Ancient Epic Pocm.X) I07 



lst» wh(^ther thb ancients ever did .. injtend. to 

 m^fceU tl>eir poem to cojidiice to one i^at 

 mohil ; and 'idly, whether they designed to 

 support that moral by a contmiK '1 riWi-^'t-.^-v^ 

 and that tor this purpose all tl. ai 



niacjibiery, as composedT of mcro iikal port 

 sonages, was introduced. 

 rt^Ofadmit the first, viz. that iii. the epic 

 pocriis of the ancients one great moral is 'in- 

 tended and sup})ortcd througli . the whole^ 

 would not materially weaken the argument of 

 my I essay. But this position is open to? strong 

 objections. It may.be.jsaid, that ithe letidc^f 

 ])oetry is not so much to scrveas. a: vehicle 'of 

 moral . sentiment, as to please byjiddresiiiiYg 

 itself to the imagination and passjons, ,in the 

 conduct of which .many morak. oiay^jbe hicql- 

 cated^ and many of equal; worth and dignity. 

 With this idea the epics of Homer and \'irgil 

 w^U accord, much better, I think, than widi 

 the notion of one single leading moral through 

 each of their poems. It would notrbc dithcult 

 tQr. assign to each of these poen>s, a .variety of 

 morals, each claiming pneccdency. w.ith sucb.^ 

 sliew of probability,, as to leave it doubtful o^ 

 which side the balance inclined. \, Poetry mus^ 

 instruct, if it be any tolerable delineation of 

 human character and passion 

 rapt^ to a reflecting mind i^ cither a pp<iitivc, 

 o 2 



