muſt be ranked with the Judgments of thoſe Coun⯑tries, where they behead a Man firſt and try after⯑wards whether he is Guilty.

Your ſecond Obſervation is of the ‘"Unimpor⯑tance of ſuch Inveſtigations, as being mere amuſ⯑ing Gratifications of Curioſity."’Yet if you are really in earneſt, how came you (who have affected to diſplay ſo large a Fund of Reading) to have ‘"^a employed ſo much of your Thoughts on a ſmall Part of this very Subject? And ^b if ever you publiſh your Thoughts,"’I ap⯑peal to your own Heart, in what Eſtimation you would hold the Man who ſhould tell you they were of ‘"no Importance to Mankind, or rank them, as you have done Dr. B—'s, with Alma⯑nack-making.’

Your third Objection ‘"of the doctorial Man⯑ner and Air of Science with which it has been faſhionable of late to advance Conjectures;"’ is at leaſt not liberal. If Dr. B—'s Conjectures are falſe, it ought to be Triumph enough for you to prove them ſo; if on the contrary, notwith⯑ſtanding your Arguments, they prove true, ought they not to be advanced with the Confidence of Truth, by a Man who knows them ſo."

I entirely acquieſce in your fourth Obſerva⯑tion ‘"that, ſince Truth is the principal Purpoſe theſe Inveſtigations can anſwer, Miſrepreſentation [3] or even Error in matter of Fact is leſs excuſable in them than in any other Kind of Enquiry,"’ ex⯑cept in ſuch as your's and mine, where if we miſ⯑repreſent either thro' Prejudice or Partiality, or err in Matters of Fact when we would correct the Errors of others, then we are leſs excuſable, be⯑cauſe we are leſs honeſt.

So much may ſuffice for your Preliminaries; The Body of your Work remains now to be exa⯑mined.

1. You ſay, ‘"I will not take the Advantage of the obvious Ridicule which ariſes from the ſearching the Seeds and Principles of all the moſt refined and tranſporting Poetry of Greece, in the dreary Wilds of North-America ^c."’—'Tis indeed out of the common road, for Dr. B. to carry us ſo far in Queſt of Brutality, when he might have found it ſo much nearer Home, among the old Pelaſgi of ancient Greece; who certainly were no better than the modern Iroquois. We know they were Acorn-Eaters and Man-Eaters:

Sylveſtres Homines, Sacer Interpreſque Deorum, Caedibus & Victu foedo deterruit ORPHEUS ^d

This is the moſt we know of them; and this we know of the modern Iroquois too, but then we know a great dealmore. Now, what we know of the mordern Iroquois, Dr. B. on the Foundation of Analogy, applies to the old Pelaſgi: He attempts [4] to prove by an eaſy Chain of Reaſoning, that in Caſe of a ſuppoſed Civilization of Iroquois, ſuch Conſequences might naturally be expected to ariſe, as did actually ariſe in antient Greece; and viceverſa, that as the old Pelaſgi were once in the ſame State as the Iroquois are now, they actually did proceed by the ſame Steps as theſe would probably do upon a ſimilar Civilization. The Argument is new I confeſs, but is not therefore to be treated with Contempt. If the Principles on which all Savage Tribes proceed are always ſimple, and nearly the ſame in all, making only ſome ſmall Allowance for the Difference of Soil, and Cli⯑mate: If the Similarity of Cauſes and Effects be too clear and convincing to be denied; in a Word if, even where Variations of Character ariſe, they ſerve rather to illuſtrate than confound the Sub⯑ject, certainly any Concluſions properly drawn from ſo amazing an Analogy, muſt fall little ſhort of Demonſtration.—The Method then of Argu⯑mentation no rational Man can object to; let us therefore ſee whether Dr. B—has ſuſtained it properly in thoſe Parts which regard ancient Greece.

You begin with a very material Point, which if once made out would overthrow Dr. B—'s Hypotheſis from the Foundation. You tell us, ‘"It is taken for granted all along, that the Poetry and Muſic, and Legiſlation, and Religion of Greece, were entirely the ſpontaneous Productions of that Climate"’ but that ‘"it is certain, the firſt Seeds [5] of them were imported ^e."’You then appeal to ancient Authors, and affirm (from them) that Dr. B's Syſtem ‘"cannot hold, ſince their firſt Civilizers did certainly introduce foreign Gods, and were not the Object of Worſhip themſelves ^f.’

To prove that it was otherwiſe, you cite Hero⯑dotus; and you ſay, ‘"he aſſures us that the Pe⯑laſgi had no more than ſome general Notion of a ſuperior Power who made the World ^g."’ Now, how can You, whoſe Work profeſſes to be built on the Pillar of ſtrict Quotation, how can You begin with ſo egregious an Untruth? In your Tranſlation you have repreſented the PE⯑LASGI (Acorn-Eaters and Man-Eaters) as pure Theiſts; and it ſeems it was Orpheus who after⯑wards debaſed them into groſs Idolaters ^h. Now Herodotus ſays nothing of all this. He men⯑tions not a ſuperior Power; but expreſsly ſays Gods ( [...]) nor does he ſpeak one Word of their making, but only of their governing the World ⁱ. And is not this a palmary Argument in Proof of their having no Religion, that ‘"they worſhiped the Gods, who in their Opinion governed the World?"’—Well: but it ſeems, ‘"they knew no Name for any Divinity; the Names of their Gods were brought from Egypt; and if their Gods had been their own Chiefs, their Names would have been better remembered than [6] any Thing elſe ^k."’ Here, I confeſs with Pleaſure, is ſome Appearance of good Reaſon⯑ing.

But to ſet this Matter in its true Light; and acquaint you whence it probably came to paſs, that the ſavage Pelaſgi had no Names for their Gods, I muſt (in Imitation of Dr. B.) carry you once more among your new Acquaintances, the Savages of America.—You muſt know, then, that the ſavage Tribes ſeldom retain the particular Name of the Chieftain whom they deify and wor⯑ſhip: and the Reaſon of this is, becauſe he ge⯑nerally loſes it even before be dies. When he is exalted to the Rank of Chief, his former Name is commonly dropped, and a new Appellation is giv⯑en him, ſuited to the Station he is raiſed to: This Title (rather than Name) is generally that of Father, Senior, or Sun of the Tribe. In Proof of this I might refer you to all the Writers on the Manners of ſavage Tribes: On this Subject, how⯑ever, LAFITAU and the Lettres Edifiantes, will give you ample Satisfaction. Under this State of Things, the ſavage Tribes offer Sacrifice, conſult Oracles, and perform the general Acts of a na⯑tive Religion. This, then, ſeems to have been the idolatrous State of the old Pelaſgi: They probably worſhipped their firſt ſavage Chief⯑tains; for it is clear, on the Evidence of Hero⯑dotus himſelf, that they offered Sacrifice to their Gods, and conſulted the Oracle of Dodona, whe⯑ther [7] they ſhould give the Egyptian Names to their own Deities ^l: two Circumſtances which prove even to Demonſtration, that they had Deities be⯑fore the Time of Orpheus.

You will ſay, ‘"what then did Orpheus intro⯑duce, if he introduced not the Gods of Greece?"’ Why, Herodotus tells us, as plain as Words can tell us: He introduced Myſteries ( [...]): and that he might diſtinguiſh the native Gods whom he found already eſtabliſhed by a general Wor⯑ſhip, he appropriated particular Rites to each; and to this End, very properly diſtinguiſhed each God by a particular Appellation, But ſure, ne⯑ver was Critic ſo unlucky in his Remarks as You: For it has been made appear by a learned Wri⯑ter, that theſe [...], theſe very Myſteries which ORPHEUS introduced to Greece, were ſo far from being the Beginnings of Heroe Worſhip, that they were intended as a Detection (to the initiated) of the Errors of pre-eſtabliſhed Polytheiſm ^m.

It appears then, that the oldeſt Gods of Greece were ſtrictly native: I ſhall now prove that they were the Chiefs and firſt Civilizers of the ſavage Inhabitants. That they were ſuch, is evident from the Teſtimony of ſeveral ancient Authors, found⯑ed on the Traditions of the Country, which are the only original Evidences that can be obtained in a Caſe of this Nature.—The firſt and chief of theſe was He, to whom Orpheus (it ſeems) gave [8] the Name of JUPITER. This old Chieftain was born in Crete: and was brought young by his Mother into Greece ⁿ. He conquered the Ti⯑tans (probably another Tribe of Savages, at En⯑mity with the Pelaſgi) and civilized the Inhabi⯑tants of the Country which he ſubdued ^o. Af⯑ter he had vanquiſhed the Titans, he is ſaid by ſome Authors to have inſtituted the Olympian Games, in Commemoration of his Victory ^p.

Another of theſe moſt ancient Gods of Greece, to whom ORPHEUS gave the Name of APOLLO, was a Chief who killed the Serpent Python, and the Tyrant Titius; taught the Inhabitants of Greece the Uſe of the Fruits of the Earth, and civilized the Inhabitants of ſeveral Diſtricts ^q.

Two more of theſe ancient Gods of Greece, were the famed Brothers, CASTOR and POLLUX. They were Natives of the little Iſle of Pephnos near Meſſene ^r; and taught the Lacedemonians the Arts of Dancing and of War ^s.

