The Man whose Principles are true, In Heart resolv'd to act aright, Nor impious Faction's madding Crew, Nor frowning Tyrant can affright; Unshaken, like a Tow'r he stands, and braves The Impotence of great or little Slaves. The Elements may war around, Fierce Winds may rave, huge Billows roll, Jove's Lightning flash, his Thunder sound, And shock the World——but not his Soul: He Nature's Wreck can view, without Surprize, Amidst the shining Ruin of the Skies. T. Hare.
v. g. Claudian, tho' his Style is frequently too swelling, and borders upon the Bombast, yet often hits upon the true Sublime: Thus in the celebrated Description of the Victory which the Emperor Theodosius gained, by the Advantage of the Winds:
[112] Te propter, gelidis Aquilo de monte procellis Obruit adversas acies, revolutaque tela Vertit in autores, & turbine reppulit hastas. O! nimium dilecte Deo; cui fundit ab antris Æolus armatas hyemes, cui militat æther, Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti.
For thee the friendly North in social Show'rs, Wide o'er the hostile Troops his Fury pours. To their launch'd Jav'lins points a backward Road, And Storms retort the missive Deaths they vow'd. Great Jove for thee, thou Heav'n's peculiar Care! Sends forth his wing'd Militia of the Air. Confed'rate Seasons round thy Standards join, And mustring Winds attend thy Trumpet's Sign.
Between the Sublime of Virgil and Claudian there's a manifest Difference; the Ideas of the latter are not so just, nor the Diction so pure: He can only be said to be less faulty, when he writes best.
'Tis a remarkable Property of this Style, to be bold and figurative; to abound, especially, with Metaphors and Hyperboles; the Use of which requires great Care and Judgment. It is distinguish'd, on the one Hand, from the turgid, rumbling Bombast, which is much affected by those who are possess'd with a false Spirit of Poetry, and no true Judgment to direct it; and consists either of empty sounding Words, or unnatural Sentences, or absurd Metaphors, or rash Hyperbole's. There are innumerable Examples of it in Claudian; v. g.
[113] Sol, qui flammigeris mundum complexus habenis, Volvis inexhausto redeuntia secula motu, Sparge diem meliore coma; crinemque repexi Blandius elato surgant temone jugales, Efflantes roseum frænis spumantibus ignem.
Light of the Spheres, that with unwearied Ray On flaming Harness roll'st the golden Day, Undrain'd and sprightly seest fresh Seasons born, With softer Tresses shed this fatal Morn. Let thy hot Coursers spring with sleeker Manes, And rosy Fires breath o'er the foaming Reins.
In another Place:
[114] —compage soluta Fulgidus umbrosa miscebitur axis Averno.