Page:Monsieur Bossu's Treatise of the epick poem - Le Bossu (1695).djvu/37

 As for my Author, whom D'Acier in his Notes upon Aristotle's Poesie calls the Ingenious and Judicious Bossu; he, I say, has enlarg'd himself upon only one part of Poesie, to wit, the Epick. And herein he ties himself strictly to a Method, which he as strictly pursues. He professes at the very first, to have follow'd the Rules and Precepts of Aristotle and Horace, and the Practice of Homer and Virgil. Upon such sure grounds as these he builds all his Notions; and having such Masters and Patterns to go by, Who can doubt of his Success? What he takes from Aristotle and Horace, he explains, improves, and refines: What is his own, though never so judicious and rational, he lays down not in a Dogmatical Magisterial way, but by way of Problem: And what he asserts with an Air of Confidence, though not his Masters Thoughts, yet seem to be natural Deductions from what they have wrote about it. 'Tis not to be question'd, but in many Things he dissents from most Mens Opinions; but 'tis to be hop'd, no judicious Person will condemn him till he has seriously weigh'd his Reasons, and consider'd the Arguments he uses to maintain his Cause: and then if our Critick can be convinc'd of any Error, he is too modest not to submit to the Suffrage of better Judgments. But if, on the other hand, he has Reason on his side, it may with Justice be expected, that he will be a means of opening the Eyes of a great many unprejudic'd Persons.

His main Design of writing these Reflexions was, as he tells us himself, for the sake of those that read Virgil; and to such I dare affirm, that this Treatise will be of more Use than all the Notes and Comments they have hitherto seen. They are usually stuff'd with idle and unprofitable Remarks upon meer Words; but this full of ingenious Criticisms upon the most weighty and important Things. How well he has discharg'd himself, those who carefully read over this Tract of