from the Dramaticke. What wee understand by Whole.

Kings Palace, which requires a greater ground; but
for the structure wee would raise, so the space of the
Action, may not prove large enough for the Epick
Fable, yet bee perfect for the Dramatick, and whole.

Whole, wee call that, and perfect, which hath a beginning, a mid'st, and an end. So the place of any building may be whole, and intire, for that worke; though too little for a palace. As, to a Tragedy or a Comedy, the Action may be convenient, and perfect, that would not fit an Epicke Poeme in Magnitude. So a Lion is a perfect creature in himselfe, though it bee Messe, then that of a Buffalo, or a Rhinocerote. They differ; but in specie: either in the kinde is absolute. Both have their parts, and either the whole. Therefore, as in every body; so in every Action, which is the subject of a just worke, there is requir'd a certaine proportionable greatnesse, neither too vast, nor too minute. For that which happens to the Eyes, when wee behold a body, the same happens to the Memorie, when wee contemplate an action. I looke upon a monstrous Giant, as Tityus, whose body cover'd nine Acres of Land, and mine eye stickes upon every part; the whole that consists of those parts, will never be taken in at one intire view. So in a Fable, if the Action be too great wee can never comprehend the whole together in our Imagination. Againe, if it be too little, there ariseth no pleasure out of the object, it affords the view no stay: It is beheld and vanisheth at once. As if wee should` looke upon an Ant or Pismyre, the parts fly the sight, and the whole considered is almost nothing.

The same happens in Action, which is the object of Memory, as the body is of sight. Too vast oppresseth the Eyes, and exceeds the Memory: too little scarce admits either.

What the

utmost bound of a

Now, in every Action it behooves the Poet to know which is his utmost bound, how farre with fitnesse, and a necessary proportion, he may produce, fable. and determine it. That is, till either good fortune" change into the worse, or the worse into the better. For as a body without proportion cannot be goodly, no more can the Action, either in Comedy, or Tragedy without his fit bounds. And every bound for the nature of the Subject, is esteem'd the best that is largest, till it can increase no more: so it behooves the Action in Tragedy, or Comedy, to be let grow, till the necessity aske a Conclusion: wherin two things are to be considered; First, that it exceed not the compasse of one Day: Next, that there be place, left for digression, and Art. For the Episodes, and digressions in a Fable, are the same that houshold stuffe, and other furniture are in a house. And so farre for the measure, and extent of a Fable Dramaticke

Now, that it should be one, and intire. One is considerable two waies: either, as it is only separate, and by it self: or as being compos'd of many parts, it beginnes to be one, as those parts grow, or are wrought together. That it should be one the first way alone, and by it self, no man that hath tasted letters ever would say, especially having required before a just Magnitude, and equall Proportion of

What by

intire.

one, and

Hercules.

Theseus.
Achilles.

Vlysses.

Homer, and Virgill.

the parts in themselves. Neither of which can possibly bee, if the Action be single and separate, not compos'd of parts, which laid together in themselves, with an equall and fitting proportion, tend to the same end; which thing out of Antiquitie it selfe, hath deceiv'd many; and more this Day it doth deceive. (131) So many there be of old, that have thought the Action of one man to be one: As of Hercules, Theseus, Achilles, Ulysses, and other Heroes; which is both foolish and false; since by one and the same person many things may be severally done, which cannot fitly be referred, or joyned to the same end: which not only the excellent Tragick-Poets, but the best Masters of the Epick, Homer, and Virgil saw. For though the Argument of an Epick-Poeme be farre more diffus'd, & powr'd out, then that of Tragedy; yet Virgil writing of Aeneas hath pretermitted many things. He neither tells how he was borne, how brought up; how he fought with Achilles; how he was snatch'd out of the battaile by Venus; but that one thing, how he came into Italie, he prosecutes in twelve bookes. The rest of his journey, his error by Sea, the Sacke of Troy, are put not as the Argument of the worke, but Episodes of the Argument. So Homer lai'd by many things of Ulysses and handled then he saw tended to one and the same end. Contrarie to which and foolishly those Poets did, whom the Philosopher taxeth; Of whom one Theseus. gather'd all the Actions of Theseus: another put all Hercules. the Labours of Hercules in one worke. So did he, whom Juvenal mentions in the beginning, hoarse

Aeneas.

Venus.

Homer:

Iuvenal.

no more,

Codrus, that recited a volume compil'd, which he Codrus. call'd his Theseide, not yet finish'd, to the great trouble both of his hearers and himself: Amongst which there were many parts had no coherence, nor kindred one with other, so farre they were from being one Action, one Fable. For as a house, consisting of diverse materialls, becomes one structure, and one dwelling; so an Action, compos'd of diverse parts, may become one Fable Epicke, or Dramaticke. For example, in a Tragedy looke upon Sophocles his Sophocles. Ajax Ajax depriv'd of Achilles's Armour, which he Ajax. hop'd from the suffrage of the Greekes, disdaines; and, growing impatient of the Injurie, rageth, and turnes mad. In that humour he doth many senslesse things; and at last falls upon the Grecian flocke, and kills a great Ramme for Ulysses: Returning to his Sense, he Vlysses. growes asham'd of the scorne, and kills himself; and is by the Chiefes of the Greekes forbidden buriall. These things agree, and hang together, not as they were done; but as seeming to be done, which made the Action whole, intire, and absolute.

clusion

concern

ing the

Whole,

and the

Parts.

For the whole, as it consisteth of parts; so without The conall the parts it is not the whole; and to make it absolute, is requir'd, not only the parts, but such parts as are true! For a part of the whole was true; which if you take away, you either change the whole, or it is not the whole, For if it be such a part, as being present or absent, nothing concernes the whole, it cannot be call'd a part of the whole and such are which are the Episodes, of which hereafter. For the present, Episodes. here is one example; The single Combat of Ajax

H

Ajax, and with Hector, as it is at large describ'd in Homer, nothing belongs to this Ajax of Sophocles.

Hector.

Homer.

Martial.

lib. II. epigr. 91.

You admire no Poems, but such as run like a
Brewers-cart upon the stones, hobling,

Et, quæ per salebras, altaque saxa cadunt.
Actius, & quidquid Pacuviusque vomunt.
Attonitusque legis terrai, frugiterai.

FINIS.