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acutenefs often furprises; if the ima gination is not always gratified, at leaft the powers of reflection and comparison are employed; and in the mafs of materials which ingenious abfurdity has thrown together, genuine wit and ufeful knowledge may be fometimes found, buried perhaps in groffness of expreffion, but useful to those who know their value; and fuch as, when they are expanded to perfpicuity, and polished to elegance, may give luftre to works which have more propriety, though lefs copioufnefs of fentiment.

This kind of writing, which was, I believe, borrowed from Marino and his followers, had been recommended

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by the example of Donne, a man of very extenfive and various knowledge, and by Jonfon, whofe manner refembled that of Donne more in the ruggednefs of his lines than in the caft of his fentiments.

When their reputation was high, they had undoubtedly more imitators, than time has left behind. Their immediate fucceffors, of whom any remembrance can be faid to remain, were Suckling, Waller, Denham, Cowley, Cleveland, and Milton. Denham and Waller fought another way to fame, by improving the harmony of our numbers. Milton tried the metaphyfick ftile only in his lines upon Hobfon the Carrier. Cowley adopted it, and excelled his predeceffors,

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ceffors, having as much fentiment, and more mufick. Suckling neither improved verfification, nor abounded in conceits. The fashionable stile remained chiefly with Cowley; Suckling could not reach it, and Milton difdained it.

Critical remarks are not eafily underflood without examples; and I have therefore collected inftances of the modes of writing by which this fpecies of poets, for poets they were called by themselves and their admirers, was eminently dif tinguished.

AS the authors of this race were perhaps more defirous of being admired than understood, they fometimes drew their conceits from receffes of learning

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The phoenix Truth did on it reft,
And built his perfum'd neft,

That right Porphyrian tree which did true Logick fhew.

Each leaf did learned notions give,
And th' apples were demonftrative:
So clear their colour and divine,

The very fhade they caft did other lights outthine.

On Anacreon continuing a lover in his old age:

Love was with thy life entwin'd,

Close as heat with fire is join'd,

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A powerful brand prescrib'd the date

Of thine, like Meleager's fate.
Th' antiperiftafis of age

More enflam'd thy amorous rage.

In the following verfes we have an allufion to a Rabbinical opinion concerning Manna:

Variety I afk not give me one

To live perpetually upon.

The perfon Love does to us fit,

Like manna, has the taste of all in it.

Thus Donne fhews his medicinal knowledge in fome encomiaftick verfes:

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