ness, and is superior in simplicity and perspicuity. It teems with in, struction, with the genuine language of the heart; and there is no poetry, perhaps, which the reader can perase so often with pleasure.

Example 1. The Hermit is an extremely beautiful, moral, descriptive poem, fraught with important instruction, communicated in a sim ple, but dignified manner, and recommended by the most delicate ap、 peals to the imagination.

2. All the great epic poets exhibit eminent specimens of descriptive poetry. Homer, Virgil, and Ossian, excel in it. The following picture of desolation, by Ossian, is conceived with much vigour of imagina

tion.

"I have seen the walls of Balclutha, but they were desolate. The flames had resounded in the halls, and the voice of the people is heard no more. The stream of Clutha was removed from its course by the fall of the walls. The histle shook there its lonely head; the moss whistled in the wind. The fox looked out from the window, and the rank grass of the wall waved round his head. Desolate is the dwelling of Morna; silence is in the house of her fathers!"

592. The chief errors committed in descriptions, are the admission of unmeaning or supernumerary epithets and phrases, the introduction of general terms, and the intermixture of trivial or insignificant circumstances clothed in pompous and splendid language. The best poets are sometimes faulty in all these articles.

Illus. 1. All general terms are improper in descriptions, because they suggest either no idea at all, or none that is fixed; while the es-. sence of picturesque description consists in prompting conceptions which are palpable, and of which the mind, of course, takes firm hold. These can result only from objects particular and distinct.

Example. Shakspeare, to expose the absurdity of attempting a thing impracticable, says, with great energy, in Henry the Fifth : "You may as well go about to turn the sun into ice, by fanning in his face with a peacock's feather."

Analysis. Had the poet made the expression general, by leaving out the "peacock's feather," he would have mutilated the picture, and debilitated the impression. How feeble would have been the following phraseology? "You may as well go about to turn the sun into ice, by fanuing in his face." Had he retained the "feather," but dropt the "peacock," the expression would have been more picturesque: "You may as well go about to turn the sun into ice. by fanning his face with a feather." Even this picture, however, is much inferior in beauty and vivacity to the particular language the poet hath thought proper to adopt : "You may as well go about to turn the sun into ice, by fanning in his face with a peacock's feather." The mind grasps the image at once, and is struck with its sprightness and propriety.

593. Forced elevation of the expression above the tone of the thought, is another error not uncommon in description. Illus. Homer relates, that Achilles commanded his domestics to prepare a vessel to heat water for washing the dead body of Fatroclus, which they accordingly performed, Nothing can be more simple than the language of the poet. Things are called by their proper names, and very few epithets are added. Pope must improve this simple

phraseology, and he has communicated to it an air of ridicule, by the pompous and figurative expression of his translation. Iliad, xviii. 405.

"A massy cauldron of stupendous frame

They brought, and plac'd it o'er the rising flame;
Then heap'd the lighted wood; the flame divides
Beneath the vase, and climbs around its sides.
In its wide womb they pour the rushing stream,
The boiling water bubbles to the brim."

594. It often happens, that a description presents objects which would be extremely disagreeable to the sight, while the description itself is not only not disagreeable, but conveys high pleasure. This is a curious phænomenon, and merits some attention. Two causes seem to concur in producing this effect.

Illus. A poetical description resembles an historical painting, the merit of which consists in communicating to the different figures the same positions and appearance that they hold in nature. And although the figures be disagreeable, yet the picture may yield much pleasure, because the merit of it lies in the accuracy of the imitation. The mind surveys with delight the excellence of an art which can imitate nature so completely. The purpose of the description, as well as of the picture, is to impart exact ideas of the objects, though it operates by words instead of colours. The imitation, in both cases, is the chief source of the pleasure. The pleasure of the imitation much more than counterbalances the disgust arising from the inspection of the object. This seems to be the first cause. Words, again, have a beauty in their sound and arrangement, independent of their signification; the merit of the execution in the picture, and of the composition in the description; affords delight. This seems to be the second cause. Both causes concur to counteract the disgust excited by the object.

