Page:Virgil's Pastorals, Georgics and Aeneis - Dryden (1709) - volume 2.djvu/75

 Dic quibus in terris, inscripti nomina Regum Nascantur flores, & Phyllida solus habeto.

So I will give your Lordship another, and leave the Exposition of it to your acute Judgment. I am sure there are few who make Verses, have observ'd the sweetness of these two Lines in Coopers Hill.

Tho' deep, yet clear; though gentle, yet not dull; Strong without rage, without o'erflowing full.

And there are yet fewer who can find the Reason of that sweetness. I have given it to some of my Friends in Conversation, and they have allow'd the Criticism to be just. But since the evil of false quan­tities is difficult to be cur'd in any Modern Language; since the French and the Italians as well as we, are yet ignorant what feet are to be us'd in Heroick Poetry; since I have not strictly observ'd those Rules my self, which I can teach others; since I pretend to no Dicta­torship among my Fellow-Poets; since if I shou'd instruct some of them to make well-running Verses, they want Genius to give them strength as well as sweetness; and above all, since your Lordship has advis'd me not to publish that little which I know, I look on your Counsel as your Command, which I shall observe inviolably, till you shall please to revoke it, and leave me at liberty to make my thoughts publick. In the mean time, that I may arrogate nothing to my self, I must acknowledge that Virgil in Latin, and Spencer in English, have been my Masters. Spencer has also given me the boldness to make use sometimes of his Alexandrian Line, which we call, though improperly, the Pindarick; because Mr. Cowley has often employ'd it in his Odes. It adds a certain Majesty to the Verse, when tis us'd Rh