ting truth, as the works not only of their Poets, but even thofe of their Philofophers and Hiftorians, abound with juft and beautiful perfonifications. Their two allegorical Philofophers, Prodicus and Cebes, carry the matter ftill further, and inculcate their leffons, by fubftituting in place of cool admonition a variety of perfonages, who affume the most dignified character, and addrefs at the fame time "the imagination, the paffions, and even the fenfes of mankind'. Thefe Authors confider man as a creature, poffeffed of different, and of limited faculties, whose actions are directed more frequently by the impulfe of paffion, than regulated by the dictates of reason and of truth". * Δει δε τις μυθους συνίςαναι, και τη λέξει συναπεργάζεσθαι οιτι μαλιςα προ ομματων τεθεμενον. Ουτο γαρ αν εναργέςατα τρων ωσπερ παρ αυτοις γιγνόμενος τοῖς πραττομένοις, ευρισκοι το πρέπον, και ηκιςα αν' λανθάνοιτο τα υπεναντια. Αρις. Ποιητ. κεφ. ιζ. Thus Xenophon, the fimpleft and molt perfpicuous of Hiftorians, has borrowed many noble images from Homer; and Plato is often indebted to this Poet, whom yet he banifhed from his Commonwealth. Cicero in his moft ferious pieces ftudies the Diction, and copies the Manner of the Greek Philofopher; and it evidently appears, that Thucydides has taken many a glowing" Metaphor from the Odes of Pindar. We might produce many examples of this from their writings, if thefe would not fwell this note to too great a length. The reader of taste may fee this fubject fully difcuffed in Mr. Gedde's ingenious Effay on the Compofition of the Ancients. • Thus Cicero tells us : "Nec eft majus in dicendo, quam ut Ora"tor fic moveatur, ut impetu quo"dam animi, & perturbatione ma gis quam concilio regatur. Plura "enim multo homines judicant "odio, & amore, & cupiditate, &c. quam veritate & præfcripto." De Orat. lib. ii. c. 42. Ir is obvious, that in Lyric Poetry the Author cannot run into this series of methodifed allegory, because the fubjects of the Ode are real incidents, which would be disfigured by the continued action of fictitious perfonages. His descriptions therefore ought to be concise, diverfified, and adapted properly to that train of fentiment, which he is employed to illuftrate. When this is the cafe, we are highly entertained with frequent perfonifications, as these are criterions by which we estimate the genius of the Poet. I NEED not, my Lord, to fuggeft, on this branch of my fubject, that it requires the utmoft delicacy to perfonify inanimate objects fo juftly, as to render them adapted in every circumftance to the occafion on which they are introduced. Your Lordship however will permit me to obferve, that as the happiest effect is produced upon the mind of the reader, by the judicious introduction of an ideal perfonage; fo he is apt to be difgufted in an equal degree, when the conduct of the Poet in this instance is in the smallest measure irregular or defective. When an intellectual idea falls under the cognifance of an external fenfe, it is immediately furveyed with an accuracy proportioned to its importance, and to the distance at which we fuppofe it to be placed. We judge of Virtue and Vice, when reprefented as perfons, in the fame % 3 fame manner as we judge of men, whose appearance is fuggested by memory; and we therefore expect, that. these ideal figures fhall be discriminated from each other by their dress, attitudes, features, and behaviour, as much as two real perfons of opposite characters always are in the familiar intercourfe of ordinary life. In reality we affign a particular shape, complection, and manner, to the creatures of imagination, by the fame rule which leads us to afcribe a certain affemblage of features to a person whom we have never seen, upon seeing his character particularly displayed, or upon liftening to a minute detail of his actions. Nay, odd as it may appear, it is yet certain, that in many inftances our idea of the imaginary perfon may be more diftin&t and particular than that of the real one. Thus we often find, that the representation exhibited by Fancy, of the Figure of an Hero, whose actions had raised Admiration; I fay, we find that this reprefentation has been wide of the Truth, when we come either to see the Original, or a faithful Copy of it: but our ideas of imaginary perfons are generally fo exact, that, upon seeing a groupe of these displayed on a plate, we are capable to give each its proper defignation, as foon as we observe it. Thus Anger, Revenge, Defpair, Hope, &c. can be distinguished from each other almost as easily when they are copied by the pencil, as when we feel their Influence on our own Minds, or make others obferve it on our Actions. FROM this detail it obviously follows, that as our ideas of imaginary perfonages are more juft and accurate than those which are excited merely by a particular relation of the actions of real ones; fo we will judge with more certainty of the precife colouring which belongs to the former, and of the propriety with which they are introduced, than we can poffibly do with regard to the latter. A Painter may deceive us, by throwing into the face of an Hero, whom we have never feen, particular marks of refolution and fortitude, which form only a part of his character. But we cannot be deceived with regard to the signatures, which fhew the predominancy of these virtues, with whatever degree of juftice they may be applied. This obfervation has equal force, when we refer it to the allegorical perfonages of the Poet. The least impropriety in the colouring, drefs, or arrangement of objects, is immediately perceptible; and we pass a favourable judgment, when faults of this kind are afcribed to inattention. In fhort, the imaginary perfons, who are introduced in a poem, muft on all occafions be distinguished by peculiar characters; and the manners attributed to each of them ought to be fuch, as can be applied with no propriety to any other object. Every picture must therefore be, as Pope fomewhere has it, Something whofe truth convinc'd at fight we find, A LITTLE reflection will enable us to discover the reafon of this difference betwixt our ideas of allegorical and of real perfonages. We are (as I formerly obferved) often mistaken in our notions of the latter of thefe, because the mind cannot receive a fufficient degree of information concerning the perfon to be able to form any perfect judgment of his address or demeanour. Upon hearing, for inftance, a recital of the actions of a man who is unknown to us, our idea of him is taken from the paffion which appears to have predominated in his conduct; but we are not acquainted with numberlefs little peculiarities which enter into a complicated character, and have their correfponding expreffions imprinted on the countenance. Thus when we confider only the martial exploits of the celebrated Duke de Vendome, we have the idea of an Hero full of fpirit and impetuolity; but this idea would be very imperfect as a representation of his character, if we did not know likewife that he was flovenly, voluptuous, effeminate, and profufe. THESE different ingredients, which enter into the mind of a real agent, ought likewife to be nicely efti Volt. Siec. Louis XIV. c. 21. mated |