Scholium. These remarks point out the greatest beauty of description, which takes place when the object, the imitation, and the expression, all concur to augment the pleasure of the reader. In all other cases, these partially oppose the effects of one another.

If, however, an object prompt horror, no excellence of imitation or language can recommend its description. The picture of Sin, in Paradise Lost, though drawn with the brightest colours, is of this class. It excites horror, and all Milton's eloquence cannot render it tolerable.

CHAPTER, VII.

EPIC POETRY.

595. EPIC and dramatic poetry are universally allowed to be the most dignified, and, at the same time, the most difficult species of poetic composition. To contrive a story which shall please and interest all readers, by being at once entertaining, important, and instructive; to fill it with suit

able incidents; to enliven it with a variety of characters, and of descriptions; and, throughout a long work, to maintain that propriety of sentiment, and that elevation of style, which the epic character requires, is unquestionably the highest effort of poetical genius. Hence so very few have succeeded in the attempt, that strict critics will hardly allow any other poems to bear the name of epic, except the Iliad and the Æneid.

Illus. 1. The plain account of the nature of an epic poem is, the recital of some illustrious enterprize in a poetical form. This is an exact definition of this subject. It comprehends several other poems, besides the Iliad of Homer, the Eneid of Virgil, and the Jerusalem of Tasso; which are, perhaps, the three most regular and complete epic works that ever were composed. But to exclude all poems from the epic class, which are not formed exactly upon the same model as these, is the pedantry of criticism.

2. We can give exact definitions and descriptions of minerals, plants, and animals; and can arrange them with precision, under the different classes to which they belong, because nature affords a visible unvarying standard, to which we refer them. But with regard to works of taste and imagination, where nature has fixed no standard, but leaves scope for beauties of many different kinds, it is absurd to attempt defining and limiting them with the same precision.

3. Criticism, when employed in such attempts, degenerates into trifling questions about words and names only.

4. The most competent judges, therefore, have no scruple to class such poems, as Milton's Paradise Lost, Lucan's Pharsalia, Statius's Thebaid, Ossian's Fingal and Temora, Camoens' Lusiad, Voltaire's Henriade, Fenelon's Telemachus, Glover's Leonidas, and Wilkie's Epigoniad, under the same species of composition with the Iliad and the Eneid; though some of them approach much nearer than others to the perfection of these celebrated works. They are, undoubtedly, ail epic; that is, poetical recitals of great adventures; which is all that is meant by this denomination of poetry. (Illus. 1.)

5. The end which epic poetry proposes, is to extend our ideas of human perfection: or, in other words, to excite admiration. Now this can be accomplished only by proper representations of heroic deeds, and virtuous characters. For high virtue is the object, which all mankind are formed to admire; and, therefore, epic poems are, and must be, favourable to the cause of virtue. Valour, truth, justice, fidelity, friendship, piety, magnanimity, are the objects which, in the course of such compositions, are presented to our minds, under the most splendid and honourable colours.

6. in behalf of virtuous personages, our affections are engaged; in their designs, and then distresses, we are interested; the generous and public affections are awakened; the mind is purified from sensual and mean pursuits, and accustomed to take part in great, hozo z enterprises. It is, indeed, no small testimony in honour of virtue, that several of the most refined and elegant entertainments of mankind, such as that species of poetical composition which we now consider, must be grounded on moral sentiments and impressions. This is a testimony of such weight, that, were it in the power of sceptical philosophers, to weaken the force of those reasonings which establish the

essential distinctions between vice and virtue, the writings of epic poets alone were sufficient to refute their false philosophy; shewing, by that appeal which they constantly make to the feelings of mankind in favour of virtue, that the foundations of it are laid deep and strong in human nature.

596. The general strain and spirit of epic composition, sufficiently mark its distinction from the other kinds of poetry.

Illus. 1. In pastoral writing, the reigning idea is innocence and tranquillity. Compassion is the great object of tragedy; ridicule the province of comedy. The predominant character of the epic is, admiration excited by heroic actions.

2. It is sufficiently distinguished from history, both by its poetical form, and the liberty of fiction which it assumes. It is a more calm composition than tragedy. It admits, nay, requires, the pathetic and the violent, on particular occasions; but the pathetic is not expected to be its general character. It requires, more than any other species of poetry, a grave, equal, and supported dignity.

