CONTENTS

TO THE

ART OF SINKING IN POETRY.

Chap. I. INTRODUCTION

Page 3

natural

6

II. That the bathos, or profund, is the

taste of man, and in particular of the present age

III. The necessity of the bathos physically consi-

dered

7

IV. That there is an art of the bathos or profund 9

V. Of the true genius for the profund, and by what
it is constituted

II

VI. Of the several kinds of genius in the profund,

and the marks and characters of each

16

VII. Of the profund, when it consists in the

thought

19

VIII. Of the profund, consisting in the circumstances §

and of amplification and periphrase in general

22

25

IX. Of imitation, and the manner of imitating

X. Of tropes and figures: and first of the variegat-

ing, confounding, and reversing figures

29

XI. The figures continued: of the magnifying and

diminishing figures

34

XII. Of expression, and the several sorts of style of

the present age

41

XIII. A project for the advancement of the bathos 49

XIV. How to make dedications, panegyrics, or sa-

tires, and of the colours of honourable and disho

nourable

XV. A receipt to make an epick poem

52

54

XVI. A project for the advancement of the stage 58

Virgilius Restauratus :

SEU

MARTINI SCRIBLERI

SUMMI CRITICI,

CASTIGATIONUM IN ÆNEIDEM

SPECIMEN.

NEIDEM totam, amice lector, innumerabilibus pœne mendis scaturientem, ad pristinum sensum revocabimus. In singulis fere versibus spuriæ occurrunt lectiones, in omnibus quos unquam vidi codicibus, aut vulgatis aut ineditis, ad opprobrium usque criticorum, in hunc diem existentes. Interea adverte oculos, et his paucis fruere. At si quæ sint in hisce castigationibus, de quibus non satis liquet, syllabarum quantitates, προλεγόμενα nostra libro ipsi præfigenda, ut consulas, moneo.

I. SPECIMEN LIBRI PRIMI, Ver. I.

ARMA virumque cano, Troja qui primus ab oris
Italiam, fato profugus, Lavinaque venit

Litora. Multum ille et terris jactatus et alto,
Vi superûm-

Arma virumque cano, Troje qui primus ab aris
Italiam, flatu profugus, latinaque venit

VOL. XVII.

F

Littora

Littora. Multum ille & terris vexatus, et alto

Vi superûm

Ab aris, nempe Hercai Jovis, vide lib. ii. ver. 512, 550-flatu ventorum Eoli, ut sequitur-latina certe littora cum Æneas aderat, lavina non nisi postea ab ipso nominata, lib. xii. ver. 193-jactatus terris non convenit.

II. VER. 52.

Et quisquis numen Junonis adoret ?
Et quisquis nomen Junonis adoret ?

Longe melius, quam, ut antea, numen, et proculdubio sic Virgilius.

Fidumque vehebat Orentem.

Fortemque vehebat Orontem.

Non fidum, quia epitheton Achata notissimum Oronti nunquam datur.

confirmatur ex sequentibus-Ast illum ter fluctus ibi

dem torquet

VI. VER. 122.

Apparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto

Arma virúm

Armi hominum: ridicule antea arma virúm, quæ ex ferro conflata, quomodo possunt natare?

VII. VER. 151.

Atque rotis summas leviter perlabitur undas.
Atque rotis spumas leviter perlabitur udas.

Summas & leviter perlabi, pleonasmus est: mirifice altera lectio Neptuni agilitatem & celeritatem exprimit; simili modo noster de Camilla, Æn. xi.

Illa vel intacte segetis per summa volaret, &c. hyperbolice.

VIII. VER. 154.

Jamque faces et saxa volant, furor arma ministrat. Jam fæces & saxa volant, fugiuntque ministri : uti solent, instanti periculo-Faces facibus longe præstant, quid enim nisi fæces jactarent vulgus sordidum?

IX. VER. 170.

Fronte sub adversa scopulis pendentibus antrum,
Intus aquæ dulces, vivoque sedilia saxo.
Fronte sub adversa populis prandentibus antrum.

Sic malim, longe potius quam scopulis pendentibus: nugæ! nonne vides versu sequenti dulces aquas ad potandum & sedilia ad discumbendum dari? in quorum usum ? quippe prendentium.