Page:The lives of the poets of Great Britain and Ireland to the time of Dean Swift - Volume 4.djvu/237

Rh were in revenge, are maſculine in their deſires, and maſculine in their practices.’

In a pretty advanced age Mr. Dennis, who then laboured under ſevere neceſſities, publiſhed two volumes of Letters, by ſubſcription, which are by far the moſt entertaining part of his writings. They have more ſprightlineſs and force in them than, from reading his other works, we would be diſpoſed to imagine. They are addreſſed to perſons diſlinguiſhed by their fortune, genius, and exalted ſtation; the duke of Marlborough, the lord Lanſdowne, earl of Godolphin, earl of Halifax, Mr. Dryden, Mr. Prior, Mr. Wychcrley, Henry Cromwel, Eſq; Walter Moyle, Eſq; and Sir Richard Blackmore. He entitles them Letters, Moral and Critical. The Critical are chiefly imployed upon Mr. Addiſon’s Cato, which he cenſures in ſome places with great juſtice, and critical propriety: In other places he only diſcovers ſpleen, and endeavours to burleſque noble paſſages, merely from reſentment to the author.

There is likewiſe publiſhed amongſt theſe letters, an enquiry into the genius and writings of Shakeſpear. He contends for Shakeſpear’s ignorance of the antients, and obſerves, that it would derogate much from his glory to ſuppoſe him to have read, or underſtood them, becauſe if he had, his not practiſing their art, and not reſtraining the luxuriance of his imagination would be a reproach to him. After beſtowing the higheſt panegyric upon Shakeſpear, he ſays, ‘That he ſeems to have been the very original of our Engliſh tragical harmony; that is the harmony of blank verſe, diverſified often by diſſyllable and triſyllable terminations. For that diverſity diſtinguiſhes it from heroic harmony, and bringing it nearer to common uſe, makes it more proper to gain attention, and more fit for action, and dialogue. Such verſes we make