Aut qui vagitus similes puerilibus bodum Perhaps that voice or cry, so nearly resembling the human, with which providence has endued so many different animals, might purposely be given them to move our pity, and prevent those cruelties we are too apt to inflict on our fellow-creatures. There is a passage in the book of Jonas, when God declares his unwillingness to destroy Nineveh, where methinks that compassion of the Creator, which extends to the meanest rank of his creatures, is expressed with wonderful tenderness-Should I not spare Nineveh the great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons-and also much cattle?' And we have in Deuteronomy a precept of great goodnature of this sort, with a blessing in form annexed to it, in these words: If thou shalt find a bird's nest in the way, thou shalt not take the dam with the young; but thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.' To conclude: there is certainly a degree of gratitude owing to those animals that serve us: as for such as are mortal or noxious, we have a right to destroy them; and for those that are neither of advantage or prejudice to us, the common enjoyment of life is what I cannot think we ought to deprive them of. This whole matter, with regard to each of these considerations, is set in a very agreeable light in one of the Persian fables of Pilpay, with which I shall end this paper. A traveller passing through a thicket, and seeing a few sparks of a fire, which some passengers had kindled as they went that way before, made up to it. On a sudden the sparks caught hold of a bush, in the midst of which lay an adder, and set it in flames. The adder entreated the traveller's assistance, who tying a bag to the end of his staff, reached it, and drew him. out: he then bid him go where he pleased, but never more to be hurtful to men, since he owed his life to a man's compassion. The adder, however, prepared to sting him; and when he expostulated how unjust it was to retaliate good with evil, I shall do no more,' said the adder, than what you men practise every day, whose custom it is to requite benefits with ingratitude, If you can deny this truth, let us refer it to the first we meet.' The man consented, and, seeing a tree, put the question to it, in what manner a good turn was to be recompensed? If you mean according to the usage of men,' replied the tree, by its contrary: I have been standing here these hundred years to protect them from the scorching sun, and in requital tacy have cut down my branches, and are going to saw my body into planks.' Upon this the adder insulting the man, he appealed to a second evidence; which was granted, and immediately they met a cow. The same demand was made, and much the same answer given, that among inen it was certainly so, 'I know it,' said the cow, by woeful experience; for I have served a inan this long time with milk, butter and cheese, and brought him besides a calf every year; but now I am old he turns me into this pasture, with design to sell me to a butcher, who will shortly make an end of me.' The traveller upon this stood confounded, but desired, of courtesy, one trial more, to be finally judged by the next beast they should meet. This happened to be the fox; who, upon hearing the story in all its circumstances, could not be persuaded it was possible possible for the adder to enter into so narrow a bag. The adder to convince him went in again; when the fox told the man he had now his enemy in his power; and with that he fastened the bag, and crushed him to pieces. RECEIPT FOR AN EPIC POEM. No. 78. Ir is no small pleasure to me, who am zealous in the interests of learning, to think I may have the honour of leading the town into a very new and uncommon road of criticism. As that kind of literature is at present carried on, it consists only in a knowledge of mechanic rules, which contribute to the structure of different sorts of poetry, as the receipts of good housewives do to the making puddings of flour, oranges, plums, or any other ingredients. It would, methinks, make these my instructions more easily intelligible to ordinary readers, if I discoursed of these matters in the style in which ladies learned in economics dictate to their pupils for the improvement of the kitchen and larder. I shall begin with epic poetry, because the critics agree it is the greatest work human nature is capable of. I know the French have already laid down many mechanical rules for compositions of this sort, but at the same time they cut off almost all undertakers from the possibility of ever performing them; for the first qualification they unanimously require in a poet is a genius. I shall here endeavour, for the benefit of my countrymen, to make it manifest, that epic poems may be made without a genius, nay, without learning or much reading. This must necessarily be of great use to all those poets who confess they never read, and and of whom the world is convinced they never learn. What Moliere observes of making a dinner, that any man can do it with money, and if a professed cook cannot without he has his art for nothing; the same may besaid of making a poem: 'tis easily brought about by him that has a genius, but the skill lies in doing it without one. In pursuance of this end, I shall present the reader with a plain and certain recipe, by which even sonneteers and ladies may be qualified for this grand performance. I know it will be objected, that one of the chief qualifications of an epic poet is to be knowing in all arts and sciences. But this ought not to discourage those that have no learning, as long as indexes and dictionaries may be had, which are the compendium of all knowledge. Besides, since it is an established rule, that none of the terms of these arts and sciences are to be made use of, one may venture to affirm, our poet cannot impertinently offend in this point. The learning which will be more particularly necessary to him is the antient geography of towns, mountains and rivers : for this let him take Cluverius, value four-pence. Another quality required is a complete skill in languages. To this I answer, that it is notorious persons of no genius have been oftentimes great linguists. To instance in the Greek, of which there are two sorts; the original Greek, and that from which our modern authors translate. I should be unwilling to promise impossibilities; but, modestly speaking, this may be learned in about an hour's time with I have known one, who became a sudden professor of Greek immediately upon application of the left-hand page of the Cambridge Homer to his eye. It is, in these days, with thors as with other men, the well-bred are familiarly case. acquainted acquainted with them at first sight; and as it is sufficient for a good general to have surveyed the ground he is to conquer, so it is enough for a good poet to have seen the author he is to be master of. But to proceed to the purpose of this paper. A RECEIPT TO MAKE AN EPIC POEM. For the Fable. Take out of any old poem, history-books, romance, or legend (for instance, Geffry of Monmouth or Don Belianis of Greece) those parts of story which afford most scope for long descriptions: put these pieces together, and throw all the adventures you fancy into one tale. Then take a hero whom you may choose for the sound of his name, and put him into the midst of these adventures: there let him work for twelve books; at the end of which you may take him out, ready prepared to conquer or to marry; it being necessary that the conclusion of an epic poem be for tunate. To make an Episode. Take any remaining adventure of your former collection, in which you could no way involve your hero; or any unfortunate accident that was too good to be thrown away; and it will be of use applied to any other person, who may be lost and evaporate in the course of the work, without the least damage to the composition. For the Moral and Allegory. These you may extract out of the fable afterwards at your leisure: be sure you strain them sufficiently. For the Manners. For those of the hero, take all the best qualities you can find in all the best celebrated heroes of anti |