8. It takes in a greater compass of time and action, than dramatic writing admits; and thereby allows a more full display of characters. Dramatic writings display characters chiefly by means of sentiments and passions; epic poetry, chiefly by means of actions. The emotions, therefore, which it raises, are not so violent, but they are more prolonged.

Obs. These are the general characteristics of this species of composition. But, in order to give a more particular and critical view of it, let us consider the epic poem under three heads; first, with respect to the subject, or action; secondly, with respect to the actors, or characters; and, lastly, with respect to the narration of the poet.

597. The action, or subject of the epic poem, must have three qualifications: it must be one; it must be great; it must be interesting.

Hlus. 1. First, it must be one action, or enterprise, which the poet chooses for his subject.

Example 1. In all the great epic poems, unity of action is sufficiently apparent. Virgil, for instance, has chosen for his subject, the establishment of Æneas in Italy. From the beginning to the end of the poem, this object is ever in our view, and links all the parts of it together with full connection. The unity of the Odyssey is of the same nature; the return and re-establishment of Ulysses in his own country. The subject of Tasso is the recovery of Jerusalem from the Infidels; that of Milton, the expulsion of our first parents from Paradise; and both of them are unexceptionable in the unity of the story.

2. The professed subject of the Iliad, is the anger of Achilles, with the consequences which it produced. The Greeks carry on many unsuccessful engagements against the Trojans, as long as they are deprived of the assistance of Achilles. Upon his being appeased and reconciled to Agamemnon, victory follows, and the poem closes.

Analysis. It must be owned, however, that the unity, or connecting principle, is not quite so sensible to the imagination here, as in the Eneid. For, throughout many books of the Iliad, Achilles is out of

sight; he is lost in inaction; and the fancy dwells on no other object than the success of the two armies that we see contending in war.

Illus. 2. The unity of the epic action is not to be so strictly interpreted, as if it excluded all episodes, or subordinate actions.

3. Episodes, are certain actions, or incidents, introduced into the narration, connected with the principal action, yet not of such importance as to destroy the main subject of the poem, if they had been omitted.

Example. Of this nature are the interview of Hector with Andromache, in the Iliad; the story of Caucus, and that of Nisus and Euryalus, in the Eneid; the adventures of Tancred with Erminia and Clorinda, in the Jerusalem; and the prospect of his descendants exhibited to Adam, in the last books of Paradise Lost.

598. Such episodes as these, are not only permitted to an epic poet; but, provided they be properly executed, are great ornaments to his work. The rules regarding them are the following:

599. Rule first. They must be naturally introduced; they must have a sufficient connection with the subject of the poem; they must be inferior parts that belong to it; but not mere appendages stuck to it.

Illus. The episode of Olinda and Sophronia, in the second book of Tasso's Jerusalem, is faulty, by transgressing this rule. It is too muck detached from the rest of the work; and being introduced so near the opening of the poem, misleads the reader into an expectation, that it is to be of some future consequence; whereas it proves to be connected with nothing that follows. In proportion as any episode is slightly related to the main subject, it should always be the shorter. The passion of Dido in the Eneid, and the snares of Armida in the Jerusalem, which are expanded so fully in these poems, cannot with propriety be called episodes. They are constituent parts of the work, and form a considerable share of the intrigue of the poem.

600. Rule second. Episodes ought to present to us, objects of a different kind, from those which go before, and those which follow, in the course of the poem. For it is principally for the sake of variety, that episodes are introduced into an epic composition. In so long a work, they tend to diversify the subject, and to relieve the reader, by shifting the scene. In the midst of combats, therefore, an episode of the martial kind would be out of place; whereas, Hector's visit to Andromache in the Iliad, and Erminia's adventure with the shepherd, in the seventh book of the Jerusalem, affords us a well-judged and pleasing retreat from camps and battles.

601. Rule third. As an episode is a professed embellishment, it ought to be particularly elegant and well-finished; and, accordingly, it is, for the most part, in pieces of this kind, that poets put forth their strength. The episodes of