On occasion of the mention of an alexandrine, the critick observes, that “the alexandrine may be thought a modern measure, but that Robert of Gloucester’s Wife is an alexandrine, with the addition of two syllables; and that Sternhold and Hopkins translated the Psalms in the same measure of fourteen syllables, though they are printed otherwise.”

This seems not to be accurately conceived or expressed:  an alexandrine, with the addition of two syllables, is no more an alexandrine, than with the detraction of two syllables.  Sternhold and Hopkins did, generally, write in the alternate measure of eight and six syllables; but Hopkins commonly rhymed the first and third; Sternhold, only the second and fourth:  so that Sternhold may be considered, as writing couplets of long lines; but Hopkins wrote regular stanzas.  From the practice of printing the long lines of fourteen syllables in two short lines, arose the license of some of our poets, who, though professing to write in stanzas, neglect the rhymes of the first and third lines.

Pope has mentioned Petronius, among the great names of criticism, as the remarker justly observes, without any critical merit.  It is to be suspected, that Pope had never read his book, and mentioned him on the credit of two or three sentences which he had often seen quoted, imagining, that where there was so much, there must necessarily be more.  Young men, in haste to be renowned, too frequently talk of books which they have scarcely seen.

The revival of learning, mentioned in this poem, affords an opportunity of mentioning the chief periods of literary history, of which this writer reckons five:  that of Alexander, of Ptolemy Philadelphus, of Augustus, of Leo the tenth, of queen Anne.

These observations are concluded with a remark, which deserves great attention:  “In no polished nation, after criticism has been much studied, and the rules of writing established, has any very extraordinary book ever appeared.”

The Rape of the Lock was always regarded, by Pope, as the highest production of his genius.  On occasion of this work, the history of the comick-heroick is given; and we are told, that it descended from Fassoni to Boileau, from Boileau to Garth, and from Garth to Pope.  Garth is mentioned, perhaps, with too much honour; but all are confessed to be inferiour to Pope.  There is, in his remarks on this work, no discovery of any latent beauty, nor any thing subtle or striking; he is, indeed, commonly right, but has discussed no difficult question.

The next pieces to be considered are, the Verses to the Memory of an unfortunate Lady, the Prologue to Cato, and Epilogue to Jane Shore.  The first piece he commends.  On occasion of the second, he digresses, according to his custom, into a learned dissertation on tragedies, and compares the English and French with the Greek stage.  He justly censures Cato, for want of action and of characters; but scarcely