1807.] Lyceum of Ancient Literature.—Virgil’s Zneid. 545 
the Greeks. This we may easily credit, 
if that sublime description originated with 
him; and the loss of his works may be 
added to the long catalogue of losses 
which excite deep, but unavailing, re- 
gret. 
The subject of the Eneid is, perhaps, 
more happy than that of the Iliad. Vir- 
gil’s design was to deduce the descent of 
Augustus and the Romans from Acneas 
and his companions, Nothing, certainly, 
could be more noble, nor better accord 
with the dignity of the epic; and at the 
Same time nothing could be more flatter- 
ing and interesting to the Roman peo- 
ple. The subject in itself was splendid. 
it presented to the poet a theme derived 
from the traditionary history of his own 
country. He was enabled to connect 
with it many of the scenes in Tiomer, 
and he was at liberty to adopt all his my- 
“thology. He could foretel, with prophe- 
tic pride, the future grandeur of the Ro- 
mans, aud he could describe Italy, and 
even Rome itself, in its ancient and fabu- 
lous state. The establishment of Aneas 
in Latium, perpetually obstructed by Ju- 
no, and not accomplished without a creat 
diversity of events, of voyages and wars, 
furnished a proper intermixture of the 
incidents of peace, and martial exploits. 
It presented also a more instructive les 
son than that afforded by the Iliad. The 
professed subject of the Iliad is the anger 
of Achilles, with the consequences which 
i produced ; and the moral to be inferred 
from them is, the danger of discord 
among the chiefs of nations. But this 
principle is not so forcibly presented to 
the imagination as the precept inculcated 
in the Aneid, ‘That a virtuous person is 
ultimately successful, whatever may be 
the difficulties he has to contend with.’ 
The original design of Homer is lost. in 
the irregularity of his poem, and is de- 
fective by thepoem ending at the death 
of Hector, instead of being protracted 
to the destruction of the city. The mo- 
-ral conveyed by the A‘neid is more com- 
plete, and is fully accomplished at its 
close, for the death of Turnus and Ama- 
ta leaves Aineas peaceable master of La- 
tium and Lavinia. 
It has long been a favourite opinion 
entertained by some critics, that the 
/Eneid is to. be considered as an allego- 
rical poem, which has a constant refe- 
rence to the character and reign of Au- 
gustus Cesar, and that, by drawing so 
perfect a+ character of its hero, Virgil 
designed to pay a fine compliment to the 
Supposed virtues, and great qualities, of 
MontuLy Mae., No, 158. 
_ scribed by the critics. 
that emperor. We are not disposed to 
admit this idea in its full extent, though 
from the extreme servility of the Roman 
poets, it may have some foundation; and 
we see that Virgil takes every opportuni- 
ty which the poem affords him of paying 
court to Augustus, particularly in the 
well-Enown passage 
Hic Vir hie est, 
audis, 
Augustus Cesar. 
tibi quem promitti szpius 
6 Book, 1. 791. 
But to imagine that he composed a 
long poem merely for a political purpose, 
is refining too much. We had sufficient 
motives as a poet to determine him in 
the cheice of a subject, fromits being, in 
itself, both great and pleasing, as being 
peculiarly suited to bis genius, and calcu= 
lated for a full display of his poetical 
powers, | 
All the distinguishing properties of the 
epic are perfectly preserved in the Eneid. . 
The unity of action is no where.violated, 
The settlement ef /Eneas in Traly by the 
order of the gods, which forms the sub- 
ject of the poem, is always kept in 
view. The events which had taken 
place before the opening are very pro- 
perly placed ina narrative recited by the 
hero; so that the real duration of the 
action does not exceed the time pre- 
The episodes are 
introduced in admirable connection with 
the main subject, and the nodus, or in- 
trigue, is, according to the plan of an- 
cient machinery, happily formed.’ The 
wrath of Juno, who opposes herself te 
‘the settlement of the Trojans in Italy, 
occasions all the difficulties which ob- 
struct the undertaking, and connects the 
human with the celestial Operations, © 
throughout the poem. In these princi« 
pal ingredients of an epic, Virgil has cer- 
tainly composed his poem with great care, 
and evinced both art and judgment; but 
in the distribution and management of 
his subject, he has not been so happy. 
All the beauties of the poem are con- 
fined to the first six books, and in this 
decoration and improvement. the poet 
evidently appears to have exhausted his 
genius and his invention, The events of 
the latter books are tame and lifless, 
The marriage of Aineas with Lavinia cane 
not interest us after che romantic love of 
Dido. The wars with the Latins, occa- 
sioned by a trivial incident, chill the 
imagination, hitherto warmed by the 
grand description of the destruction of€ 
Troy. The battles are far inferior to 
these ef Homer, in. fire and aublimity 
A A. taay 
