Poetry
OVid was not only a fine Poet, but [as a Man may speak] a great Canon Lawyer, as appears in his Fasti, where we have more of the Festivals of the old Romans than any where else: ’tis pity the rest are lost.
There is no reason Plays should be in Verse, either in Blank or Rhime; only the Poet has to say for himself, that he makes something like that, which some∣body made before him. The old Poets had no other reason but this, their Verse was sung to Musick, otherwise it had been a senseless thing to have fet∣ter’d up themselves.
I never converted but two, the one was Mr. Crashaw, from writing against Plays, by telling him a way how to un∣derstand that Place [of putting on Wo∣mens Apparel] which has nothing to do in the Business [as neither has it, that the Fathers speak against Plays in their Time, with reason enough, for they had real Idolatries mix’d with their Plays, having three Altars perpetually upon the Stage.] The other was a Doctor of Divinity, from preaching against Painting, which simply in it self is no more hurtful, than putting on my Cloaths, or doing any thing to make my self like other Folks, that I may not be odious nor offensive to the Company. Indeed if I do it with an ill Intention, it alters the Case; so, if I put on my Gloves with an inten∣tion to do a mischief, I am a Villain.
’Tis a fine thing for Children to learn to make Verse, but when they come to be Men: they must speak like other Men, or else they will be laugh’d at. ’Tis ridiculous to speak, or write, or preach in Verse. As ’tis good to learn to dance, a Man may learn his Leg, learn to go handsomely; but ’tis ridiculous for him to dance, when he should go.
’Tis ridiculous for a Lord to print Verses: ’tis well enough to make them to please himself, but to make them pub∣lick, is foolish. If a Man in a private Chamber twirls his Band-strings, or plays with a Rush to please himself, ’tis well enough; but if he should go into Fleet∣street, and sit upon a Stall, and twirl a Band-string, or play with a Rush, then all the Boys in the Street would laugh at him.
Verse proves nothing but the quanti∣ty of Syllables; they are not meant for Logick.