Now theſe four are the very ancient Gods whom Dr. B. has ſingled out, as being delivered down to Poſterity under the Characters of Muſi⯑cians, Singers, and Dancers. All of them Chiefs and Civilizers of ancient Greece, in ſome Depart⯑ment or other of Legiſlation.

But he might have added ſeveral more. Of this Claſs was MERCURY. He was born in [9] Greece ^t; was the Inventor of the Lyre; and is ſaid to have been deified for this Invention ^u.

Another Deification I muſt not paſs over: You have led me to it yourſelf: It is that of BAC⯑CHUS; whoſe Love of Wine, Dance, and Muſic, is too well known to need a Comment. You ſpeak of his Myſteries, as being not of Grecian but foreign Original; and thence you conclude, that the God himſelf was ſo. I need hardly bid you turn back to the preceding Pages, to put you in Mind how inconcluſive this Argument is. The old Chieftain himſelf was a Civilizer of Greece, tho' his Myſteries (introduced by ORPHEUS) were Egyptian. You will demand a Proof of the God being a Civilizer of Greece. Take the following Account, then; which unfortunately contains as ample a Confutation of all you have advanced on this Subject, as any Heart can wiſh. ‘"PHILO⯑NIDES informs us, that the Vine having been tranſplated from the Borders of the Red Sea into Greece, by BACCHUS;—the Greeks, when the unmixed Wine is brought to Table at Sup⯑per, invoke the good Genius or God, honouring (or worſhipping) the Power who invented it: This God is BACCHUS ^x."’

Thus, your capital Objection to Dr. B's Syſ⯑tem ſeems abſolutely untenable, and void of all Foundation.

[10] 3. You proceed, next, to object againſt his Account of the Origin of poetic Numbers ^y What you have advanced on this Subject, I ſhall only ſtile an Inſtance of your Power of Repre⯑ſentation.—You confound the Origin of Poetry with the Origin of mere Rythm; nor perhaps is it neceſſary that a mere Critic ſhould know the Difference.—You repreſent Savages, in their loweſt State of Nature, to have no Leiſure for Amuſement; when, if you will read, you will find, they have more Leiſure than any civilized Nations:—You charge Dr. B. with repreſenting them as going formally to Work, with an a-priori Notion of Harmony and Meaſure, to adapt their Words to Muſic; when in Reality he tells you from Lafitau, that they dance and ſing, and join their Words to their Muſic as well as they can; and to this End, that they ‘"even retrench and ſtrike off ſome Syllables from their Words,"’that they ‘"may tally better with their Dance and Muſic; and hence the natural Origin of Rythm or Numbers"’—You own that the Dance cannot be totally without Meaſure; and yet you deny its Tendency to produce a correſpondent Meaſure in the annexed Words:—You ſay that violent Emotions of the Mind naturally produce harmonious Periods, yet though you are very angry through your whole Work, you never produce one harmonious Period.—Such [11] are the Materials of this Article, which I ſhall leave to the Reader's Contemplations.

4. But you have not yet done with the old Dei⯑ties of Greece: You ſay you remember a ‘"Paſ⯑ſage of ARISTOTLE full in the Teeth of Dr. B's Syſtem: wherein it is obſerved, that "the Poets never repreſent Jupiter ſinging ^z."’Truly, neither does Dr. B. for he only ſays (on the Authority of a very old Poet) that ‘"Jupiter danced."’ 'Tis a little hard upon the Father of Gods and Men, thus to tie him Hand and Foot becauſe he wanted an Ear, or happened to be hoarſe: and becauſe he did not ſing, that you won't let him dance neither. Good Sir, be a lit⯑tle more ingenuous in your Application of ancient Authors.

But you affirm, that ‘"Arctinus mentions Ju⯑piter's Dancing as a Thing unuſual ^a."’ Now, why did not you refer to the Paſſage in Athenaeus which you here allude to? Was it for Fear the Reader might conſult it?—With ſome Trouble I have found it; and am ſorry to ſay, I have detected you in what an illiberal Critic would call a downright Falſehood. The following is a literal Tranſlation of the Paſſage. ‘"Eumelus or Arctinus the Corinthian ſomewhere intro⯑duces Jupiter dancing; ſaying, "Among them danced the Sire of Gods and Men ^b."’ Not a Syllable occurs here, on its being either an uſual or unuſual Thing.

[12]But it ſeems, ‘"the Character of the Poet ſhould be aſcertained whether ſerious or bur⯑leſque, &c. before any thing concerning the whole Syſtem of Grecian Religion be deter⯑mined by one Quotation at Second-hand from him ^c."’—You are a notable Logician.—But it happens, that the Proof of Dr. B's Syſ⯑tem does not depend upon this one Quotation: he has (in the Courſe of his Diſſertation) given twenty more, which are generally corroborative of This.

5. You next come to conſider Dr. B's Account of the Origin of Poetic Hiſtory: You charge Dr. B. with miſquoting and miſrepreſenting the Author of the Life of Homer, in order to bring him to his own Purpoſe ^d. But in reality, all that Dr. B. has done, is to expreſs that properly, which the Author of the Life of Homer had ex⯑preſſed improperly: Both their Expreſſions imply the ſame Thing. You farther charge Dr. B. in⯑deed, with ‘"turning Spaniſh Works into Arabic ones ^e."’ Now theſe Spaniſh Fragments are indeed Arabic by Deſcent; and this is evidently Dr. B's Meaning. But You, I find, being igno⯑rant of their Original, did not comprehend his Meaning.

6. On the Subject of ‘"ancient Laws being written in Verſe,"’you ſay, ‘"the Actions of their Gods and Heroes were ſuch as could not [13] be a Foundation for moral Exhortations to Imi⯑tation ^f."’ Here, I ſuſpect, that inſtead of putting yourſelf in the Place of the Savages, you have put the Savages in your Place. Certainly, to a modern Engliſhman, the Actions of their Gods and Heroes could never have ſeemed a worthy Model for Imitation: Yet to an ancient ſavage Greek (an Acorn-Eater, and a Man-Eater) they might very well paſs for ſuch. ‘"Plunder and Revenge (as you obſerve ^g) being what the Savage chiefly values,"’ an Exhortation to this Purpoſe would naturally be included in the Song-Feaſt.—

7. You ſay, ‘"I would fain know why the Doctor ſhould ſuppoſe the Practice of religious Dance and Song to have neceſſarily ariſen from a falſe Religion, which, as he himſelf takes No⯑tice, made a Part of the true ^h."’ But where has the Doctor aſſerted, that they neceſſa⯑rily aroſe? That they naturally aroſe both among Pagans and Jews, he has made it very evident. Now, why ſhould we have Recourſe to a pedantic Principle of Imitation, void of Evi⯑dence, for a Practice which manifeſtly ariſes from Nature? I expect, you will prove in your next Work, that all Pagans learnt of the Jews, how to beget Children, and eat their Victuals.

8. You now come to the old poetic Oracles of GREECE: So far as the Affair of mere Reaſoning [14] is concerned, I ſhall again leave you to the natu⯑ral Penetration of the Reader. With Reſpect to the literary Part of the Argument, I at length give you Joy of a ſmall Diſcovery: for you have detected Dr. B. in calling an ancient Prieſteſs of Apollo by the Name of PHEMONOE inſtead of HEROPHILE. I wiſh you had been as ſucceſsful in your next Attack.

For the main Point worth contending for an this Subject is, ‘"Whether the ancient Pythian Oracles were the Effect of Enthuſiaſm."’ To prove that they were not, you bring a Story from Homer, who tells us of a wonderful Feat of APOLLO, who 1ſt changed himſelf into a Dol⯑phin; 2dly, drove the Cretan Voyagers from their Courſe at Sea; 3dly, appeared to them (Qu. in his own Shape, or the Dolphin's?) and told them, they were to be his Sacrificers; 4thly, that the poor Fellows being hungry, he aſſured them, they need not fear for a Subſiſtence; for that he could foretel, they ſhould live comfortably on the Sacrifices: on which, they believed him, and be⯑came his Prieſts.—Now, on this curious and au⯑thentic Trait of Hiſtory, which you call rational and probable, you found the Riſe of the Delphic Oracle. Believe your Creed who may, I ſhall not endeavour to ſhake his Faith: But in Reſpect to thoſe who may think that any thing can poſſibly be fabulous which comes from that moſt ſcrupu⯑lous and true Hiſtorian, Old HOMER, I can only ſet againſt him the weak Authority of that poe⯑tical [15] and lying Romancer, DIODORUS the Sicili⯑an. Now this Author tells us, in the moſt expreſs Terms, that ‘"the Riſe of this famed Oracle was from Enthuſiaſm: That the firſt Diviners being ſeized with this, began to prophecy, and were agitated with wild and frantic Geſtures, which were ſo violent, that many of them leapt into the deep Cleft of the Earth, near the Place where now the Temple of Delphi ſtands: And that in Proceſs of Time, the Diviner or Pythia, was confined to the Tripos, as the Means of pre⯑venting the like fatal Conſequences ⁱ."’ This whole Account confirms all that Dr. B. has ad⯑vanced concerning the Origin of the old poetic Oracles of GREECE: it overturns all the Objec⯑tions you have muſtered on this Subject: And as to the illiberal Miſrepreſentations of Dr. B's Method of Reaſoning, which cloſe your Argu⯑ment, I am quite aſhamed of them, and might give you for Anſwer, a Maxim of your own; ‘"that a Buffoon always places Things in that Light which is moſt advantageous to his Satire ^k."’

