Effay on Majfmger. 143 



raster. I Ihould fcarcely hefitate to prefer the 

 defcription of Sir John Frugal's Counting-Houfe 

 to Spenfer's Houfe of Riches. 



It is very remarkable, that in this- paflage, 

 the verfification is fo exafl (one line only ex- 

 cepted) and the didion fo pure and elegant, 

 that, although much more than a century has 

 elapfed fince it was written, it would be perhaps 

 impoffible to alter the meafure or language with- 

 out injury, and certainly very difficult to produce 

 an equal length of blank verfe, from any mo- 

 dern poet, which fhould bear a comparifon with 

 MafTinger's, even in the mechanical part of its 

 conftruflion. This obfervation may be extended 

 to all our poet's produdions : majefty, elegance, 

 and fweetnefs of diflion predominate in them. 

 It is needlefs to quote any fingle paffage for 

 proof of xhis, becaufe none of thofe which I am 

 going to introduce, will afford any exception 

 to the remark. Independent of character, the 

 writings of this great poet abound with noble 

 pafTages. It is only in the productions of true 

 poetical geniu,s that we meet with fuccefsful al- 

 lufions to fublime natural objects ; the attempts 

 of an inferior writer, in this kind, are either 

 borrowed or difgufiing. If MafTinger were to 

 be tried by this rule alone, we muft rank him 

 very high; a few inflances will prove this. 

 Theophilus, fpeaking of Dioclefian's arrival, 

 fays, 



- . - The 



