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fentment, and violence of character exhibit a more animated figure, than any other, Virgil has drawn.

The management of the fubject alfo is in fome refpects exceptionable. The fix laft books received not the finishing hand of the author; and for this reafon he ordered his poem to be committed to the flames. The wars with the Latins are in dignity inferior to the more interesting objects, previously prefented to us; and the reader is tempted to take part with Turnus against Æneas.

The principal excellency of Virgil, and what he poffeffes beyond all poets, is tenderness. His foul was full of fenfibility. He felt himself all the affecting circumftances in the fcenes, he describes; and knew how by a fingle stroke to reach the heart. In an epic poem this merit is next to fublimity. The fecond book of the Eneid is one of the greatest masterpieces, ever executed. The death of old Priam, and the family pieces of Eneas, Anchises, and Creusa, are as tender, as can be conceived. In the fourth book the unhappy paffion and death of Dido are admirable. The interview of Æneas with Andromache and Helenus in the third book; the episodes of Pallas and Evander, of Nifus and Euryalus, of Laufus and Mezentius, are all striking inftances of the power of raising the tender emotions. The best and most finished books are the first, fecond, fourth, fixth, feventh, eighth, and twelfth.

Virgil's battles are in fire and fublimity far inferior to Homer's. But in one important episode, the defcent into hell, he has outdone Homer in the Odyffey by many degrees. There is nothingi n all antiquity, equal in its kind to the fixth book of the Æneid. The scene■y, the objects, and the defeription are great, folema, and fublime.

With regard to the comparative merit of these two great princes of epic poetry, it must be allowed, that Homer was the greater genius, and Virgil the more correct writer. Homer is more original, more bold, more fublime, and more forcible. In judgment they are both eminent. Homer has all the Greek vivacity; Virgil all the Roman stateliness. The imagination of Homer is the moft copious; that of Virgil the moft correct. The ftrength of the former lies in warming the fancy; that of the latter in touching the heart. Homer's style is more fimple and animated; Virgil's more elegant and uniform.

LUCAN

LUCAN's PHARSALIA.

UCAN is inferior to Homer and Virgil; yet he deferves attention. There is little invention in his Pharfalia; and it is conducted in too historical a manner to be strictly epic. It may be arranged however in the epic clafs, as it treats of great and heroic adven

tures. The fubject of the Pharfalia has all the epic dignity and grandeur; and it poffeffes unity of object, viz. the triumph of Cæfar over Roman liberty.

But, though the fubject of Lucan is confeffedly heroic, it has two defects. Civil wars prefent objects too fhocking for epic poetry, and furnish odious and difgufting views of human nature. But Lucan's genius feems to delight in favage fcenes.

The other defect of Lucan's fubject is, that it was too near the time, in which he lived. This deprived him of the affiftance of fiction and machinery; and thereby rendered his work lefs fplendid and amufing. The facts, on which he founds his poem, were too well known, and too recent, to admit fables and the interpofition of gods.

The characters of Luçan are drawn with spirit and force. But, though Pompey is his hero, he has not made him very interefting. He marks not Pompey by any high distinction, either for magnanimity or valor. He is always furpaffed by Cæfar. Cato is Lucan's favorite character; and, whenever he introduces him, he rifes above himself.

In managing his ftory Lucan confines himself too much to chronological order. This breaks the thread of his narration, and hurries him from place to place. He is alfo too digreffive; frequently quitting his fub

ject, to give us fome geographical defeription, or phè lofophical difquifition..

There are feveral poetical and spirited defcriptions in the Pharfalia; but the ftrength of this poet does not lie either in narration or description. His narration is often dry and harsh; his descriptions are often overwrought, and employed on disagreeable objects. His chief merit confifts in his fentiments; which are noble, ftriking, glowing, and ardent. He is the most philofophical, and the most patriotic poet of antiquity. He was a ftoic; and the fpirit of that philofophy breathes through his poem. He is elevated and bold; and abounds in well timed exclamations and apostrophes.

As his vivacity and fire are great, he is apt to be carried away by them. His great defect is want of moderation. He knows not, where to ftop. When he would aggrandize his objects, he becomes tumid and unnatural. There is much bombast in his poem. His taste is marked with the corruption of his age; and inftead of poetry he often exhibits declamation.

On the whole however he is an author of lively and original genius. His high fentiments and his fire ferve to atone for many of his defects. His genius had Compared

strength, but no tenderness, nor amenity.

with Virgil, he has more fire and fublimer fentiments; but in every thing elfe falls infinitely below him, particularly in purity, elegance, and tendernefs.

Statius and Silius Italicus, though poets of the epic clafs, are too inconfiderable for particular criticism.

TASSO's JERUSALEM.

FERUSALE

ERUSALEM DELIVERED is a strictly regular epic poem, and abounds with beauties. The fubject is the recovery of Jerufalem from Infidels by the united powers of Chriftendom. The enterprize was fplendid, venerable, and heroic; and an interesting contraft is exhibited between the Chriftians and Saracens. Religion renders the fubject auguft, and opens a natural field for machinery and fublime description. The action too lies in a country, and in a period of time, sufficiently remote, to admit an intermixture of fable with. history..

Rich invention is a capital quality in Taffo. He is full of events, finely diverfified. He never fatigues his reader by mere war and fighting. He frequently fhifts the scene; and from camps and battles transports us to more pleasing objects. Sometimes the folemnities of religion; fometimes the intrigues of love; at other times the adventures of a journey, or the incidents of paftoral life, relieve and entertain the reader. The work at the fame time is artfully connected; and in the midst of variety there is perfect unity of plan.

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