_
[F: Persius Sat. I. V. 116, &c.]
----With conceal'd Design,
Did crafty _Horace_ his low Numbers join:
And, with a sly insinuating Grace,
Laugh'd at his Friend, and look'd him in the Face:
Wou'd raise a Blush, where secret Vice he found;
And tickle, while he gently prob'd the Wound.
With seeming Innocence the Crowd beguil'd;
But made the desp'rate Passes, when he smil'd.
Mr. _Dryden_.
This was the Character of one of the greatest _Roman_ Poets; and in
this Art, amongst the Moderns, [G]_Benserade_ particularly excell'd,
if we may believe his Successor and Panegyrist _Pavillon_.
[G: Dictionaire de _Bayle_. Artic. _Benserade._ Not. L.]
What is the proper Style for _Characteristic-Writings_ is briefly laid
down by [H]_Libanius_ in the following Words. +Ergase ten ethopoiian
charakteri saphei, suntomo, anthero, apoluto, apellagmeno pases plokes
te kai schematos+. "When you describe Manners you must use a plain,
concise, florid, easy Style, free from all artificial Turns and
Figures." Every Thing must be even, smooth, easy and unaffected;
without any of those Points and Turns, which convey to the Mind
nothing but a low and false Wit, in which our Moderns so much abound,
and in which they seem to place their greatest Beauties.
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