Ancient Epic Poem. 127 



they corrupt, they co-operate with every evil 

 passion, and familiarity with them is not fa- 

 vourable to good impressions, even where; n 

 better faith is received and acknowledged. 



But, perhaps, it may more interest you, if I 

 shall shew, that they are as contemptible as they 

 are ' immoral; that they constitute as puerile 

 and feeble and uninteresting a machinery, as 

 imagination could ever think of associating 

 with human agency, in ; order to cmbeJlish 

 and illustrate, the imitations of real genius. — 



For, 



^if H. Jf instruction be not promoted, but in 

 truth counter-acted by the machinery of the 

 ancient epic, neither are our imaginations 

 raised, por our sublimer and more noble pas- 

 sions at, all affc(,ted by the exhibition of such 

 characters. In themselves, whether in their 

 actions on earth q^,^ in lieaven, whether as 

 mixing with men or each other, they appear 

 w^ith no consistence of character, with no 

 grandeur of^ mind or action, generally more 

 the objects of contempt than reverence, more 

 adapted to the satirical ridicule of Lucian, 

 than to adorn and dignify the Epic Poem. 

 How mean and low, how unsuited to the 

 gravity of the heroic muse, are the feuds and 

 quarrels and brawls of these gods and goddesses 

 with each other ; how below even the cou- 



