In these Lines we have the Images of a hoary old Man, a vast rocky Mountain, black Clouds, Wind and Rain, Ice and Snow; One shrinks, and shivers, while one reads them: And yet the World affords few better Instances of Poetical Fire; which is as much shewn in describing a Winter-piece, as in describing a Battle, or a Conflagration. However, as it appears from the Examples before cited, _Virgil_ was not deficient even in That sort of Fire which is commonly called so, the fierce, the rapid, the fighting: And where he either shews not That, or none at all, 'tis not because he _can't_, but because he _w'on't_; because 'tis not proper. To explain my self, I refer the Reader to my Remark upon V. 712 of the First Book. Excepting some uncorrect Verses, _Virgil_ never flags: Or when he appears to do so, it is on purpose; according to that most true Opinion of my Lord _Roscommon_: _For I mistake; or far the greatest Part Of what some call Neglect, was study'd Art. When_ Virgil _seems to trifle in a Line; 'Tis like a Warning-piece, which gives the Sign, To wake your Fancy, and prepare your Sight To reach the noble Height of some unusual Flight._ His very Negligences are accurate, and even his Blemishes are Beauties. Besides; a considerable Number of Verses together may have little, or no Fire in them; and yet be very graceful, and deserve great Praise. _Virgil_ (which I think is not so observable in _Homer_) can be elegant, and admirable, without being in a Hurry, or in a Passion. He is sometimes higher indeed, and sometimes lower: but he always flies; and that too (as Mr. _Segrais_ judiciously observes) always at a Distance from the Ground: He rises, and sinks, as he pleases; but never flutters, or grovels. Can the same be as truly said of _Homer_? His Fire in the main is divine; but as I think he has too much of it in some Places, has he not too little in others? Mr. _Dryden_ says, [15]_Milton runs into a flat Thought, sometimes for a hundred Lines together_. Which, I think, is not true: He sometimes flags in many Lines together; and perhaps the same may be as truly said of his Greek Master. In _Homer_ methinks I see a Rider of a noble, generous, and fiery Steed; who always puts him upon the Stretch, and therefore sometimes tires him: _Virgil_ mounted upon the same, or such another, gives him either the Reins, or the Curb, at proper times; and so his Pace, if not always rapid, as it should not be, is always stately, and majestick; and his Fire appears by being suppressed, as well as by being indulged. For the Judgment of this incomparable Poet, in alternately suppressing, and indulging his Divine Fury, puts me in mind of his own _Apollo_ overruling and inspiring his own _Sibyl_; which whole Passage, by the way (for I shall cite but Part of it) is it self one of the noblest Instances of Poetical Fire this Day extant in the whole World. My Application a little perverts it: But That is a small Circumstance in Allusions.