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magination. Not that every thing in poetry is to be minutely defcribed, or that every

minute

thoughts together. Both these faults appear in this paffage:

Her eyes in liquid light luxurious swim,

And languish with unutterable love;

Heaven's warm bloom glows along each brightening limb,
Where fluttering bland the veil's thin mantlings rove.

Laftly, Epithets are improper, when they recur more fre-
quently, than the genius either of the language or of
the compofition will admit. For fome languages are more
liberal of epithets than others, the Italian, for instance,
than the English; and fome forts of verfe require a more
perfect fimplicity than others, thofe, for example, that
express dejection or compofure of mind, than those that
give utterance to enthusiasm, indignation, and other ar-
dent emotions.

In general, Epithets, that add to the fenfe, and at the fame time affift the harmony, muft be allowed to be ornamental, if they are not too frequent. Nor should thofe be objected to, which give to the expreffion either delicacy or dignity. And as thefe qualities do not at all times depend on the fame principle, being in fome degree determined by fashion, is there not reafon for fuppofing, that the moft exceptionable of Homer's epithets, thofe I mean which he applies to his perfons, might in that remote age have had a propriety, whereof at prefent we have no conception? The epithets affumed by Eastern kings feem ridiculous to an European; and yet perhaps may appear fignificant and folemn to thofe who are accustomed to hear them in the original language. Let it be obferved too, that Homer compofed his immortal work at a time when writing was not common; when people were rather hearers than readers of poetry, and could not often enjoy the pleafure even of hearing it; and when, confequently, the frequent repetition of certain

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minute description must of neceflity be a long one. Nothing has a worse effect, than defcriptions too long, too frequent, or too minute; — witness the Davideis of Cowley : -and the reader is never fo effectually interested in his fubject, as when, by means of a few circumstances well felected, he is made to conceive a great many others. From Virgil's Pulcherrima Dido, and the following fimile of Diana amidst her nymphs our fancy may form for itself a picture of feminine lovelinefs and dignity more perfect than ever Cowley or Ovid could exhibit in their most elaborate defcriptions. Nay, it has been justly remarked by the best critics †, that, in the defcription of great objects, a certain degree of obfcurity, not in the language, but in the picture or notion prefented to the mind, has fometimes a happy effect in producing admiration, terror, and other emotions connected with the fublime: -as when the witches in Macbeth defcribe the horrors of their employment by calling it in three words, "A deed WITHOUT A NAME."-But it is only a great artist,

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certain words and phrafes, being a help to memory, as well as to the right apprehenfion of the poet's meaning, would be thought rather a beauty than a blemish. The fame thing is obfervable in fome of our old ballads.

* Virg. Æneid. lib. 1. verf. 500.

+ Demet. Phaler. § 266. Burke on the Sublime and Beautiful.

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who knows when to be brief in description, and when copious; where to light up his landscape with funshine, and where to cover it with darkness and tempeft. To be able to do this, without fuffering the narration to languish in its progrefs, or to run out into an immoderate length; without hurrying us away from affecting objects before our paffions have time to operate, or fixing our attention too long upon them, it will be proper, that the poet confine the action of his poem to a fhort period of time. But history is fubject to no restraints, but those of truth; and, without incurring blame, may take in any length of duration.

V. The origin of nations, and the beginnings of great events, are little known, and feldom interesting; whence the first part of every history, compared with the fequel, is fomewhat dry and tedious. But a poet muft, even in the beginning of his work, interest the readers, and raise high expectation; not by any affected pomp of ftyle, far lefs by ample promises or bold profeflions; but by fetting immediately before them fome incident, ftriking enough to raise curiosity, in regard both to its caufes and to its confequences. He must therefore take up his ftory, not at the beginning, but in the middle; or rather, to prevent the work from being too long, as near the end as poffible: and afterwards take fome proper opportunity to inform us of the preceding events, in the way

of

of narrative, or by the converfation of the perfons introduced, or by fhort and natural digreffions.

The action of both the Iliad and Odyssey begins about fix weeks before its conclufion; although the principal events of the war of Troy are to be found in the former, and the adventures of a ten years voyage, followed by the fuppreffion of a dangerous domeftic enemy, in the latter. One of the first things mentioned by Homer in the Iliad, is a plague, which Apollo in anger fent into the Grecian army commanded by Agamemnon, and now encamped before Troy. Who this Agamemnon was, and who the Grecians were; for what reason they had come hither; how long the fiege had lafted; what memorable actions had been already performed, and in what condition both parties now were:—all this, and much more, we foon learn from occafional hints and converfations interspersed through the poem.

In the Eneid, which, though it comprehends the tranfactions of feven years, opens within a few months of the concluding event, we are first presented with a view of the Trojan fleet at fea, and no lefs a perfon than Juno interesting herself to raise a storm for their deftruction. This excites a curiofity to know fomething further: who thefe Trojans were; whence they had come, and whither they were bound; why they had left their own country, and what had befallen them fince

they

they left it. On all these points, the poet, without quitting the track of his narrative, foon gives the fullest information. The storm rifes; the Trojans are driven to Africa, and hofpitably received by the Queen of the country; at whofe defire their commander relates his adventures.

The action of Paradife Loft commences not many days before Adam and Eve are expelled from the garden of Eden, which is the concluding event. This poem, as its plan is incomparably more fublime and more important, than that of either the Iliad or Eneid, opens with a far more interesting scene: a multitude of angels and archangels fhut up in a region of torment and darkness, and rolling on a lake of unquenchable fire. Who thefe angels are, and what brought them into this miferable condition, we naturally wish to know; and the poet in due time informs us; partly from the converfation of the fiends themfelves; and more particularly by the mouth of a happy fpirit, fent from heaven to caution the father and mother of mankind against temptation, and confirm their good refolutions by unfolding the dreadful effects of impiety and disobedience.

This poetical arrangement of events, fo different from the historical, has other advantages befides thofe arifing from brevity, and compactnefs of detail: it is obviously more affecting to the fancy, and more alarming to the paffions; and, being more fuitable

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