1000000030

o o

l\t

\Ve proceed fron!

C~n1C

gencrAI Cel r·cvidcnt truth,

to olher p.trlicular and lingulAr oo<'s,

In difpofing ahd puuing

to~cth~r

our thouglm,

thcre

a~e

two \\'ays of procceJiug, equ.1I y

wlI~in

our chOIce: for wemay

propoCe lhe lrullu, relwng

nny

p~n

of knowledge, as they prefenled Ihernfdv(s

to Ihe mind, in the manner of invc(ligalion ¡carry–

íog on Ih. f!rirs of proofs in a reverte order, lilllhey,

at lall, lerminale in fir(l principies : or heginning Wilh

Ihefe principies, \Ve may take the eonlmy way, anrl

from them deduce, by a direll train of rcaCooing, all

the Ceveral propofitions we want to e(labliClt.

This diverfity, in the manner of arranging our

thoughu, gil'es riCe

lhe twofuld diviGon of method

e(labl;fhed among logicians

the one called analytic

met,hod, or Ihe methnd of reColulion, in,fmuch al it

traces things back

Iheir Cource, Qnd reColves know–

Icoge into ilSfirll and oritinal principies, This me·

lllod (lands in contradilliullion to the melhod of com–

pofition

or, as it is olherwiCe called, lhe Cynlhelic

method : for here we proceccl by galhering tugelher

the [cveral Ccntlereo plrts of knnwledge, ¡¡nd combi·

ning lhem inlo one Cyllem, in Cuch a manner, as tha!

the tI,ldeiClanding is cnabled diHinélly

follow trulh

through all the difTmnl (lages of gradalion ,

COMPr5 ITIOn, in mur.c, Ihe ; n of diCpofing mufical

founds inlo airs, Congs,

ee,

e,lher in (.ne or more

Ipms, to be fung b) • voicc, or playcd on in(lruments,

See Mvs le, , nd SONG,

Unoer eomFolition are comprchended lhe rules,

1, Of-mdocly, or the art of ntAking a fingle part:

thal is, conrriving and o;Cl'cfing lhe r.tnple Counds, fo

as thar

Ih~ir

fuccdfi un :,"d progtelfton may be agree·

able to lhe

ear.

See

LOD

Of harOlony, orrhe art of diCpofing and eoneerl–

ing lúelal fingle pans logelher, fo as lhat they

mai,e one

a~reeable

whole. See HARMONY,

COlÚPÓS ITION. ir. lileralilre, rhe art of forming and

arrang:ng feOlimenls , and c1oathlOg lhemwilh

I,ngu~ge

fuit~ble

Ihe nlture of lhe fubjd l'

diCcolllfe,

We fhall firCl give a few lhougl)!s on original compo·

(jlion

and, 2dly, by way of exal1lple, unfold rhe Da·

lure of epie aod dramarie eomFofitions,

1, On

Or~~;nal

Comp';/;Oll,

The mind of aman of zeniu! is a frnile and plea–

fanr tidd

pleafanl as

El;ji:W',

and fmil e 2S

relllpe

il enjoys a perpelual fpring Cf Ihal frring,

or;g;–

."alr

are lhe fairell flowers:

;/p;/a/;on¡

are of quicker

¡:rowlh, bu¡ fainter bloom,

[m;/,II;OIlJ

are of IWO

kinds

one of nalure, one of aUl hors: lhe fil(l we

call

orig;n ,iJ,

and confine lhe lernl

;m;I_/;,,/

tO lhe

feeond, We fhall nOl eolel into Ibe eurious inqui–

ry of whal il , or is nUl, Hrié!ly fpeaking,

,rigil/{r/,

conlent Wilh whal all mufl allow, thal fome com–

por.lions are more

lhan othm ; and Ihe mOle

Ihey are

Co,

the beuer.

OrigtnaiJ

are, and ought

tobe, grear favouriles,

Cor

lhly are benefdé!ors; rhey

eXlend lhc republic of Iwers, and ,dd a new pro,ince

¡IS dominion:

imila/or¡

only gire Ul a fon of du–

plicatel of what we had, poUibly much better, befole

e o

increa'lng lhe

m~re

drug of books, while aJl lhat make!

lhemvaluable,

kll.'UJI(~~e

and

CrtliuJ,

are at a Cland,

The

p~n

o( an

ioincl

wriler, like Armida's wand

OUl of a

bm~n wall~'

e,.tls a blooming fpring: OUl of Iha;

bloomiog Cpl:ing an

i//li/a/or

Iranfplanler of laurels,

whlch Comellmcs die on rcmoval, alwaYI languifh in a fo.

reign foil.

