_Abhorred_ Styx, _the Flood of deadly Hate, Sad_ Acheron _of Sorrow, black and deep,_ Cocytus _nam'd, of Lamentation loud Heard on her rueful Stream. Fierce_ Phlegeton, _Whose Waves of torrent Fire inflame with Rage. Far off from these a flow and silent Stream_ Lethe _the River of Oblivion rolls;_ Which Medusa _with_ Gorgonian _Terror guards._ It has been hinted elsewhere, that 'tis ungenerous to criticise on _Dryden_'s Conduct and Sentiments, which 'tis plain he varied at Pleasure, and wrote like a great Original, whose Example was to be a Rule to others, and himself to take Rules from none; but it is not true, as we read in the above-cited _Guardian_, _That his very Faults have more Beauty in them, than the most elaborate Compositions of many more correct Writers_: For I will repeat some few Lines that are monstrous, and then let the Reader judge how they can be beautiful. _'Tis false, she is not ill, nor can she be; She must be chaste, because she's lov'd by me. --------I'll squeeze thee like a Bladder, Or make thee groan thy self away in Air. She who dares love, and for that Love dares die, And knowing this, dares yet love on, am I. Good Heaven thy Book of Fate before me lay, But to tear out the Journal of this Day. But take what Friends, what Armies thou canst bring, What Worlds, and when you are united All, Then I will thunder in your Ears; she shall. --------Fight, love, despair; And I can do all this, because I dare. What are ten thousand Subjects, such as they? If I am scorn'd, I'll take my self away. Thou shalt not wish her thine, thou shalt not dare To be so impudent as to dispair. There's not a Star of thine dares stay with thee, I'll whistle thy tame Fortune after me._ I cannot repeat any more of it: These are Mr. _Dryden_'s Faults, in which, according to the _Guardian_, there are more Beauties than in the most elaborate Pieces of more correct Writers. I confess it grieves me to mention such Enormities as these are: For no Man can do more justice to Mr. _Dryden_'s fruitful Imagination, and harmonious Versification than my self: But it does not therefore follow, that even Errour in him is more beautiful than Regularity in others.