Mentioning Thomson, and other descriptive poets, he remarks, that writers fail in their copies, for want of acquaintance with originals, and justly ridicules those who think they can form just ideas of valleys, mountains, and rivers, in a garret in the Strand.  For this reason, I cannot regret, with this author, that Pope laid aside his design of writing American pastorals; for, as he must have painted scenes, which he never saw, and manners, which he never knew, his performance, though it might have been a pleasing amusement of fancy, would have exhibited no representation of nature or of life.

After the pastorals, the critick considers the lyrick poetry of Pope, and dwells longest on the ode on St. Cecilia’s day, which he, like the rest of mankind, places next to that of Dryden, and not much below it.  He remarks, after Mr. Spence, that the first stanza is a perfect concert:  the second he thinks a little flat; he justly commends the fourth, but without notice of the best line in that stanza, or in the poem: 

  “Transported demi-gods stood round,
  And men grew heroes at the sound.”

In the latter part of the ode, he objects to the stanza of triumph: 

  “Thus song could prevail,” &c.

as written in a measure ridiculous and burlesque, and justifies his answer, by observing, that Addison uses the same numbers in the scene of Rosamond, between Grideline and sir Trusty: 

  “How unhappy is he,” &c.

That the measure is the same in both passages, must be confessed, and both poets, perhaps, chose their numbers properly; for they both meant to express a kind of airy hilarity.  The two passions of merriment and exultation are, undoubtedly, different; they are as different as a gambol and a triumph, but each is a species of joy; and poetical measures have not, in any language, been so far refined, as to provide for the subdivisions of passion.  They can only be adapted to general purposes; but the particular and minuter propriety must be sought only in the sentiment and language.  Thus the numbers are the same in Colin’s Complaint, and in the ballad of Darby and Joan, though, in one, sadness is represented, and, in the other, tranquillity; so the measure is the same of Pope’s Unfortunate Lady, and the Praise of Voiture.

He observes, very justly, that the odes, both of Dryden and Pope, conclude, unsuitably and unnaturally, with epigram.

He then spends a page upon Mr. Handel’s musick to Dryden’s ode, and speaks of him with that regard which he has generally obtained among the lovers of sound.  He finds something amiss in the air “With ravished ears,” but has overlooked, or forgotten, the grossest fault in that composition, which is that in this line: 

  “Revenge, revenge, Timotheus cries,”

He has laid much stress upon the two latter words, which are merely words of connexion, and ought, in musick, to be considered as parenthetical.