ABSTRACT
From The Complete Art of Poetry (1718). The first of the two volumes includes a critical treatise in six parts (of which the present selection comes from the second dialogue, ‘Of the Use and Necessity of Rules in Poetry') and specimens of 'Shakespeare's Beauties'. The treatise is largely derivative, as Gildon frankly explains in his preface:‘ Whatever I found of use of my Design in Aristotle … Horace, Dionysius Halicarnassus, Boileau, Rapin, Dacier, Vossius, Buckingham's Rehearsal,Rymer, Buckingham's Essay on Poetry,Mr. Dennis, or any other, I have made bold with…’ (Sig. a6r)
