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SIR PHILIP SYDNEY'S

DEFENCE OF POETRY.

AND,

OBSERVATIONS ON POETRY

AND ELOQUENCE,

FROM THE DISCOVERIES

OF

BEN JONSON.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR G. G. J. AND J. ROBINSON, PATER-NOSTER ROW;
AND J. WALTER, CHARING-CROSS.

MDCCLXXXVII.

The characters of the two authors are too well known to require to be here displayed. Suffice it to fay, that there are few rules and few excellencies of poetry, especially epic and dramatic, but what Sir Philip Sydney, who had diligently read the best Latin and Italian commentaries on Ariftotle's Poetics, has here pointed out and illustrated with true taste and judgement; and that the observations of Ben Jonson have all that closeness and precifion of style, weight of fentiment, and accuracy of claffical learning, for which he is fo juftly celebrated. For the few anti

quated expreffions, in both pieces, no apology can be required.

(4) See Twining at he

of these learned

Prepare THE

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HEN the right virtuous E. W. and I

WHEN were at the Emperor's court together,

we gave ourselves to learn Horfemanship of Gio. Pietro Pugliano; one that, with great commendation, had the place of an Esquire in his stable and he, according to the fertileness of the Italian wit, did not only afford us the demonftration of his practice, but fought to in

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