Page:Tixall Poetry.djvu/398

 He then declares that

There must be "acer spiritus, ac vis, et verbis et rebus."

He says "he ever scorn'd laborious toyes" (difficiles nugæ) and "toyling witts" Such as Pope describes:

In the next letter, he protests, agreeably with the most judicious critics, against the use of sacred subjects in poetry, and equally condemns the trite, threadbare topics of mythology:—

He concludes by pronouncing, that "to faigne is all in poetry;" which, in fact, is all that is contained in the original meaning of the word poet, ποιητης from ποιειν, a maker, or inventor.

P. 40. l. 16 Methinks your misticall poetick straine &c.

Boileau and Johnson were of the same opinion.