9. On the Subject of the Greek Melody, you ſay, ‘"you have little to object:"’ and for the ſame Reaſon, perhaps, I have nothing to object; and I fear the Reaſon is, becauſe we do not un⯑derſtand it.—However, you are even with him in the next Paragraph; in which you prove your⯑ſelf [16] a greater Adept in Proſody, not only than Dr. B. but even than the learned Voſſius himſelf: And here you have laid hold of a fair Opportu⯑nity of expoſing Dr. B. for another Man's Igno⯑rance at leaſt, if not for his own. On this im⯑portant Head, therefore I will lay down a Brace of Maxims, built on your moſt ingenious Criti⯑ciſm, which I defy him and all his Adherents to overturn. 1. That a Writer is anſwerable for any incidental Error of the Author whom he quotes, though it be not eſſential to his Subject. 2. That though the Author who made a trifling Miſtake may be a Man of Senſe and Learning, yet he who paſſes it unnoticed muſt be an ignorant Blockhead.

10. You own that ‘"the Power of the Greek Melody is juſtly attributed by Dr. B. to the Power of Aſſociation ^l."’—‘"But,"’—Ay, right or wrong, there muſt be a but— ‘"But this is in Effect owning, that it is in a great Meaſure un⯑accountable ^m."’ Let us ſee, now, how this Argument ſtands.—If we know that it is juſtly attributed to Aſſociation, then ſurely we know what Aſſociation means; and if ſo, then, I appre⯑hend, it is clearly accounted for.—Had I not been tolerably acquainted with you before I arrived at this logical Paragraph, I ſhould have wondered to hear a Man ſaying and unſaying the ſame thing [17] at a Breath.—Well; but we will paſs over this as one of thoſe Propoſitions you ſpeak of, which are neither true nor falſe. We will ſuppoſe, that all you mean to aſſert is only what follows; ‘"that their particular Aſſociations being unknown, the particular Nature of their Melody (which aroſe from theſe Aſſociations) muſt be unknown like⯑wiſe:"’—This is a Propoſition which has both Senſe and Truth in it: But then, unluckily for you, it is the very thing that Dr. B. aſſerts: For he tells you, even again and again, that notwith⯑ſtanding all the Pretences of your whole critical Fraternity, we know nothing particular about the Matter.

11. But now you haſten into the midſt of things; and, to confeſs the Truth, take ſuch Strides in Abſurdity, that it requires ſome Pains to follow you.—Dr. B. ſays, ‘"Their Songs were of a legiſlative Caſt, and being drawn chiefly from the Fables or Hiſtory of their own Coun⯑try, contained the eſſential Parts of their reli⯑gious, political, and moral Syſtems."’—This it ſeems you cannot digeſt; and yet, I fear, you will be compelled to ſwallow it.—

Firſt, you acknowledge, that the Songs of Orpheus and Amphion were of this legiſlative Caſt: that ‘"they employed them to perſwade the Savages to live together ſociably, and with⯑out injuring each other, and to worſhip the [18] Gods ⁿ."’ So far we go together.—‘"But as ſoon as the Conveniencies of Life began to abound, they began to ſeek Amuſement; and then, it is in the Light of pleaſing and charm⯑ing, not ſage or uſeful, we find them conſider⯑ed ^o."’ Now, with all due Deference to the contrary Opinion and Practice of a learned Critic, who lards his Sentences with Scraps of Greek, may not a Work be at once pleaſing and inſtruc⯑tive? Or to expreſs myſelf in a Way more ſuit⯑able to the Taſte of certain Writers (becauſe leſs intelligible to Half their Readers) may not the Utile and the Dulce be joined together? As a full Proof, that this was the Fact in the Poems of the ancient Greeks, I need only refer to what Dr. B. has quoted from Plato ^p. There it appears at large, that the Poems of their Bards were taught to their Children, as the Foundation both of their Opinions and their Manners. And the very Rea⯑ſon is aſſigned by Plato why this Method of In⯑ſtruction was uſed, ‘"Becauſe the youthful Mind is not apt to attend to ſerious Study, therefore the pleaſing Vebicle of Song is to be adminiſtered."’

But you urge further, ‘"that the Bard's Profeſſion was not of that Dignity, which Dr. B. aſcribes to it;"’ ‘"and as for his ranking the Bard next to Kings, I can quote him two Paſ⯑ſages where he is ranked with Carpenters ^q."’ [19] —You might have ſaved yourſelf the Trouble: becauſe Dr. B. himſelf has produced an Inſtance from another Country, (Ireland) where the Bards had thought proper to rank themſelves with Thieves and Robbers ^r. Yet in this very Country, there had been a time, when they were ranked with Kings and Gods ^s. This ſhrewd Obſerva⯑tion, therefore, ariſes only from your being un⯑fairly carried off your Ground, and obliged to talk on a Subject you are not acquainted with: You ſuppoſe the Dignity of the Bard's Character to have been always ſtationary and the ſame, whereas indeed, it appears from Dr. B's Work, that it was generally fluctuating, according to the accidental Changes in Civilization, Arts, and Manners.

Again, you ſay, ‘"Had Homer's Work been legiſlative, his Buſineſs would have been to deliver a more perfect and improved Syſtem in each Kind ^t."’ How do you know that? Has Homer himſelf told you ſo? Upon what Authority do you make Homer wiſer than he was, and wiſer than the Times had made him? ‘"He painted what he ſaw and believed (ſays Dr. B.) and painted truly: the Fault lay in the Opinions and Manners of the Times: In the Defects of an early and barbarous Legiſla⯑tion, which had but half-civilized Mankind ^u."’

[20] But now, after having granted, that Homer did not deliver a perfect and improved Syſtem of Doctrines, you proceed (like a profound Phi⯑loſopher) to prove that he did ^x. Your Argu⯑mentation on this Head I ſhall leave to the na⯑tural and common Senſe of the Reader; only adding this Remark, that Homer's Fables were ſuch a Picture of Life and Morals, as Plato (in a more refined Period) thought proper to baniſh from his Republic, leſt they ſhould de⯑ſtroy all good Morals.—Dr. B. has particularized ſome of the Chief of them, which ſufficiently juſtify Plato's Cenſure ^y.

You next proceed to Pindar: and here, when I found you allowed that ‘"the poetic Songs muſt abound with Reflections on what was laudable, or the contrary; and with Pictures and Recom⯑mendations of what that Age and Nation re⯑puted Virtue;"’and alſo that ‘"Fables built on the current Traditions, at once ſtruck the Imagination, ſoothed the Vanity, and excited the awful Reſpect of the Hearers ^a:"’ Now, ſaid I, we are happily agreed: But ſee the Vanity of human Hopes! In the very next Line we are all broke to Pieces. For it ſeems ‘"Pin⯑dar's intermixed Fables were ſo far from being [21] neceſſary to his Odes, that in his firſt Ode he wrote without mixing Fables at all, until an elder and more experienced Artiſt, Corinna, told him how neceſſary they were ^b."’—I durſt hold an even Wager, that this ſame Corinna was a ſenſible old Woman: You ſee, ſhe was inſtruct⯑ing a young Greek Divine in the Art of Preach⯑ing: You tell us too, that ‘"he followed her Advice."’ Marry, and with good Reaſon: for it appears, from Dr. B's Diſſertation, as well as Corinna's Advice, that Fables were regarded as an eſſential Part of the Performance ^c.

Your ſubſequent Remark is a downright Tri⯑umph. For here you prove irrefragably, that Dr. B. has called Pindar's Chair, a Chair of Gold; when in Reality, it was only a Chair of Iron. This is the ſecond Error you have luckily hit; by which you have more than made good the ancient Proverb, that ‘"once a blind Man killed a Batt."’ I cannot conceive how Dr. B. will bring himſelf off here; unleſs he ſhould perverſely affirm, that he ſpeaks metapho⯑rically; and calls Pindar's a Chair of Gold, in the ſame Manner, as if he were to ſpeak of the Chair in which certain modern Critics ſit and write, he would call it a Chair of Lead.

[22]You go on: ‘"The three Greek Tragedians, ſays the Doctor, are the laſt of this illuſtrious Catalogue of legiſlative Bards."’—‘"Wo is me!"’—For ‘"in the moſt private Converſations I h [...]ve had, they never gave me a Hint of their being Legiſlators, or legiſlative Writers ^d."’ No Wonder they never whiſpered the Secret to You, who ſeem only to have been counting your Fingers, and ſcanning Verſes. If they had whiſ⯑pered any thing to you, I think I can gueſs what it would have been. But you have ſet me an Example of Politeneſs; and therefore, notwith⯑ſtanding all the friendly Freedoms I take with you, I will not ſo much as hint, what it was the Reeds whiſpered to Midas.—Yet you allow that ‘"they hold forth the leading Principles of the Greek Religion, Polity, and Morals; and their Subjects are the Grecian Gods and Heroes ^e."’ Here then you ſeem to carry about you more Truth than you are aware of. You remember what grave Creature it was that formerly carried the Myſteries, and yet was never the wiſer: But I make no ill-natured Applications.

