lovers, Æneas and Dido, cannot take the fame bed, without the immediate interpofition of fuperior powers. The ridiculous in fuch fictions, must appear even through the thickest vail of gravity and folemnity.

Angels and devils ferve equally with the Heathen deities, as materials for figurative language, perhaps better among Chriftians, because we believe in them, and not in the Heathen deities. But every one is fenfible, as well as Boileau, that the invisible powers in our creed make a much worse figure as actors in a modern poem, than the invifible powers in the Heathen creed did in ancient poems. The reafon I take to be what follows. The Heathen deities, in the opinion of their votaries, were beings elevated one ftep only above mankind, actuated by the fame paffions, and directed by the fame motives; therefore not altogether improper to mix with mankind in an important action. In our creed, fuperior beings are -placed at fuch a mighty distance from us, and are of a nature fo different, that with no propriety can they appear with us upon the fame ftage. Man is a creature so much in

₹

ferior,

ferior, that he lofes all dignity when fet in oppofition.

There feems to be no doubt, that an historical poem admits the embellishment of allegory, as well as of metaphor, fimile, or other figure. Moral truth, in particular, is finely illuftrated in the allegorical manner. It amufes the fancy to find abftract terms, by a fort of magic, converted into active beings; and it is delightful to trace a general propofition in a pictured event. But allegorical beings fhould be confined within their own sphere; and never be admitted to mix in the principal action, nor to co-operate in retarding or advancing the cataftrophe. This would have a still worse effect, than the introduction of invisible powers; and I am ready to affign the reafon. An hiftorical fable affords entertainment chiefly by making us conceive its perfonages to be really exifting and acting in our presence: in an allegory, this agreeable delufion is denied; for we must not imagine an allegorical perfonage to be a real being, but the figure only of fome virtue or vice; otherwife the allegory is loft. The impreffion

of

of real existence, effential to an epic poem, is inconfiftent with that figurative existence which is effential to an allegory; and therefore no method can be more effectual to destroy the impreffion of reality, than to introduce allegorical beings co-operating with those whom we conceive to be really exifting. The love-epifode in the Henriade*, is infufferable by the discordant mixture of allegory with real life. This episode is copied from that of Rinaldo and Armida in the Gierufalemme liberata, which hath no merit to intitle it to be copied. An allegorical object, fuch as fame in the Eneid, and the temple of love in the Henriade, may find place in a description: but to introduce Difcord as a real perfonage, imploring the alliftance of Love as another real perfonage, to enervate the courage of the hero, is making these figurative beings act beyond their sphere, and creating a ftrange jumble of difcordant materials, viz. truth and fiction. The allegory of Sin and Death in the Paradife Loft, is, I pre

Canto 9.

VOL. III.

I i

fume,

fume, not generally relifhed, though it is not entirely of the fame nature with what I have been condemning. The Paradife Loft is not confined to the history of our firft parents; and in a work comprehending the atchievements of fuperior beings, there is more room for fancy than where it is confined to human actions.

What is the true notion of an epifode? or how is it to be diftinguished from what is really a part of the principal action? Every incident that promotes or retards the cataftrophe, must be a part of the principal action. This clears the nature of an episode; which may be defined, "An incident con"nected with the principal action, but "which contributes not either to advance or "retard it." The defcent of Æneas into hell doth not advance or retard the cataftrophe; and therefore is an epifode. The ftory of Nifus and Euryalus, producing an alteration in the affairs of the contending parties, is a part of the principal action. The family-fcene in the fixth book of the Iliad is of the fame nature: by Hector's retiring from the field of battle to vifit his

1

wife,

wife, the Grecians got liberty to breathe, and even to prefs upon the Trojans. It being thus the nature of an episode to break the unity of action, it ought never to be indulged unless to refresh and unbend the mind after the fatigue of a long narration. This purpose of an episode demands the following properties. It ought to be well connected with the principal action it ought to be short: and it ought to be lively and interesting.

Next, upon the peculiarities of a dramatic poem. And the firft I fhall mention is a double plot; being naturally led to it by what is faid immediately above. One of thefe double plots must be of the nature of an episode in an epic poem; for it would diftract the fpectator, instead of entertaining him, if he were forc'd to attend, at the fame time, to two capital plots equally interesting. An under-plot in a tragedy has feldom a good effect; because a paffionate piece cannot be too fimple. The fympathetic emotions once roufed, cling to their objects, and cannot bear interruption : when