Chemical medicines are observed to relieve oftener than to cure; for it is the nature of spirits to make swift impressions, but not deep. Galenical decoctions, to which I may properly compare an epick poem, have more of body in them; they work by their substance and their weight.

It is one reason of Aristotle's, to prove that tragedy is the more noble, because it turns in a shorter compass; the whole action being circumscribed within the space of four-and-twenty hours. He might prove as well, that a mushroom is to be preferred before a peach, because it shoots up in the compass of a night. A chariot may be driven

8 If Aristotle had said that tragedy was the more noble, because a poer could compose a tragedy in much less time than an epick poem, the simile would have been justly applied. Dryden had but just before said, that "the effects of tragedy are too violent to be lasting.” But he did not give himself time to see, that tragedy owes this greater violence of effect to the shortness of its plan; that is, to its strict unity, the more concentrated and unbroken interest, its "close accelerated plot ;" to that alpos, as Aristotle calls it, so essential to the purpose of tragedy, which is, to give the pleasure of strong emotion. The Epick Poem is of too tedious a length, too various and episodick, to produce that effect in the same degree as tragedy, which is read, or seen, at once, and without interruption.

"But the case was, that Dryden, (who, as I had before occasion to remark, appears to have taken his idea of Aristotle from French translation,) wrote this in the preface to his translation of an Epick Poem; on the contrary, when he was writing on tragedy, he gave tragedy the preference." ["-though tragedy be justly preferred

round the pillar in less space than a large machine, because the bulk is not so great. Is the Moon a more noble planet than Saturn, because she makes her revolution in less than thirty days, and he in little less than thirty years? Both their orbs are in proportion to their several magnitudes; and, consequently, the quickness or slowness of their motion, and the time of their circumvolutions, is no argument of the greater or less perfection. And besides, what virtue is there in a tragedy, which is not contained in an epick poem ; where pride is humbled, virtue rewarded, and vice punished, and those more amply treated than the narrowness of the drama can admit? The shining quality of an epick hero, his magnanimity, his constancy, his patience, his piety, or whatever characteristical virtue his poet gives him, raises first our admiration we are naturally prone to imitate what we admire; and frequent acts produce a habit. If the hero's chief quality be vicious, as for example, the choler and obstinate desire of vengeance in Achilles, yet the moral is instructive; and besides, we are informed in the very proposition of the ILIADS, that this anger was pernicious; that it brought a thousand ills on the

above the other," i. e. the epick poem. ESSAY ON DRAMATICK POESY.]-Aristotle's Treatise on Poetry, translated by Twining, Note 273; p. 556.

* Orb was often used by our author and his contemporaries, for orbit. It has been already so used in p. 430.

Grecian camp. The courage of Achilles is proposed to imitation, not his pride and disobedience to his General; nor his brutal cruelty to his dead enemy, nor the selling his body to his father. We abhor these actions while we read them, and what we abhor we never imitate the poet only shews them like rocks or quicksands, to be shunned.

By this example the criticks have concluded, that it is not necessary the manners of the hero should be virtuous; they are poetically good, if they are of a piece. Though, where a character of perfect virtue is set before us, it is more lovely; for there the whole hero is to be imitated. This is the Æneas of our author; this is that idea of perfection in an epick poem, which painters and statuaries have only in their minds, and which no hands are able to express. These are the beauties of a God in a human body. When the picture of Achilles is drawn in tragedy, he is taken with those warts, and moles, and hard features, by those who represent him on the stage, or he is no more Achilles; for his creator, Homer, has so described him. Yet even thus he appears a perfect hero, though an imperfect character of virtue. Horace paints him after Homer, and delivers him to be copied on the stage with all those imperfections. Therefore, they are either not faults in a heroick poem, or faults common to the drama.

After all, on the whole merits of the cause, it must be acknowledged, that the epick poem is more for the manners, and tragedy for the passions. The passions, as I have said, are violent; and

acute distempers require medicines of a strong and speedy operation. Ill habits of the mind are like chronical diseases, to be corrected by degrees, and cured by alteratives; wherein, though purges are sometimes necessary, yet diet, good air, and moderate exercise, have the greatest part. The matter being thus stated, it will appear that both sorts of poetry are of use for their proper ends. The stage is more active, the epick poem works at greater leisure; yet is active too, when need requires for dialogue is imitated by the drama from the more active parts of it. One puts off a fit, like the quinquina," and relieves us only for a time; the other roots out the distemper, and gives a healthful habit. The sun enlightens and cheers us, dispels fogs, and warms the ground with his daily beams; but the corn is sowed, increases, is ripened, and is reaped for use, in process of time, and in its proper season.

I proceed from the greatness of the action, to the dignity of the actors, I mean to the persons employed in both poems. There likewise tragedy will be seen to borrow from the epopee; and that which borrows is always of less dignity, because it has not of its own. A subject, it is true, may lend to his sovereign; but the act of borrowing makes the King inferior, because he wants, and the subject supplies. And suppose the persons of

9 The Peruvian, or Jesuits' bark, of which some specimens had been sent to London about 1633, but it did not get into general use till about 1655, during the Usurpation.

the drama wholly fabulous, or of the poet's invention, yet heroick poetry gave him the examples of that invention, because it was first, and Homer the common father of the stage. I know not of any one advantage, which tragedy can boast above heroick poetry, but that it is represented to the view, as well as read; and instructs in the closet, as well as on the theatre. This is an uncontended excellence, and a chief branch of its prerogative; yet I may be allowed to say without partiality, that herein the actors share the poet's praise. Your Lordship knows some modern tragedies, which are beautiful on the stage, and yet I am confident you would not read them. Tryphon, the stationer,' complains, they are seldom asked for in his shop. The poet who flourished in the scene, is damned in the ruelle; nay more, he is not esteemed a good poet by those who see and hear his extravagancies with delight. They are a sort of stately

A bookseller at Rome, in the time of Martial. See his EPIGR. iv. 72. xiii. 3.

2 Ruelle is an assembly of persons in a morning, in a lady's dressing-room, while she is at her toilet. This fashion of introducing French words into our language, Dr. Johnson has justly reprobated. "Dryden (says that most judicious critick,) had a vanity unworthy of his abilities, to shew, as may be suspected, the rank of the company with whom he lived, by the use of French words, which had then crept into conversation; such as fraicheur for coolness, fougue for turbulence, and a few more, none of which the language has incorporated or retained. They continue only where they stood first, perpetual warnings to future innovators." Life of DRYDEN.