But Solon (you ſay) does not ſeem to have ‘"had that high Idea of the tragic Writers, as uſe⯑ful Servants of the State ^f."’ What Tragic Writers? The three that Dr. B. ſpeaks of? So⯑lon was dead long before they exiſted. You ſhall take your Choice, whether you will have [23] this ſet down to the Account of your Learning or your Modeſty.— But ‘"Plutarch informs us, that he expreſſed a great Diſlike of their Art, in the Practice of Theſpis ^g."’ True; he did ſo: And you tell us yourſelf, in another Place, what it was that Solon diſliked: It was ‘"the new Circumſtance of dramatic Repreſentation ^h."’ But this was not the Place for you to bring that Circumſtance into View; becauſe it would have unmaſked your Battery. Solon was alarmed at a a Change in their poetic and muſical Conteſts, which hitherto had maintained their ſimpler Form; and it was probably his high Idea of their pre⯑eſtabliſhed Utility, which induced him ſo ſevere⯑ly to cenſure this Innovation. Thus, in the End, this Affair of Solon and Theſpis tends to con⯑firm Dr. B's Opinion, rather than to confute it.

But now you ſuddenly come round, and become quite good-humoured; nay you are willing to lend Dr. B. a Lift; and produce a Paſſage which tends to the Confirmation of his Syſtem ⁱ: For you tell us, ‘"Euripides himſelf is introduced, affirming that the Reaſon why Poets are to be honoured is for their Ingenuity, ſalutary Admo⯑nitions, and bettering their Fellow-Citizens."’ This is a Method of Confutation altogether new, and very ingenious: To confirm an Adverſary's Syſtem by Proofs which he himſelf was ig⯑norant [24] of; and thus to demonſtrate your Su⯑periority.

And now to cloſe this Article in your own Manner, I will alſo produce ſome additional Evi⯑denees in Favour of Dr. B's Syſtem; and then I think we ſhall have humbled him ſufficiently between us.

The Doctor muſt know then (for to be ſure if he had known it, he would have ſaid it) that in the ancient Times of Greece, there was no other Code, either religious, moral, or political, but the Songs of their Bards. If there was even one let Dr. B. produce it at his Peril. Theſe Songs or Poems, then, were indeed the great Re⯑poſitory of their Principles: having no real Reve⯑lation or Guide from Heaven, they took up with the beſt they could find; and hence laid hold of the Examples of their fabulous Gods and Heroes, as the Means of fixing the fluctuating Principles of their refpective Societies by a certain Stan⯑dard, however defective. Theſe Songs, there⯑fore, may, on this Foundation, be properly ſtiled legiſlative, becauſe they actually ſtood in the Place of Law.

In farther Proof of this, I will give Dr. B. two or three Authorities. ‘"Heſiod and Homer (ſays Herodotus) were they who formed a Theogony for the Greeks, giving Names to their Gods, and fixing their Shapes or Figures ^k."’As a [25] Conſequence of this, a reſpectable Modern tells us, that ‘"the Writings of Homer became the Standard of private Belief, and the grand Di⯑rectory of public Worſhip ^l."’—Another learn⯑ed Modern expreſſes himſelf in ſtill ſtronger Terms. For ſpeaking of the ancient Greeks, he affirms that ‘"Homer was their Bible: and what⯑ſoever was not read therein, nor could be ex⯑preſsly proved thereby, paſſed with them for apo⯑cryphal ^m."’Again, He calls Homer and He⯑ſiod ‘"the popular and only authorized Books of Divinity amongſt the Greeks; which aſſign the Names, the Attributes, and the Form, to each God ⁿ."’ How it happened, that theſe Fables which were ſwallowed in Times of Ignorance, came to be eſtabliſhed in a more knowing Age, this learned Perſon likewiſe inform us. ‘"The great Poets of Greece, who had moſt contributed to refine the public Taſte and Manners, and were now grown into a Kind of ſacred Autho⯑rity, had ſanctified theſe ſilly Tales in their Writings, which Time had now conſigned to Immortality ^o."’

Now all theſe Authorities, every one of them tending to confirm his Syſtem, Dr. B. hath igno⯑rantly omitted; and (with an a-priori Notion, as [26] you elegantly ſtile it) has pretended to be wiſer than his Neighbours, and gone about to prove with the moſt conſummate Arrogance that it muſt be ſo; and that from the natural Progreſſion of ſa⯑vage Manners, it could not be otherwiſe.

Having thus ſufficiently humbled Dr. B. by bringing Arguments in his Favour which he knew nothing of; we will now take Leave of this Ar⯑ticle, and proceed to Number

12. You preface your Criticiſms on this Article, by ſtiling them ‘"looſe Obſervations ^p;"’which we muſt take without much ‘"Order, for you have not Time enough to methodize them."’—And yet you have been a whole Year in throwing up your Crudities.

Your firſt looſe Obſervation on the 12th Article is this; ‘"that although the Greeks regarded Muſic as a neceſſary Part of a liberal Educa⯑tion, yet this only implies that it was an Accom⯑pliſhment parallel to Dancing in preſent Times:"’ and in Proof of this, you add, that ‘"one (modern) Author intitles his Book on the Subject, the Rudiments of genteel Education ^q."’ I could have furniſhed you with an Inſtance ſtill more to your Purpoſe, of a Dancing Maſter who writ a Treatiſe to prove, that all the Vices of the preſent Age are owing to the Neglect of Dancing. —You go on: ‘"Even the abſtracted Locke and [27] Rouſſeau inſiſt on it, in their Treatiſes on Edu⯑cation.—May we not then conjecture, the Caſes were in ſome Meaſure alike ^r?"’ Truly, we might conjecture as we pleaſed, if the clear Evi⯑dence of Antiquity was not againſt us. But un⯑luckily again, Dr. B. has proved from various an⯑cient Authors, that their Poems were the Bible of ancient Greece: that theſe Poems were ſung, both in public and private; and not only ſo, but that their Children were taught to ſing them to the Lyre, as the very firſt Foundation of a virtuous Education ^t: He has proved that all this was done, even before they learnt the gymnaſtic Arts: And theſe (if you had been properly con⯑verſant with ancient Manners) were what you would have compared to modern dancing. ‘"Mu⯑ſic (ſays Plato, in a Paſſage quoted by Dr. B.) relates to the Mind, the Gymnaſtic to the Im⯑provement of the Body ^u."’

Well: But ‘"Plato gives Notice, that when he ſpeaks of Muſic, he includes the Subject, Words, or Song; and by the Paſſage quoted from the Alcibiades it appears, that this was not the popular Senſe ^x."’ Very true, but very conſiſtent with, nay corroborative of, all that Dr. B. has ſaid. He has obſerved, that in the Time of Plato, the Separation of Poetry and [28] Muſic had commenced: Therefore it was proper and natural in Plato, to explain himſelf particular⯑ly, whenever he writ on this Subject; and to in⯑form his Readers that he ſpoke of Muſic in the ancient Senſe, and not in the new. In his Alcibi⯑ades too, he writ altogether according to Charac⯑ter: For it was natural for Alcibiades (a young Debauche) to adopt the new Senſe, and for So⯑crates to put him in Mind of the old.

You next charge Dr. B. with writing in that Stile which ‘"is neither true nor falſe, becauſe he has not preciſely fixed the Point which ſeparates what he calls the early from the late Periods of Antiquity, with regard to the Uſe of Muſic merely inſtrumental (y)."’ In this Point you not a little reſemble an honeſt Lawyer at the Bar, who was examining a Witneſs to a Fact: The Witneſs ſaid, it happened between Nine and Ten in the Morning. ‘"Was it at five Minutes, or ten Minutes, or a Quarter, or Half, or three Quarters after Nine?"’ ſaid the honeſt Lawyer. The Witneſs declaring he could not fix it to a few Minutes, the Man of Logic turned about to the Jury, and ſaid, ‘"Now Gentlemen, I hope you are convinced that the Fellow talks in a Stile that is neither true nor falſe, and that he knows nothing of the Matter."’

[29]But it ſeems, you have at length diſcovered a Paſſage, ‘"where Dr. B. ſpeaks of a particular Pe⯑riod as an early one, in which I will prove that a Separation had taken Place. In a Paſſage from Strabo, he ſpeaks of ſomething done after the Criſſaean War, as done in ancient Times ^y."’ Dr. B. ſays no ſuch Thing: Pray, exa⯑mine his Book once again: He ſays exactly what Strabo ſays: but unluckily, you underſtand neither Dr. B. nor Strabo. That Author ſays, ‘"that in ancient Times, there was a Conteſt of Muſici⯑ans:"’and then he tells us farther ‘"that this was eſtabliſhed at Delphi, after the Criſſaean War."’ This Dr. B. tranſlates literally from Strabo ^z, who manifeſtly ſpeaks of two diſtinct Periods; but the firſt of theſe happening to lie beyond the Depth of your chronological Plum⯑met, you have learnedly jumbled them into one. The ancient Times that Dr. B. (after Strabo) ſpeaks of here, were the Times of Apollo, and his immediate Followers.—But of this you will hear more in due Time.

