tended by a squire, whofe cunning, too low for the fufpicion of a generous mind, enables him often to cheat his master.

The hero of Butler is a Prefbyterian Juftice, who, in the confidence of legal authority, and the rage of zealous ignorance, ranges the country to reprefs fuperstition and correct abuses, accompanied by an Independent Clerk, difputatious and obftinate, with whom he often debates, but never conquers him.

Cervantes had fo much kindness for Don Quixote, that, however he embarraffes him with abfurd distreffes, he gives him so much sense and virtue as may preserve our esteem: wherever he is, or whatever he does, he is made by matchless dexterity commonly ridiculous, but never contemptible.

But for poor Hudibras, his poet had no tenderness: he chufes not that any pity should be fhewn or refpect paid him: he gives him up at once to laughter and contempt, without any quality that can dignify or protect him.

In forming the character of Hudibras, and defcribing his perfon and habiliments, the author feems to labour with a tumultuous confufion of diffimilar ideas. He had read the history of the mock knights-errant; he knew the notions and manners of a prefbyterian magistrate, and tried to unite the abfurdities of both, however diftant, in one perfonage. Thus he gives him that pedantick oftentation of knowledge which has no relation to chivalry, and loads him with martial encumbrances that can add nothing to his civil dignity. He fends him out a colonelling, and yet never brings him within fight of war.

If Hudibras be confidered as the reprefentative of the prefbyterians, it is not easy to fay why his weapons should be represented as ridiculous or useless; for, whatever judgement might be paffed upon their knowledge or their arguments, experience had fufficiently fhown that their fwords were not to be despised.

The hero, thus compounded of swaggerer and pedant, of knight and juftice, is led

forth to action, with his fquire Ralpho, an Independant enthusiast.

Of the contexture of events planned by the author, which is called the action of the poem, fince it is left imperfect, no judgement can be made. It is probable, that the hero was to be led through many lucklefs adventures, which would give occafion, like his attack upon the bear and fiddle, to expofe the ridiculous rigour of the fectaries; like his encounter with Sidrophel and Whacum, to make superstition and credulity contempti ble; or, like his recourfe to the low retailer of the law, difcover the fraudulent practices of different profeffions.

What feries of events he would have formed, or in what manner he would have rewarded or punished his hero, it is now vain to conjecture. His work must have had, as it feems, the defect which Dryden imputes to Spenfer; the action could not have been one; there could only have been a fucceffion of incidents, each of which might have hap pened without the reft, and which could not all co-operate to any fingle conclufion.

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The discontinuity of the action might however have been eafily forgiven, if there had been action enough; but I believe every reader regrets the paucity of events, and complains that in the poem of Hudibras, as in the hiftory of Thucydides, there is more faid than done. The fcenes are too feldom changed, and the attention is tired with long converfation.

It is indeed much more easy to form dialogues than to contrive adventures. Every pofition makes way for an argument, and every objection dictates an answer. When two difputants are engaged upon a complicated and extenfive queftion, the difficulty is not to continue, but to end the controversy. But whether it be that we comprehend but few of the poffibilities of life, or that life itself affords little variety, every man who has tried knows how much labour it will coft to form fuch a combination of circumftances, as shall have at once the grace of novelty and credibility, and delight fancy without violence to reafon.

Perhaps the Dialogue of this poem is not perfect. Some power of engaging the attention might have been added to it, by quicker reciprocation, by feafonable interruptions, by fudden questions, and by a nearer approach to dramatick fpritelinefs; without which, fictitious fpeeches will always tire, however sparkling with fentences, and however variegated with allufions.

The great fource of pleasure is variety. Uniformity must tire at last, though it be uniformity of excellence. We love to expect; and, when expectation is disappointed or gratified, we want to be again expecting. For this impatience of the present, whoever would please, must make provifion. The skilful writer irritat, mulcet, makes a due diftribution of the ftill and animated parts. It is for want of this artful intertexture, and thofe neceffary changes, that the whole of a Look may be tedious, though all the parts are praised.

If unexhaustible wit could give perpetual pleasure, no eye would ever leave half-read

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