BUI fuppofe an

i//Jilnlor

to be mofl exceJlenl (<tnd foch

rhere are) , yel Clill he bUl nobly bu.tdl on anolh!!',

foundallon

his debl is, at lean, equal

hil glory

whieh Iherefo re, on Ihe balance, cannOl be very gleat.

On Ihe eonrrary, an

or~(inol,

Ihough but indlfTerenl (ils

or;g;lInl;/,Y

belllg fN afide), yet has fomclhing to boafi

il is fomclhing

lay Wilh him in Home,

Meo

¡um pnuper

;11

~re

and

filare ambilion wilb no lefs rhan

C4ar,

who de–

c1ared he had rather be Ihe fidl in a

vill.ge

, Ihan lhe

fecond al Rome,

Sull faflh er: an

i",ílnlor

fha res his crown, if he

hal

one, l\Iilh lhe ehoC( n objeé! of his imilalion; an

or;t;–

nol

enjoys an undlvided

appl~uCe,

or;g;/lal

mar

be faId

be of a

~tg((~blc

nalure; it rifes Cponta

ncoully from Ihe vilal ruOl .of genius

gro'UJI,

nOl

IIIQ,!, :

;m;la/ion¡

are oflen a fon of

l/Ianufoflurl

wroushc by Ihofe

ln,dan;CJ, ar/

and

'ab.ur,

our of

pre·cxillenl mAterials not Iheir c\Vn.

Again: \Ve re.d

;1IJ11. /;on

wilh fomewhal of his hn–

guor lI'ho lifiens

a l\Vice' lold lIle: our Cpirill ruuCe

al an

.r;g;/lnl;

Ih.r is a pelfel! firange r, and all lhrong

ltarn whal neIVs from a furtign lano: and lhouglT ir

comes, like anIndi.n prince, adorned wilh.fwhers only,

ha ving hule of weighl

yel of our menli,n il will roh

lhe more folid , if nOl

e~u¿lly

new: lhus emy ltlefcope

is lifled al a nc·,\'·difeovered {lar ; il m,k('l a hundred

¡ –

(lronomm in a momenl, and denies equal notiee to the

fnn , But if an

original,

by being as cxeellenl, as new;

adds admiralion

furprize, Ihrn are \Ve al Ihe wriler's

merey; nn lhe {l, oog wing cf his imagination, we are

fnalehe'd from Arilain

!raly, from climale

climm,

frompleafllre

pleafure

we have no home, norhought,

of our own

lill Ihe mar,ician drops his peo: and Ihen

falling down inro ourfelves, we :1wake ro Aat realitiel,

lamenling the change, like lhe beggar who dreamr him–

[elr a prinee,

II is with Ihonghls, as it il wirh words; and Wilh

bOlh, .as Wilh men; they maygrow old and die, \Vardl

rarnifhed, by palling through Ihe

mO~lhs

of Ihe vulgar,

are laid afide as inelegant and obColete. So Ihougha,

when become

100

common, fhould lofe Iheir currency

and \Ve filOuld [<Ild nc\V melal

lhe minI, lhal is, nC"

meaning

the prefs, The

divir.on

o[ longues ai Babel

did nol more

effJ!,~ually

debar men frommaking Ihem–

Celvel a n,!lne (as lhe fcriplure fpea!:s) than rhe toO

peal concurrence or union of tongues will do for ever,

\Ve mayas well gro\V good by another's virtue, or fal

by anolher's food, as famous by anolhrr's lhoughl.

The world will pay ilS rlebl

01'

praiCc bUl once; and iD·

fleaJ of appl¿uding, cxplode a C(cond demand, as a

cheat.

If il is Caid, Ihal mo(l of lhe Lalio clallies, aod all

rhe Greek, excepr,

perh.ps,

Homer, Pindar, and Ana·

,reon,