However, an early Period you are reſolved to find, though it make never ſo much againſt you. ‘"If this ſhould not ſatisfy the Doctor; Pauſanias, in his Hiſtory of the Pythian Contentions, will tell him of one Eleutheres, whom he mentions before Heſiod, that gained the Prize for mere [30] Execution, ſinging a Compoſition not his own. He will tell him likewiſe, that Heſiod did not play on the Harp; ſo that there was a Sepa⯑ration of the Poet's and Muſician's Character very early ^a."’—Certain Stars there are, which ray out Light; and others I have read of in a pro⯑found Author, which are ſaid to ray out Dark⯑neſs. Of this latter Kind is the Paragraph before us, which in this Senſe may be ſtiled of the firſt Magnitude. It requires no common Genius for Abſurdity, to crowd ſo much of it into ſo ſmall a Compaſs, as you have put into this ſhort Para⯑graph. The Point in Queſtion is, whether at this early Period, there was an allowed Separation of vocal and inſtrumental Muſic, in the public Con⯑teſts? Dr. B. affirms there was not; and You bring this Paſſage to prove that there was. Now whoever will look into Pauſanias, will find from this very Paſſage, 1ſt, that Eleutheres, becauſe he could join the vocal with inſtrumental Muſic, was allowed to ſing the Compoſition of another; and Heſiod, becauſe he could not join them, was not allowed to ſing his own ^b. His not being able to join the vocal and inſtrumental Melody was regarded as ſuch a Defect in this Poet, as all his eminent Talents could not make up for. Thus the very Paſſage which you bring in Confutation of Dr. B's Syſtem, when fairly and honeſtly given [31] to the Reader, is a collateral Proof of the Truth of all he has ſaid on the Subject.

Theſe Cavils ariſe manifeſtly from your Power of Repreſentation. The next, to give You your Due, is chiefly the Effect of pure Ignorance. This relates to the ſecond Inſtance which Dr. B. has alledged, concerning the Power of ancient Muſic: On this You obſerve, ‘"that the Inſtru⯑ment in Queſtion was the Flute, both Quintili⯑an and Iamblicus agree: and how the moſt able Muſician could play on this Inſtrument and ſing too, I do not well conceive, except it could be proved, that the [...] was that truly reſpec⯑table and ancient Inſtrument the Scottiſh Bag⯑pipe ^c."’ Right ſorry I am, to lie under a Ne⯑ceſſity of expoſing the Errors of a learned Critic, who piques himſelf on a Familiarity with all an⯑cient Authors.—Now, that the Inſtrument was the [...] or Tibia, theſe Authors do both agree. But did they agree to give you Leave to tranſlate or transform it into a Flute? A Pipe, if you pleaſe: But the Name and Faſhion of a Flute are ſo con⯑nected in the Idea of a Modern, that by this Tranſ⯑ition you carry your Cauſe at once, even before your Argument comes on. Every Flute is indeed a Pipe; but every Pipe is not a Flute. And here lies the whole Myſtery of the Matter. For in the firſt Place, you will ſee, from the Paſſage [32] you have quoted from Pauſanias, that Echem⯑brotus gained the Prize at the Pythian Games for ſinging and playing on the Pipe; ‘"There was the Song to the Harp, as formerly; there was the Song to the Pipe; and there was the Pipe itſelf, without Song. Cephalon won the Prize among thoſe who ſung and played on the Harp; Echembrotus, among thoſe who ſung and played on the Pipe; Sacadas, among thoſe who played on the Pipe only ^e."’—That the ſame Perſon ſung and played on the Pipe, is evident; 1ſt, from the Greek Name, [...], which is com⯑pound, and implies both: 2dly, from the Circum⯑ſtance recorded of Heſiod, that he was not admitted to the Pythian Conteſt, becauſe he could not both ſing and play.—Farther, it is evident, from many Paſſages in Theocritus, particularly from his 8th Eidyllium, that the Shepherds both ſung and play⯑ed on their paſtoral Pipe at the ſame Time. In their Contention, they are repreſented as accom⯑panying their Song with the Pipe; and to pre⯑pare us for this Union, we are told in the Open⯑ing of the Paſtoral, that they were ‘"both ſkilled in playing on the Pipe, both ſkilled in ſing⯑ing."’—In Virgil's Eclogues, this Union of the Shepherd's Pipe and Song is no leſs clearly al⯑luded to. [33]

In which Paſſage we have the Subject of his Song, and the Inſtrument with which he accompanies it. —Again,

Once more, in the ſame Eclogue, the Union is expreſsly declared,

There is a Hint at it in the following Lines, which however I give you chiefly for the Sake of a Picture it contains, which perhaps you may know the next Time you look in your Glaſs:

Again: and, if poſſible, in ſtill clearer Terms,

I could tranſcribe ſeveral other Paſſages, but ſhall conclude with the following; in which the Shepherd invokes his Pipe (his Tibia, the very Inſtrument in Queſtion) to accompany his Song.

[34] Incipe Moenalios mecum, mea Tibia, Verſus ⁱ.

As to the Means by which this Union was accom⯑pliſhed, whether the Pipe was inflated from above or from below, by Wind or by Water, I ſhall leave to Your Inveſtigation. Is is a Subject too ſublime for Me to attempt; but every Way worthy of your exalted Genius. On this, therefore, I ſhall commend you to your moſt profound Meditations, guided by Julius Pollux, Bartholine, and other learned Men who have written De Tibiis Veterum: In the mean Time, pleaſe to accept (if you will condeſcend ſo far) a little Information from that poor ignorant Fellow, Iſaac Voſſius: ‘"Si ſolas exceperis organicas Fiſtulas quae in Templis vulgo uſurpantur, vix ullas invenias alias, quae Tibiarum dignae ſunt Vocabulo ^k."’—‘"Aſcaul [...] ſeu Utricularii Veterum, nihil omnino diſcrepant ab hodiernis Organariis ^l."’ According to this Author, you ſee, you are ignorant even of the Genealogy of a Bag-pipe: I am ſorry to be under a Neceſſity of joining my Evidence to his againſt you. For you muſt know, the true Scotch Bag-pipe (ſtill uſed in the Highlands) is blown by the Mouth, and That blown by the Bellows is a Theft from the Continent, and probably (as the Paſſage of Voſſius implies) delivered down from antient Times.

[35] 17. Your next Attack on Dr. B. is upon the Subject of the hymnal or lyric Species: And here you charge him with confounding two Things together, which were eſſentially different: You affirm, that ‘"the Hymn was always written in heroic Meaſure, and was the more ancient Form of the two; that the lyric Ode was always written in varied Meaſures, and was much later in its Production, being no older than the Age of Theſpis ^m."’ You are ſo confident of the Propriety and Truth of this Diſtinction, that you inſult Dr. B. on his Ignorance; and boaſt, that by this Argument alone you have cut and torn his Cobweb Hypotheſis ⁿ.

Of all the Men of Criticiſm I ever read, You, my Friend, are the moſt unfortunate. Had you been as well acquainted with ancient Authors as you are with your Proſody, you would not have given Dr. B. ſuch an Oportunity of expoſing your Ignor⯑ance. I will prevent your having the Mortifica⯑tion of being ſeverely chaſtiſed; and will lay on the Rod as gently as I can, by referring you to a Paſſage in Dr. B's ‘"Hiſtory of the Riſe and Pro⯑greſs of Poetry,"’ which I have now lying be⯑fore me: It is a Quotation from Proclus; in which that Author tells us, that ‘"in the Pythian No⯑mos, or Hymn in Praiſe of Apollo, Terpander (who lived after the Age of Homer) was the firſt who uſed the hexameter or heroic Verſe; and that [36] after Him, Phrynes joined This to the various or lyric Meaſure, which alone had been employ⯑ed before ^o"’ Here, then, it appears, that both (what you call) the hymnal and the lyric Meaſure were actually employed together, and this, many Ages before Theſpis exiſted. It appears farther, to the total Annihilation of all your cri⯑tical Pretenſions, that the various or lyric Meaſure (‘"ſolutum Carmen"’) was the more ancient of the two, in this Pythian Hymn or Song: ſo far from being the the Invention of the Age of Theſpis, it was from the earlieſt Times employed in the Pythian Song, even as far back as the Times of Apollo. Indeed, it had been very ſtrange, had it been otherwiſe. That regular Hexameters ſhould have been invented before irregular Rythms were uſed, could never have been ſuppoſed by any one whoſe Reſearches had gone beyond his Proſody: But there the Hexameter ſtanding firſt in Rank, it was natural enough for a mere Scanner of Verſes to imagine it was the firſt in the Order of Nature. But how conſiſtent you are with yourſelf in ano⯑ther Place, I leave Yourſelf to determine. You have told us before, that in the rudeſt Periods of Society, the Paſſions of Men naturally produce a looſe Kind of Verſe ^p (the ſolutum Carmen); and [37] now, towards your Concluſion, you tell us that the looſe Kind of Verſe (the ſolutum Carmen) had no Exiſtence till about the Time of Theſpis, and that the regular Hexameter exiſted long before it. You might as reaſonably affirm, that Savages built Palaces, before Caves and Cabins had Exiſt⯑ence."

