This difference, regarding form only, may be thought flight; but the effects it occafions, are by no means fo. What we fee, makes a stronger impreffion than what we learn from others. A narrative poem is a story told by another: facts and incidents paffing upon the ftage, come under our own observation; and are befide much enlivened by action and gefture, expreffive of many fentiments beyond the reach of language

"ftructions difguifed under the allegories of an important action," which will exclude every epic poem founded upon real facts, and perhaps include feveral of Esop's fables. Voltaire reckons verse so effential, as for that fingle reafon to exclude the adventures of Telemachus. See his Efay upon Epic Poetry. Others, affected with substance more than with ornament, he fitate not to pronounce that poem to be epic. It is not a little diverting, to fee fo many fhallow critics hunting for what is not to be found. They always take for granted, without the leaft foundation, that there must be fome precife criterion to distinguish epic poetry from every other fpecies of writing. Literary compofitions run into each other, precisely like colours in their strong tints they are eafily diftinguifhed; but are fufceptible of fo much variety, and take on fo many dif ferent forms, that we never can fay where one fpecies ends. and another begins. As to the general tafte, there is little reafon to doubt, that a work where heroic actions are related in an elevated ftyle, will, without further requifite, be deemed an epic poem.

A dramatic compofition has another property, independent altogether of action. A dialogue makes a deeper impreffion than a narration because in the former perfons exprefs their own sentiments; whereas in the latter fentiments are related at fecond hand. For that reafon, Ariftotle, the father of critics, lays it down as a rule, That in an epic poem the author ought to take every opportunity to introduce his actors, and to confine the narrative part within the narroweft bounds *. Homer understood perfectly the advantage of this method; and his poems are both of them in a great measure dramatic. Lucan runs to the oppofite extreme; and is guilty of a ftill greater fault: the Pharfalia is ftuffed with cold and languid reflections; the merit of which the author affumes to himself, and deigns not to share with his perfonages. Nothing can be more impertinent, than a chain of fuch reflections, which fufpend the battle of Pharfalia after the leaders had made their speech

* Poet. ch. 25. sect. 6.

es,

es, and the two armies are ready to engage *.

Ariftotle, from the nature of the fable, divides tragedy into fimple and complex. But it is of greater moment, with respect to dramatic as well as epic poetry, to found a diftinction upon the different ends attained by fuch compofitions. A poem, whether dramatic or epic, that hath no tendency beyond moving the paffions and exhibiting pictures of virtue and vice, may be diftinguished by the name of pathetic. But where a story is purposely contrived to illustrate some important leffon of morality, by showing the natural connection betwixt diforderly paffions and external misfortunes, fuch compofition may be denominated mo·ral †. It indeed conveys moral inftruc

* Lib. 7. from line 385. to line 460.

+ The fame distinction is applicable to which is faid to be the invention of Efop.

tion

3

that fort of fable A moral, it is true, fuch a fable. But

is by all critics confidered as effential to nothing is more common, than to be led blindly by authority. Of the numerous collections I have feen, the fables that clearly inculcate a moral, make a very small part. In many fables, indeed, proper pictures of virtue and vice are exhibited: but

the

tion with a perfpicuity that is not exceeded by the most accurate reasoning; and makes a deeper impreffion than any moral difcourse can do. To be fatisfied of this, we need but reflect, that a man whofe affections are justly balanced, hath a better chance to escape misfortunes, than one who is a flave to every paffion. Indeed, nothing is more evident, than the natural connection that vice hath with misery, and virtue with happiness; and fuch connection may be illuftrated, by ftating a fact as well as by urging an argument. Let us af fume, for example, the following moral truths, That discord among the chiefs, renders ineffectual all common measures; and that the confequences of a flightly-founded quarrel, foftered by pride and arrogance, are not lefs fatal than thofe of the groffeft injury. These truths may be inculcated, by the quarrel betwixt Agamemnon and Achilles at the fiege of Troy. In this view, it ought to be the poet's chief aim, to invent proper cir

the bulk of these collections convey no inftruction, nor afford any amusement beyond what a child receives in reading an ordinary story.

cumftances,

cumstances, presenting to our view the natural confequences of fuch difcord. Thefe circumstances must seem to arife in the common course of human affairs: no accidental or unaccountable event ought to be indulged; for the neceffary or probable connection betwixt vice and mifery, is learned from no events but what are governed by the characters and paffions of the perfons represented. A real event of which we fee no cause, may be a leffon to us; because what hath happened may again happen: but this cannot be inferred from a story that is known to be fictitious.

Many are the good effects of fuch compofitions. A pathetic compofition, whether epic or dramatic, tends to a habit of virtue, by exciting emotions that produce good actions, and avert us from those that are vicious or irregular *. It likewise, by its frequent pictures of human woes, humanizes the mind, and fortifies us in bearing our own misfortunes. A moral compofition must obviously produce the fame good effects, because by being moral it doth *See chap. 2. part 1. fect. 3.

not