Nay, that we may equally learn from this poem, that too great power may be destructive to a monarch, as well as to the people whom he governs. If Priam and his family could have been controuled in their refolution to retain Helen, neither the city of Troy, nor himself had fallen a facrifice to the juft refentment of Greece.

The fame author has canvaffed in like manner the particular morals, Boffu affigns as the foundation of the Odyffey and Æneid.

But though we cannot fix upon one fingle moral leffon, as the fole intention of thofe poems, it ought not from thence to be concluded, their authors had no defign at all farther than to compose an amusing ftory. If we confider the immenfe variety of useful obfervations, which may be drawn from a diligent examination of every part of the conduct of the several perfons represented in the Iliad only, it is not to be conceived, how the writer by mere accident, and without any exprefs defign could poffibly lay together fo copious a fund for the moft inIftructive moral reflections. The distinction, which ought here to be made, is between allowing in these poems no other intention than to exemplify fome general maxim relating to men's conduct, and the more extensive defign of exhibiting fome finished picture of life, wherein may be exposed to view not only the natural confequences of human actions, but the tempers and the paffions of men, with the internal motives both to good actions, and to thofe deviations from the general principles of virC

tue,

tue, which we daily fee and lament in the world.

In fuppofing Homer to have compofed his Iliad with a regard to the state of his country in his own time, and his Odyssey to give an important article of advice to princes, we afcribe to the poets a high point of ambition in taking upon them to be instructors in form to kings and ftates; yet upon a more perfect infpection into the nature of these writings we fhall find this scheme to come very short of their real merit and dignity. For this makes them fubfervient only to particular purposes; whereas these poems, when they justly and fully reprefent the characters of men, are fuited to inftruct both public and private perfons in all countreys, and in all ages. But it is by the representation of characters, that this is effected. For the actions of men are fo various, that the fable of a poem, which shall bear an analogy to a tranfaction, which has paft at one time, may not foon meet again with its parallel; but the natural tempers and difpofitions of the human mind are always the fame, and by the beha viour of men in one action in confequence of their - refpective characters their conduct may be judged of in other actions alfo, though of a different kind, The use therefore of this fpecies of poetry being fo univerfal, though occafions may offer, wherein the poet fhall be directed in the choice of his fubject by fome prefent circumftance of his country, yet it is not neceffary that he fhould always have in view any fuch particular point of inftruction, before he chufes a fable. But any occurrence of hi

story,

ftory, fuited to furnish a number of characters wor thy to be expatiated upon, is a fufficient inducement for a poet to write; and the greater variety there is of fuch characters, and the more worthy any of them fhall be of the attention of the public, the greater will be the excellence of his work.

When one person is more diftinguished than the reft in the action of any poem, or fome general defign is purfued throughout, what relates to that person or defign will be moft confpicuous in the work. Virgil's poem turns almost wholly upon the perfon of Æneas; the Odyffey ftands chiefly related to Ulyffes and his family; in the poem on Leonidas both the principal character, and the rest of the Grecian chiefs are diftinguished by great love to their country, and eminent valour in its defence. The Iliad contains fo full an account, of what paffed amongst the Trojans both in their city, and in the field, as well as of the tranfactions in the Grecian camp, that it is not eafy to determine, what part of the action the writer chiefly intended to embelifh.

But should we even fuppofe, that the poet's first motive to compofe that work was, what Boffu contends for, to recommend union among the feveral ftates of his country; yet certainly this by no means includes the whole extent of his undertaking. He has not only built his poem on a difference between two princes; but has drawn diftinctly the charac ters of each, and fhewn, how the haughtiness of one, and the impatient temper of the other inflamed

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flamed a debate in council into a quarrel almost irreconcileable. Now as the like disagreement might have arose between perfons of other characters, all the attention, he has given to mark out the particular turn of mind in each of the contending parties at the time of the difpute, and in their whole behaviour afterwards, is no way neceffary towards fhewing the bad effects of difcord. Nay more, he has equally imployed in his poem a great variety of actors, who contribute nothing to the quarrel, whofe characters are wrought up and finished with as much care, as theirs, between whom the contention arofe. By this finished reprefentation of life and manners the poetry of Homer,without being confidered as fubfervient to any particular purpose, has been the admiration of all ages, and ftands at the head of a kind of writing perhaps the most instructive, and therefore of the greatest importance to mankind, of any production of human wit.

BUT here a charge brought by Plato against the poets must be confidered, who accufes them of chufing fubjects more fuited to entertain than inftruct in particular, that the tragic reprefentations of persons grieving under adverse fortune tend to corrupt our minds; for that by indulging the impreffions, fuch representations make upon us, we are in danger of weakening our own tempers, and rendring our felves lefs able to fupport the evil accidents

* De Republ. 1. 10.

accidents of life. But this is confounding firmness of mind with hardness of heart. Compaffion for the calamities, to which human nature by the viciffitude of fortune is continually expofed, arifes from a temper of mind by no means inconfiftent with fortitude; it being constantly seen, that those, who have the strongest compaffion for the distresses of others, have fupported their own with great magnanimity; and none are less apt to be moved at others ills, than fuch, as are the most fubject to repine and fink under their own difappointments. Aristotle has much more juftly observed, that this kind of poetry is conducive to refine the paffions, it excites in us. Certainly fuch representations will give us occafion to diftinguish the true objects of each paffion.

IT muft indeed be confeffed, that however useful these kinds of poetry built on the actions and paffions of men may be towards directing us in the conduct of life, and forming the mind to virtue; yet they are capable of being perverted from this their high office,

The genuine defign of comedy is to represent the true fource of private enjoyment from family affections, and the judicious choice of our acquaintance and friends; to fhew the inconveniences arifing from imprudent conduct, and the irregular fallies of paffion, together with the ridicule due to capriciousness of temper, and other particularities of humourists; tragedy on the other hand is adapted