19. You next proceed to deliver Your Senti⯑ments concerning the Riſe and Progreſs of Tra⯑gedy: But as you confeſs that it is no more than ‘"what every School Boys knows ^q,"’ I ſhall ſave myſelf the Trouble of commenting on it; This being indeed the vulgar Track of Criticiſm, which Dr. B. has ſet himſelf to expoſe, through the Courſe of his Work. As therefore you offer no new Evidences, but only retail the old ones, ‘"which every School Boy knows,"’ I ſhall leave this Part of your Obſervations to ſhift for itſelf; with this general Remark, which Truth compels me to make, that the Inconſiſtency and Diſagreement of the ſeveral ancient Writers which you quote on this Subject is ſo glaring; that in Fact they overturn each other's Authority, and would induce any unprejudiced Man to go in Queſt of ſome more general and rational Foun⯑dation for the Riſe of Tragedy, than the mere ac⯑cidental Adventure of Theſpis and his Route: And this, I perceive, is one of the main Purpoſes [38] of Dr. B's Inquiry; with which, if you pleaſe, we will therefore go on.

‘"To this (you ſay) I have a few Objections to urge.—1ſt, I would fain know, if this be the natural Origin of Tragedy, how it came to paſs that in all Nations, except Greece, the more pathetic Drama is without a Chorus at all (r)."’ Critic, be a little more cautious in your Aſſerti⯑ons. In three other Inſtances, where Tragedy has ariſen from Nature, among the Chineſe, pro⯑per Indians, and Peruvians, Dr. B. has ſhewn, that in the firſt there is a manifeſt Remnant of a Choir, in the ſecond a Choir actually exiſts, and in the third (that of Peru) we know not whether there was a Choir or not ^s. So far is it from the Truth, what you aſſert, that ‘"in all Nati⯑ons, except Greece, the more pathetic Drama is without a Chorus."’

Again, you object, ‘"If the Riſe and Progreſs of Tragedy be ſo extremely natural, ſince every Thing that is natural is univerſal, how came this Species of Poetry to ariſe, or be cultivat⯑ed in Athens only, which that it was we have Plato's Word ^t?"’—My Remarks on this Obſervation are—1ſt, Every thing that is natu⯑ral is not univerſal, becauſe there are different Degrees of Civilization and Knowledge among Mankind, which are attended with Accidents or Improvements peculiar and natural to each, [39] but not univerſal or natural to all.—2. Dramatic Repreſentation was not cultivated at Athens only: It has been cultivated in China, in India, and Peru: though ‘"we have not Plato's Word for it."’—3. The Degree of Civilization, and the concomitant Powers of the Mind, may be ſo weak among many Nations, as never to produce the dramatic Form, which was the Caſe among ſome of the Tribes of ancient Greece, as likewiſe of ancient Gaul, Britain, and other Countries.—4. The Progreſs of Poetry, up to the drama⯑tic Form, may be checked by a Variety of Acci⯑dents either internal or external. By Accidents internal, as among the Egyptians; where the firſt rude Forms of Poem and Melody were eſtabliſh⯑ed by Law, which prevented all Change; that is, either Improvement or Corruption. And again, as among the Hebrews, where the Purity of Re⯑ligion prevented their Poetry from aſſuming the dramatic Form.—By Accidents external; as where War, Conqueſt, a Subverſion of Religion or Go⯑vernment deſtroyed that original Syſtem of Pa⯑gan Principles on which natural Tragedy is built: And if, by any of theſe, the original Form of Tragedy was once changed, it could not proba⯑bly be renewed, by the mere Force of Nature.—I have been the more particular on this Article, becauſe the Objection, though ignorantly made by You, gave Room for a farther Opening of the main Subject.

[40]But 3dly, you object, that ‘"unfortunately it is declared as fully as any thing can or need be, that the ancient Tragedy conſiſted of a Chorus alone, and without an Actor ^u."’—I ſuppoſe you mean it was ſo at Athens; but does it therefore follow that it wore the ſame Form every where elſe? Dr. B. has prov⯑ed (in a Paſſage which muſt ſoon riſe up in Judgment againſt you) that even in the earlieſt Celebration of the Pythian Games at Delphi, there was a narrative (if not a dramatic) Epiſode, divided into five Acts: From this Paſſage it far⯑ther appears that long before the Time of Theſ⯑pis, or even of Homer, this Epiſode was perform⯑ed by a ſingle Perſon, and not by the Choir ^w. Now if this exiſted at Delphi, even ſoon after the Age of Apollo, what is it to the Purpoſe to ſay that it did not exiſt at Athens? Dr. B. is inveſti⯑gating the Riſe of Tragedy from Nature and finds its firſt rude Form exiſting at Delphi, in or about the Time of Apollo: and to diſprove This, you moſt philoſophically endeavour to make it out, that it did not appear at Athens till many Ages after. This is another of your new Modes of Confutation.

Your 4th Objection is as follows. ‘"It will likewiſe follow from the Doctor's Syſtem, that the Choral Part would be of Courſe, only an Appendage to the Epiſode; and the Chorus [41] would be but a ſuppoſed Spectator of the Ac⯑tion, or a ſubordinate Perſonagein it: But that the contrary does happen in ſtriking In⯑ſtances, is well known to thoſe, whoſe Ideas of Greek Tragedy are taken from Eſchylus, Eu⯑ripides, and Sophocles; not merely from Diſ⯑ſertations, Bibliotheca's, and Inſtitutiones Poe⯑ticae ^x."’—Again:— ‘"The Chorus, in ſeveral ancient Tragedies, are themſelves principal Per⯑ſonages, and deeply intereſted:—in two, Eu⯑menides and Iketides, they are the leading Per⯑ſonages, &c.’ ^y.—In Reply to this, I ſhall give you the following Paragraph, from Dr. B's Hiſ⯑tory of Poetry.

I hope that in your next Edition, you will prove this ſtrange Paragraph to be a Heap of Nonſenſe and Abſurdity; or perſwade the Reader by all Means (if you can) that Dr. B. picked it out of ſome Diſſertation, Bibliotheca, or Inſtitutio Poe⯑tica.

I muſt now give you a gentle Rebuke, for raſhly charging Dr. B. either with Ignorance or Hypocriſy, for ſaying that ‘"we are aſſured, on the Authority of other Writers, that a Report prevailed in Greece, that certain Poets had in ancient Times contended at the Tomb of The⯑ſeus."’—This, you affirm, happened at a late Pe⯑riod [45] (which late Period, by the Way, Dr. B. had mentioned in his Diſſertation ^a, when Sophocles won the Prize from Eſchylus; and then you leave it to Dr. B's Choice, whether he will ſub⯑mit to the Charge of Ignorance or Diſſimulation. Now I perceive, that in the Hiſtory of Poetry, he has cleared himſelf of both ^b and left the Public to fix upon You what Name they pleaſe.

What that Name is, you may gueſs from the next Remark I am now compelled to make. For (as a Reader of ſome Curioſity obſerved to me) ‘"after the Critic had charged Dr. B. in his Text, with Diſhoneſty or Ignorance; in a ſly Corner of a Note, which he ſuppoſed many Readers would paſs over, he confeſſes that his Charge is groundleſs: and ſays, a Friend then with me, told me he feared I was miſtaken. This Charge, then (continued the Gentleman) though at firſt it might poſſibly have been written by Miſtake, yet was certainly perſiſted in and printed in Hy⯑pocriſy and Malice; becauſe both the Charge [46] againſt Dr. B. and the Confeſſion of its Falſhood are printed on the ſame Page; and therefore nothing is more certain, than that he might have ſtruck out this Slander, if he pleaſed."’

You proceed: ‘"But now follows a Paſſage, which I do look upon to be the Maſter-piece of Dr. B's whole Work: where I know not which moſt to admire, the Learning, Exactneſs, Fi⯑delity, or Judgment ^c."’—You then proceed to tranſlate at large a Paſſage from Strabo, which Dr. B. hath refered to, and in Part tranſcribed. This Paſſage relates to the Pythian Nomos or Song; and Dr. B. having alledged it, to prove that the rude Form of Tragedy exiſted many Ages before Theſpis, you affirm on the contrary that Dr. B's Argument is a Heap of Ignorance, Blunder, and Miſrepreſentation: You endeavour to perſwade the Reader, 1ſt That this Pythian Nomos, Hymn, or Song, did not exiſt till after the Criſſaean War, which was about the Time of Theſpis. 2dly, That Dr. B. aſſerts or ſuppoſes this Criſſaean War to have been before the Time of Homer. 3dly, That the muſical Conteſt al⯑luded to by Strabo was merely inſtrumental. 4thly, That the Nature of this muſical Conteſt was not well underſtood, and was only explained in a particular Manner, by one who lived three hundred Years after ^d. On this Subject, I preſume the following Paragraph may give you entire Satisfaction.

