"deaths of the several thousands who have been "slain in the late war; being of opinion that all "such deaths may be well accounted for by the "Christian system of powder and ball. I do "therefore strictly forbid the fates to cut the thread "of man's life upon any pretence whatsoever, un"less it be for the sake of the rhyme. And whereas "I have good reason to fear that Neptune will have "a great deal of business on his hands in several 66 poems which we may now suppose are upon the "anvil, I do also prohibit his appearance, unless it "be done in metaphor, simile, or any very short "allusion; and that even here he may not be per"mitted to enter, but with great caution and cir"cumspection, I desire that the same rule may be "extended to his whole fraternity of Heathen gods;

"it being my design to condemn every poem to

"the flames in which Jupiter thunders, or exercises "any other act of authority which does not belong "to him. In short, I expect that no Pagan agent "shall be introduced, or any fact related which a

1

man cannot give credit to with a good conscience, "Provided always, that nothing herein contained "shall extend, or be construed to extend, to several "of the female poets in this nation, who shall still "be left in full possession of their gods and goddesses, in the same manner as if this paper had "never been written,"*

The marvellous is indeed so much promoted by machinery, that it is not wonderful to find it embraced by the plurality of writers, and perhaps of readers. If indulged at all, it is generally indulged to excess. Homer introduceth his deities with no greater ceremony than as mortals; and Virgil has still less moderation: a pilot spent with watching cannot fall asleep and drop into the sea by natural

Spectator, No. 528.

means: one bed cannot receive the two lovers, Eneas and Dido, without the immediate interposition of superior powers. The ridiculous in such fictions, must appear even through the thickest veil of gravity and solemnity.

Angels and devils serve equally with Heathen deities as materials for figurative language; perhaps better among Christians, because we believe in them, and not in Heathen deities. But every one is sensible,as well as Boileau, that the invisible powers in our creed make a much worse figure as actors in a modern poem, than the invisible powers in the Heathen creed did in ancient poems; the cause of which is not far to seek. The Heathen deities, in the opinion of their votaries, were beings elevated one step only above mankind subject to the same passions and directed by the same motives; therefore not altogether improper to mix with men in an important action. In our creed, superior beings are placed at such a mighty distance from us, and are of a nature so different, that with no propriety can we appear with them upon the same stage; man, a creature much inferior, loses all dignity in the comparison.

There can be no doubt, that an historical poem admits the embellishment of allegory, as well as of metaphor, simile, or other figure. Moral truth, in particular, is finely illustrated in the allegorical manner; it amuses the fancy to find abstract terms, by a sort of magic, metamorphosed into active beings; and it is highly pleasing to discover a general proposition in a pictured event. event. But allegorical beings should be confined within their own sphere, and never be admitted to mix in the principal action, nor to co-operate in retarding or advancing the catastrophe. This would have a still worse effect than invisible powers; and I am ready to assign the reason. The impression of real ex

istence, essential to an epic poem, is inconsistent with that figurative existence which is essential to an allegory:* and therefore no means can more effectually prevent the impression of reality, than to introduce allegorical beings co-operating with those whom we conceive to be really existing. The love-episode, in the Henriade, insufferable by the discordant mixture of allegory with real life, is copied from that of Rinaldo and Armida, in the Grerusalemme liberata, which hath no merit to entitle it to be copied. An allegorical object, such as Fame in the Eneid, and the temple of Love in the Henriade, may find place in a description: But to introduce Discord as a real personage, imploring the assistance of Love, as another real personage, to enervate the courage of the hero, is making these figurative beings act beyond their sphere, and creating a strange jumble of truth and fiction. The allegory of Sin and Death in the Paradise Lost, is, I presume, not generally relished, though it is not entirely of the same nature with what I have been condemning: in a work comprehending the achievements of superior beings, there is more room for fancy than where it is confined to human actions.

