The PREFACE.
very name of Heroick Poets; and as for the rest, he has observ'd so many imperfections in them, that they can stand in no manner of Competition with Homer and Virgil, whom at least they have pretended to Imitate. Among the Spaniards he only mentions Camoens a Portuguese, and says, "He only regarded to express the haughtiness of his Nation in his Poem of the Conquest of the Indies: And that he is fierce and fastuous in his Composition, but has little Discernment, and little Conduct." Nor does this Ingenuous Critick favour his own Countrymen, Dubartas and Ronsard; but taxes them with such imperfections that one may reasonably dispute with them the name of Epick Poets. If you would be satisfied more particularly in this Point, I must refer you to the Reflections, which Rapin has made upon the Epick Poets in all Ages: And there you will perceive what a vast difference he makes between Homer and Virgil, and all the rest that wrote after them. Homer (says he) animates me, Virgil heats me, and all the rest freeze me, so cold and flat they are.
He has not indeed made any Reflections on our English Poets, and this Rymer presumes proceeded from his ignorance of our Language, which he did not understand so well, as to pass a Judgment on what was writ in it. Whereupon Rymer himself has undertook to Criticise upon them. Chaucer, he will not allow for an Epick Poet, the Age he lived in not being sufficient for a great design; being an Age of Tales, Ballads and Roundelays. Spencer, whom he reckons the first of our Heroick Poets, yet falls under his Censure, and is tax'd for his want of a true Idea, for this rambling after marvellous adventures, for making no Conscience of Probability, for making his Poem a perfect Fairy-Land, and for his unlucky Choice of the Stanza, which in no wise is proper for our language. Sir William D'venant is the next HeroickPoet