[47] ‘"But a ſtill ſtronger Evidence preſents it⯑ſelf: For even the very Subſtance and Form of one of theſe rude Outlines of ſavage Tra⯑gedy remains in ſeveral reſpectable Authors of Antiquity: I mean; in their Accounts of the Celebration of the Pythian Games. Theſe were firſt celebrated in the times of APOLLO himſelf; and contained a mimetic Narration, by poetic Song, Melody, and Dance, of his Victory over the Python. This Repreſenta⯑tion was called the Pythian Nomos; and underwent the following Changes or Improve⯑ments through the ſeveral ſucceſſive Periods of Antiquity."’ ‘"The Poem called Nomos had APOLLO for its Subject; and took its Name from Him: For APOLLO was named Nomimos, becauſe in ancient Times, when the whole Choir uſed to ſing the Nomos to the Pipe or Lyre, CHRYSOTHEMIS the Cretan was the firſt who, clad in a ſplendid Robe, and playing on the Harp, ſung the Nomos alone, in Imi⯑tation of APOLLO'S Victory; and being much applauded, this Form of the Conteſt remained to After-Ages ^e."’What this Form was, [48]we learn from the following Accounts. ‘The Poem was divided into five Parts or Acts. The firſt contained the Preparation for the Fight; the ſecond, the Challenge; the third exhibited the Fight itſelf; the fourth, the Victory of APOLLO; the fifth contained the Triumph of the God, who danced after his Victory ^f.’—‘"It appears that TERPANDER improved the Nomos, by adding the heroic Meaſure: After Him, ARION inlarged it greatly; being both a Poet and a Performer on the Harp. PHRYNES introduced a new Circumſtance; for he joined the Hexameter with the various Meaſure ^g."’—In a later [49] Period, this poetic and muſical Repreſentation was ‘"formally eſtabliſhed at DELPHI, after the Criſſaean War ^h."’ ‘Afterwards the Am⯑phictyons added a Conteſt of Muſic merely inſtrumental ⁱ; but preſerved what had been practiſed in former Times: "There was the Song to the Harp, as formerly; there was the Song to the Tibia or Pipe; and there was the Pipe itſelf without Song ^k." This Addition of Muſic merely inſtrumental was likewiſe imitative; being deſigned as a mimetic Deſcription, by mere Melody, of the Battle between APOLLO and the Python. It conſiſted likewiſe of five Parts, correſponding with thoſe of the ancient Song ^l.—"TI⯑MOSTHENES, in the Time of the ſecond Pto⯑lomy, writ a Poem deſcriptive and explanatory of this muſical Contention: According to this Author, the Subject was the Victory of APOLLO over the Serpent. The firſt Part was the Prelude to the Battle; the ſecond was the [50] Beginning of the Engagement; the third was the Battle itſelf; the fourth was the Paean or Triumph on the Victory; the fifth was an Imitation of the Agonies and Hiſſing of the dying Serpent ^m."’

Now, though theſe ancient Authors differ from each other in two or three trifling Cir⯑cumſtances; yet, as to every thing eſſential, they perfectly agree. And from their concur⯑rent Evidence, we have clear Proof of the fol⯑lowing Facts. 1. That the immediate Followers of APOLLO began theſe poetic and muſical Con⯑teſts. 2. That till CHRYSOTHEMIS appeared (in, or near the Time of APOLLO) there ſubſiſted only a Choir. 3. That He firſt ſung the Epiſode, ſingle and alone. 4. That his Song was a mime⯑tic Narration, or Imitation of APOLLO's Victory. 5. That the Form which He gave to This, continued through ſucceeding Times. 6. That [51] this Poem was divided into five Parts or Acts, containing a progreſſive Deſcription and Imita⯑tion of the Battle and Victory. And laſtly, that Songs of Triumph, Exultation, Sarcaſm, and Contempt, together with a correſpondent Dance, accompanied the narrative Epiſode ⁿ.

Thus, in this moſt ancient Pythian Song, as delivered down from the Times of APOLLO himſelf, and performed and augmented through the ſucceeding Periods of ancient GREECE; we have the very Subſtance and Form of a firſt rude Eſſay towards Tragedy, divided into five Acts, and compounded of poetic Narration, imitative Muſic, Dance, and Choral Song.—And it is worthy of ſingular Obſervation, that through this whole repreſentative Scene, of APOLLO ſinging, dancing, and praiſing his own Exploits; the ancient Greek Hiſtorians tranſport us, as it were, into the Wilds of modern America; and preſent to us the genuine Picture of a ſavage Chieftain ^o.

[52] "It appears, therefore, that Tragedy had a much earlier and deeper Foundation in ancient GREECE, than the accidental Adventure of THESPIS and his Route: That it aroſe from Nature, and an unforced Union and Progreſſion of Melody, Dance, and poetic Song ^p."

You ſee here, that your whole critical Fabric is annihilated at a Blow. For 1ſt, it appears on the cleareſt Evidence, that this Pythian Song was performed in ancient Times; even as ancient as thoſe of Apollo himſelf. 2dly, It appears, that when you charge Dr. B. with Ignorance, in ſup⯑poſing the Criſſaean War to have been before the Time of Homer; your Objection is unhappily founded on your own Ignorance, on your not un⯑derſtanding Strabo nor Dr. B. who both ſpeak of two different Periods, which you have pro⯑foundly jumbled into one. 3dly, It appears, that this muſical Conteſt was not merely inſtrumental, but contained a mimetic Song, performed by a ſingle Perſon, in Imitation of Apollo's Victory: and 4thly, we are at no Loſs for the eſſential Parts of it; but know certainly that it contained a progreſſive Deſcription of Apollo's Battle and Victory over the Python.

And now, let me cordially adviſe you for the future to be leſs inſolent in a State of imagined Security and Conqueſt; leſt your own Expreſ⯑ſions [53] ſhould be retorted upon you:—Thus,—‘"a few ſuch Miſtakes as Mr.—here pre⯑ſents you in a Bunch, would ſerve a Man of ordinary Genius to ſpread through a whole Book."’—‘"Is it not a fine Thing for a Man to ſet up for an Inſtructor of Mankind, who is ignorant of what his commoneſt Readers know ^q:"’—And other modeſt Expreſſions, ſcattered through your Work, of the ſame Nature.

20. The ſame Spirit ſtill impels you to pro⯑ceed: though I look upon you now, as little more than the Ghoſt of a departed Critic.—Dr. B. hav⯑ing endeavoured to prove, by a Variety of Argu⯑ments, that Eſchylus was an original Writer, and not a mere Imitator of Homer, you ſay, you can oppoſe ‘"the Teſtimony of Eſchylus himſelf; of whom it was a common and well-known Saying, as Athenoeus tells us, that his Pieces were ſmall Scraps or Morſels of the magnificent Entertain⯑ment of Homer ^r."’—I could not but ſmile at your Simile of the Faggot-Binder; and thought you had got a ſmall Advantage over Dr. B. till I looked into the ‘"Hiſtory of Poetry, where I found the following Note. It is ſaid, indeed, of ES⯑CHYLUS, that he called his Tragedies no more than Fragments of the magnificent Entertain⯑ment given by HOMER."’Now this Expreſſion ‘"being only metaphorical, we ought to interpret [54] it in that Senſe only, to which a Compariſon of their Writings leads us. And, as it appears that there is no Reſemblance between them, either in the particular Subjects, or in the Manner of treating them; the only rational Interpretation that can be given, ſeems to be this "that the Subjects of his Tragedies were only ſmall Mor⯑ſels or Fragments of the Grecian Story; whereas HOMER had given a general Syſtem of their fabulous Hiſtory, both in a more extenſive and a more connected Manner."’

22. You accuſe Dr. B. of treating the Author of Elfrida and Caractacus with Indignity ^s.—Now, what has that Author to do in the preſent Debate? Are You in any Reſpect concerned for the Reception or Credit of his Works? Or after all, is there not ſome other Author on whoſe Account you are ſo touched to the Quick, though you are too prudent to mention or even to hint at him?

But if Dr. B. has treated the Author of Elfrida with Indignity, how do you know that that Author had not firſt deſerved it, by treating himſelf with Indignity?—I could ſay more; for I have heard more: but it is neither generous, nor worth while, to diſturb the Aſhes of the Dead.

23. You go on: ‘"The Union of Muſic with Tragedy, he ſays, was never accounted for; to which I add, nor is it yet: But of that you will [55] hear another Time ^t."’—Come on then with your Proofs; for of your Affirmations we have had enough.

24. ‘"Concerning his Comment on Ariſtotle's Definition of Tragedy (you add) I have more to ſay than You or I have, at preſent Time for ^u."’ My learned Friend, find a little Time if you can: I am ſatisfyed, that Your Comment will be a great Curioſity.

