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Αρτεμις ιοχέαιρα, κασιγνητη Εκατοιο
Αντοῖ δ ̓ αντεστος σῶκος, εριουνιος Ερμῆς•
Αντα δ' αρ' Ηφαίστοιο μεγας ποταμος βαθυδίνης,
Ὃν Ξανθον καλεουσι θεοι, ανδρες δε Σκαμανδρον.
Il. xx. v. 47-74.

Thro' all their summits tremble Ida's woods,
And from their sources boil her hundred floods.
Troy's turrets totter on the rocking plain,
And the toss'd navies beat the heaving main.
Deep in the dismal region of the dead

Th' infernal monarch rear'd his hoary head,

Leap'd from his throne, lest Neptune's arm should lay His dark dominions open to the day,

And pour in light on Pluto's drear abodes,

Abhorr'd by men, and dreadful ev'n to gods.

Such war th' immortals wage, such horrours rend The world's vast concave when the gods contend. First silver-shafted Phoebus took the plain Against blue Neptune, monarch of the main; The god of arms his giant bulk display'd, Oppos'd to Pallas, War's triumphant maid. Against Latona march'd the son of May; The quiver'd Dian, sister of the day (Her golden arrows sounding at her side,) Saturnia, majesty of heav'n, defied. With fiery Vulcan last in battle stands The sacred flood that rolls on golden sands; Xanthus his name with those of heav'nly birth, But call'd Scamander by the sons of earth.

Il. xx. v. 63-102.

CHAP. III.

OF THE HISTORICK EPOS.

66

FROM what has been already declared on the nature of the historical epopee, it must be pretty evident that no licence can justify the introduction of preternatural agents into its composition. The same reasoning, which applies to exclude fiction from its incidents, extends equally to proscribe that embellishment which is attained by machinery. With a justice of exemplification more striking than any application of rule, Voltaire has remarked, Virgile et Homère avoiënt fort bien fait d'amener les Divinitiés sur la scene. Lucain a fait tout aussi bien de s'en passer.-Les guerres civiles de Rome etoient trop serieuses pour ces joux d'imagination. Quel rôle Cesar jouerait il dans la plaine de Pharsale, si Iris venait lui apporter son épée, ou si Venus descendait dans un nuage d'or a son secours." And this remark may be extended from these particular instances, to every fact in which there is room for preternatural agency. The expedient, it must be confessed,

would defeat its own purpose, which, in seeking to confer greater importance on real events, would make their truth questionable by coupling them with fictitious circum

stances.

But the project of giving machinery to the historical epos is exposed to still stronger objections by being brought to the test of that rule which was formerly laid down for determining the nature, and fixing the bounds of poetical fiction. For, supposing this project realized, it must be evident that the marvellous imagery, thus appended to the poem, must be so wholly void of verisimilitude, as to procure from the reader no extenuation of its improbabilities. Since from his knowledge both of the subject and characters in the work, if he did not possess a perfect conviction, that the whole of these imaginary fictions "would have been questioned as real, by the characters in the poem," he must himself feel a disposition "to negative them as false," not less on account of his acquired knowledge, than his religious belief.

Being thus restricted in his imitations to a close delineation of nature, the historick poet seems to be bound, in conformity to

the end of his art, to supply by suitable expedients that ornament which the more exalted poetry possesses in right of Poetick Licence. This, as was before observed, was deemed a requisite by Lucan, in his “ Pharsalia," where the epical quality of dignity has been carried to a height, not often excelled in Homer and Virgil.

Though the historical poet is denied the liberty of employing celestial agents, he is not interdicted from representing the general incidents of his poem, as engaging the divine care, and being forwarded by its secret interposition by this means, as I have already remarked, he may add much to the dignity and importance of his compositions. He is besides afforded in this manner an opportunity of introducing those details of religious ceremonies, and descriptions of that grand and awful scenery which is adapted to the celebration of such rites; which, infusing a degree of solemnity into his narration, must proportionally conduce to heighten its dignity.

But more than this, if there is any thing grand and awful, or even mysterious and dreadful, in the popular superstitions of the period from which his subject is taken, the

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poet should omit no opportunity of seizing and appropriating these, in order to add to its sublimity and improve its beauty. The extensive resources which thus offered themselves to heighten the dignity of the historick epopee, did not escape the observation of Lucan, who has derived through this channel some striking imagery which diversifies the general character of his narrative, and imparts to it the highest splendour.

Among the superstitions, admitted by Pagan credulity with implicit belief, may be mentioned those miraculous appearances and prodigies, which were conceived to precede any event of more than ordinary importance, and to forebode the approach of every disastrous occurrence. From this belief Lucan has transferred to his "Pharsalia" some of the most sublime descriptions; as may be instanced from his relation of the prodigies which preceded the civil war, and of those that occurred previously to the battle of Pharsalia. With equal judgment has he availed himself of the popular belief of persons siting the earth after their decease, introducing, from this source of the marvellous, the spirit of Julia appearing to Pompey, with the most awful effect. The mysteries of priest

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