What is the true notion of an episode? or how is it to be distinguished from the principal action? Every incident that promotes or retards the catastrophe, must be part of the principal action. This clears the nature of an episode; which may be defined, "An incident connected with the principal ac"tion, but contributing neither to advance nor to "retard it." The descent of Eneas into hell doth not advance nor retard the catastrophe, and therefore is an episode. The story of Nisus and Euryalus,

* See Chapter XX. Seet, vi.

+ Canto 1X:

producing, an alteration in the affairs of the contending parties, is a part of the principal action.The family scene in the sixth book of the Iliad is of the same nature; for by Hector's retiring from the field of battle to visit his wife, the Grecians had opportunity to breathe, and even to turn upon the Trojans. The unavoidable effect of episode, according to this definition, must be, to break the unity of action; and therefore it ought never to be indulged, unless to unbend the mind after the fatigue of a long narration. An episode, when such is its purpose, requires the following conditions: it ought to be well connected with the principal action; it ought to be lively and interesting: it ought to be short: and a time ought to be chosen when the principal action relents.*

In the following beautiful episode, which closes the second book of Fingal, all these conditions are united :

Comal was a son of Albion; the chief of an hundred hills. His deer drank of a thousand streams; and a thousand rocks replied to the voice of his dogs. His face was the mildness of youth; but his hand the death of heroes. One was his love, and fair was she! the daughter of mighty Conloch. She appeared like a sun-beam among women, and her hair was like the wing of the raver. Her soul was fixed on Comal, and she was his companion in the chace. Often met their eyes of love, and happy were their words in secret. But Gormal loved the maid, the chief of gloomy Ardven. He watched her lone steps on the heath, the foe of unhappy Comal.

One day tired of the chace, when the mist had concealed their friends, Comal and the daughter of Conloch met in the cave of Ronan. It was the wonted haunt of Comal. Its sides were hung with hia arms; a hundred shields of thongs were there, a

* Homer's description of the shield of Achilles is properly introduced at a time when the action relents, and the reader can bear an interruption But the author of Telemachus describes the shield of that young hero in the heat of battle; a very improper time for an interruption.

hundred helms of sounding steel. Rest here, said he, my love Galvina, thou light of the cave of Ronan; a deer appears on Mora's brow; I go but soon will return. I fear, said she, dark Gormal my foe: I will rest here; but soon return, my love.

He went to the deer of Mora. The daughter of Conloch, to try his love, clothed her white side with her armour, and strode from the cave of Ronan. Thinking her his foe, his heart beat high and his colour changed. He drew the bow; the arrow flew ; Galvina fell in blood. He ran to the cave with hasty steps, and called the daughter of Conloch. Where art thou my love? but no answer.- -He marked, at length, her heaving heart beating against the mortal arrow. O Conloch's daughter, is it thou! he sunk upon her breast.

The hunters found the hapless pair. Many and silent were his steps round the dark dwelling of his love. The fleet of the ocean came he fought and the strangers fell; he searched for death over the field; but who could kill the mighty Comal? Throwing away his shield, an arrow found his manly breast. He sleeps with his Galvina; their green tombs are seen by the mariner,

when he bounds on the waves of the north.

Next, upon the peculiarities of a dramatic poem. And the first I shall mention is a double plot; one of which must resemble an episode in an epic poem; for it would distract the spectator, instead of entertaining him, if he were forced to attend, at the same time, to two capital plots equally interesting. And even supposing it an under-plot like an episode, it seldom hath a good effect in tragedy, of which simplicity is a chief property: for an interesting subject that engages our affections, occupies our whole attention; and leaves no room for any separate concern.* Variety is more tolerable in

* Racine in his preface to the tragedy of Berenice, is sensible that simpli city is a great beauty in tragedy, but mistakes the cause. "Nothing (says he) "but verisimilitude pleases in tragedy: but where is the verisimilitude that "within the compass of a day, events should be crowed which commonly "are extended through months?" This is mistaking the accuracy of imitation for the probability or improbability of future events. I explain myself. The verisimilitude required in tragedy is, that the actions correspond to tie