25. This Article is of Conſequence to the main Queſtion: and therefore I muſt be particu⯑lar in my Remarks.—You ſay, ‘"On his Ac⯑count of the Maſque and Buſkin, which he ſays aroſe from the Cuſtom of ſelecting the talleſt and ſtrongeſt Men for their Chiefs; I have to obſerve, that the Actions of their Tragedies are almoſt univerſally taken from a Period in which their Kingdoms were hereditary; and in which Men ſucceeded not by Election, for Bulk, or any thing elſe, but by Birth and Deſcent ^w."’—Here, you not only affirm, but you reaſon: I wiſh I could ſay, like a Man, and not like a Child.—What is it to the Purpoſe whence the Subjects of the more modern Tragedies of Eſchy⯑lus, Sophocles, and Euripides were taken? To ſatisfy Dr. B. in this Point, you muſt tell him what were the Subjects of all thoſe fifteen Tragedians, who were prior to the Age of Theſpis. Nay, I queſtion whether he will be content with this [56] (for we have found him very exorbitant in his Claims) but will inſiſt upon your telling him, what were the Subjects of all the oldeſt irregular ſavage Bards, who exiſted as early, or perhaps even more early, than Apollo himſelf. This will carry us, you ſee, up to the Period of ſavage Life, in which we muſt allow (I am afraid) that ‘"the talleſt and ſtrongeſt Men are commonly ſe⯑lected as Chiefs."’—But then you will ſay, ‘"that the Maſque was the Invention of a later Age: even a later than Theſpis himſelf."’—In Attica, poſſibly it might be ſo. But though Eſchylus is ſaid by ſome, to have been the Inventor of the Maſque, yet Ariſtotle fairly confeſſes that its Ori⯑gin is abſolutely unknown; and Clemens Alexan⯑drinus affirms that it was in Uſe, even in the Times of Orpheus. Theſe Circumſtances are not a little favourable to Dr. B's Syſtem; and ſeem to imply, that dramatic Repreſentation had exiſted in Greece, though not perhaps at Athens, even as long ago as the Age of Orpheus. And it is be⯑yond all Doubt, that a very little before the Age of Orpheus, the Time was, when ‘"the Savages elected the talleſt and ſtrongeſt Men for Chiefs."’

26, &c.—You now declare, you are tired with the Taſk of ‘"combating Chimeras ^x."’ And truly, ſo am I.—We will therefore haſten to a [57] Concluſion as faſt as poſſible. Some few ſcat⯑tered Obſervations only now remain.

You charge Dr. B. with an Error in ‘"in⯑ſiſting that the laſt Inſtitution of the Pythian Games was no more than a Separation of the Gymnaſtic Exerciſes from the Muſical; whereas the Words of Strabo, whom he quotes, are as clear as poſſible, that only the Muſical ſub⯑ſiſted before, and that the Gymnaſtic and Equeſtrian were then added to them ^y."’ For Truth's and Decency's Sake, do not give Dr. B. ſo many repeated Occaſions of calling your Sincerity in Queſtion. Who would not believe, from the Tenor of this Paſſage, but that Dr. B. in his Quotation from Strabo, had ſome how or other diſguiſed this Circumſtance, of the Addition of the gymnaſtic and equeſtrian Exer⯑ciſes? Yet, on looking into the Paſſage in Dr. B's Diſſertation, I find it quoted in the very ſame Words. Indeed, the Doctor queſtions the ſtrict Propriety of Strabo's ſaying ‘"that the gymnaſtic Exerciſes were added;" becauſe he conceives they were there before, making a Part of the ancient Muſical Exerciſes, under the Denomina⯑tion of the Dance ^z."’ This he has attempted to prove by ſome very plauſible Arguments, I muſt confeſs: not one of which you have diſ⯑proved. However, what you cannot diſprove, you can miſrepreſent; which, with ſome Readers, may do as well.

[58]Again, you charge him with ‘"interpreting as an Account of the Effect of Muſic on Manners, what Plato means only as an Illuſ⯑tration of the ill Effects of a licentious demo⯑cratic Spirit, &c. ^a."’ On the contrary, Dr. B. has made it appear, by Paſſages quoted from Plato himſelf, that Plato's Argument included both theſe Cauſes. ^b.

Another Cenſure is on ‘"his ſuppoſing that the Writings of Archilochus were baniſhed from Sparta on Account of their ſarcaſtic Turn, which was indeed on Account of their Obſcenity ^c."’ As the Paſſage in Dr. B. is ſhort, I will give it entire; that every one may judge for himſelf. ‘"The Spartans ordered the Writings of Archilochus to be baniſhed from their City, becauſe they thought the Peruſal of them was dangerous to the Purity of Man⯑ners ^d."’In a correſpondent Article, he ex⯑plains himſelf ſtill more particularly: ‘"becauſe nothing could be more dangerous to a Common⯑wealth eſtabliſhed on Severity of Manners, than the unbounded Licentiouſneſs of Sentiment and Speech, which this (the old) Comedy muſt tend to produce ^e."’—Seriouſly I am at a Loſs, how to expreſs myſelf properly on this Occaſion; and therefore ſhall briefly ſet down this, as an⯑other Inſtance of your Modeſty.

[59] I ſhall now conclude all, with a moſt ſhining Proof of your being eminently poſſeſſed of this great Virtue. After very notably ſquabbling with Dr. B. about a dubious Paſſage in Xeno⯑phon, and quarrelling him for not rendering it exactly as You would have him; you charge him with falſely tranſlating the Word [...] the better to ſerve his Purpoſe: You affirm, that this Word does not imply ‘"good and virtuous Men,"’ but ‘"only the rich or powerful, the better Sort as we ſay ^f."’—Now, my moſt ingenuous Friend, turn back to the 34th and 35th Pages of your own Work, and you will ſee a Gorgon's Head, which (if you are not totally melted into Modeſty) will turn you into Stone. Here we find this very Word tranſlated by your good Self, in that very Senſe in which Dr. B. had tranſlated it. ‘"The Reaſon (ſay You) why Poets are to be honoured is, [...] for their Admoni⯑tions, and bettering their Fellow-Citizens."’—Reader, ‘"you may ſtare:"’ but the Aſſertion lies open to broad Day Light in his 34th and 35th Pages.—‘"Wits have ſhort Memories (ſays Pope) and Dunces none:"’ But one Claſs of Men there is, who, all the World agree, either have, or ought to have GOOD MEMORIES.

Two or three other Paragraphs there are, on which I might very reaſonably beſtow a far⯑ther [60] Panegyric: But this laſt contains ſo deli⯑cate a Picture of your amiable Mind, and of the generous Motives that ſet you to work, to criticize Dr. B. that I am unwilling to draw off the Reader from the Contemplation of ſo ſweet a Pourtrait.

Thus, through the Courſe of my Remarks, you ſee I have been very free, but very friendly. I cannot help congratulating you on your good For⯑tune, in falling into the Hands of one who has made great Allowances for your Imperfections; and even paſſes over many inferior Blots, which a cenſorious Critic would have hit ^h. The more ſo, becauſe you openly profeſs to treat Dr. B's Errors with Severity ⁱ; whereas mere Errors have ever been ſuppoſed to merit Indulgence. Add to this, that your Bitterneſs to a Man who has put his Name to his Work, while You conceal Yours, has (in the Opinion of ſome People) the Air of diſhoneſt Cowardice, and what they will needs call ſtabbing in the Dark.

[61]You conclude with a ſolemn Charge againſt Dr. B. of his being ‘"flagrantly guilty of miſ⯑quoting Authors."’ I wiſh you had better main⯑tained this heavy Charge: I am bold to ſay, that the Inſtances you have produced have turned out to the Confirmation of his Syſtem, and little to your Honour. Give me leave to put you in Mind of a Paſſage in a certain Book, which relates to a Man's pulling a Mote out of his Brother's Eye, while he ſees not the Beam that is in his own.

I will now conclude with a Hint of Advice to you; in which I am ſure I ſhall deſerve your Thanks, whether I obtain them or not. I mean only to exhort you for the future to ſtick to that Species of Criticiſm for which you are apparently qualified. In every Inſtance where you attack the larger Parts of Dr. B's Syſtem, my Regard to Truth obliges me to ſay, that you fail moſt miſerably. But when you get hold of him upon a minute Article, you are ſure to pinch him to the Bone. Thus on the wide Subject of the old Greek Religion, the Origin of poetic Num⯑bers, the Genius of ſavage Manners, the Riſe and Progreſſions of Poetry conſequent on theſe, with ſeveral other large and extenſive Articles of Inquiry, you are totally off your Ground: But to make Amends for this ſmall Defect, you are amply re⯑venged by detecting him in the important Blunder [62] of calling Herophile by the Name of Phenomoë, ſtiling Pindar's Chair a Chair of Gold, when it was only of Iron: And in the painful and labori⯑ous Article of Proſody or ſcanning Verſes, Iſaac Voſſius himſelf is forced to yield to you.

Now, as you obſerve in the Beginning of your Work, ‘"Multi multa poſſunt, ſed nemo omnia."’—Nobody can have at once the microſcopic and the teleſcopic Eye. Therefore, improve the Talent which Nature has given you: If you cannot ſee [...], cultivate that Kind of Viſion which is [...]: that is, if you cannot comprehend large and diſtant Objects, apply yourſelf diligent⯑ly to the near-at-hand or purblind Criticiſm.

With this Advice, I ſhall take my Leave of you; eſteeming it a ſufficient Waſte of Time and Labour, thus for once to have un⯑maſqued the empty Parade of a trifling and diſinge⯑nuous Caviler.