taken in poetical delineation may be at all determined. Thus, however different the present principle may be thought from that which was fundamentally laid down as true, they are, in fact, identical. And this circumstance, by affording a striking evidence of the comprehensiveness of the theory which I commenced with establishing, since it includes one which is itself not narrow or circumscribed, appears to offer as decisive a proof as may be easily suggested, of the exclusive truth of the former. If this conclusion may be now taken as established, we require little more in order to perfect the developement of the terms under consideration, than to point out the object by which a poet is led to deviate from what is true in science. And this And this may be done with sufficient precision, from a maxim advanced by Aristotle, in the close of his "Poeticks," where he undertakes the refutation of some charges urged against poets; and which, though it may not appear to designate the nature of licence, at least fully justifies its adoption, while at the same time it specifies the end which ought to be sought in every deviation from science. "The practice of the poet in feigning any thing," says the critick," which is impossible according to science, is justified when he attains the specified end, of making the general effect of the composition itself, or any of its parts, more striking." From these considerations, and from this authority, we may venture to define POETICK LICENCE as follows; That liberty whereby a poet, in order to render his compositions more striking, allowably deviates from what is considered true in science. Although, for reasons which have been already specified, we are sufficiently justified in offering this definition as comprehensive and clear, it must be allowed, that in order to render it logically adequate, it is necessary to establish the converse of what is here advanced; and to shew, not merely that whatever is a deviation from science will be a licence, but that whatever is a licence will be a deviation from science. Even granting this object attained, we must proceed far beyond the limits of a definition, in order to accomplish all that is proposed in the present с Πρώτον μεν γαρ, αν τα προς αυτήν την τεχνην αδυνατα περ ποιηται, ημαρτηται· αλλ' ορθώς εχει, ει τυγχάνει το τελος τε αυτῆς. Το δε τελος ειρηται· οιον, ει έτως εκπληκτικωτερον ή αυτό, η αλλο ποιεῖ μερος. De Poet. § 46. essay. As the standard is various and different, from which the poet claims a power of departing, the nature of those licences by which he assumes such a liberty must be very indefinitely marked out by a general reference to science; and as the quality of being striking is relative, and admits of a different modification, according to the several species of composition in which it is attained, it forms but a vague standard for determining the extent which may be tolerated in poetick licence. The readiest expedient which offers for supplying these defects, and obviating these exceptions to the comprehensiveness of the subjoined investigation, seems to lie in a copious induction made with the express object of proving, that in every licence some scientifick truth is violated, and some striking effect attained. In prosecuting which, it will be attended with little comparative difficulty to examine how far every deviation may be prosecuted, without abusing the power by which it is tolerated. That no objection may be raised to the induction on which I hope to ascertain these points, as partial or limited, it seems advisable to consider poetry in every light in rations, it seems e following distribute Sect. I. OfInc.ents, real and pr. ba le. Sect. II. Of Incidents, marvelous and fanciful. Sect. III. Of Arrangement, or Oeconomy. C s of r in they ices, Lan essay. As the standard is various and different, from which the poet claims a power of departing, the nature of those licences by which he assumes such a liberty must be very indefinitely marked out by a general reference to science; and as the quality of being striking is relative, and admits of a different modification, according to the several species of composition in which it is attained, it forms but a vague standard for determining the extent which may be tolerated in poetick licence. The readiest expedient which offers for supplying these defects, and obviating these exceptions to the comprehensiveness of the subjoined investigation, seems to lie in a copious induction made with the express object of proving, that in every licence some scientifick truth is violated, and some striking effect attained. In prosecuting which, it will be attended with little comparative difficulty to examine how far every deviation may be prosecuted, without abusing the power by which it is tolerated. That no objection may be raised to the induction on which I hope to ascertain these points, as partial or limited, it seems advisable to consider poetry in every light in |