OF THE SEVENTH VOLUME, 3. A minute Examination of Horace's Journey to Brundufium, and of Cicero's Journey into 5. A Differtation on the Subject of Medals, 6. An Account of a Letter addreffed to Cocchi, by Chevalier L. G. Aretino, refpecting fome Tranfactions in the Cifalpine Gallic War. A. U. C. 529, 33 to the Extracts from the Journat, to the Remarks and detached Pieces, to the Effay fur l'Etude de la Littérature, 192 to the Critical Obfervations on the Defign A COLLECTION A COLLECTION O F M Y REMARKS, AND DETACHED PIECES, ON DIFFERENT SUBJECTS. N° I. 23d December 1763. ALL epic poets feem to confider an exact catalogue of the armies which they fend into the field, and of the heroes by whom they are commanded, as a necessary and essential part of their of their poems. A commentator is obliged to juftify this practice; but to what reader did it ever give pleasure? Such catalogues destroy the interest and retard the progrefs of the action, when our attention to it is most alive. All the beauties of detail, and all the ornaments of poetry, fcarcely fuffice to amuse our wearinefs; a weariness produced by fuch enumerations even in hiftorical works, but which are pardoned in them, because neceffary. In history, the victory commonly depends on the number and quality of the troops; but in epic poetry, it is always decided by the protection of the gods and the marvellous valor of the hero. Achilles is invincible; his myrmidons are scarcely known. Homer has indeed given a catalogue; yet this perhaps VOL. VII. B |