The Sentiments, in an epic poem, are the thoughts and behaviour which the author afcribes to the perfons whom he introduces, and are just, when they are conformable to the characters of the several perfons. The Sentiments have likewise a relation to things as well as perfons, and are then perfect when they are fuch as are adapted to the subject. If in either of these cafes the poet endeavours to argue or explain, to magnify or diminish, to raise love or hatred, pity or terror, or any other passion, we ought to consider whether the Sentiments he makes ufe of are proper for thofe ends. Homer is cenfured by the critics for his defect as to this particular in several parts of the Iliad and Odyffey, though, at the fame time, those who have treated this great poet with candour, have attributed this defect to the times in which he lived. It was the fault of the age, and not of Homer, if there wants that delicacy in fome of his fentiments which now appears in the works of men of a much inferior genius. Befides, if there are blemishes in any particular thoughts, there is an infinite beauty in the greatest part of them. In short, if there are many poets who would not have fallen into the meanness of some of his fentiments, there are none who could have rifen up to the greatness of others. Virgil has excelled all others in the propriety of his fentiments. Milton fhines likewife very much in this particular : nor must we omit one consideration which adds to his honour

and reputation. Homer and Virgil introduced perfons whose characters are commonly known among men, and fuch as are to be met with either in history or in ordinary conversation. Milton's characters, most of them, lie out of nature, and were to be formed purely by his own invention. It shows a greater genius in Shakespeare to have drawn his Calyban than his Hotfpur or Julius Cæfar: the one was to be fupplied out of his own imagination, whereas the other might have been formed upon tradition, history and obfervation. It was much eafier, therefore, for Homer to find proper sentiments for an assembly of Grecian generals, than for Milton to diverfify his infernal council with proper characters, and inspire them with a variety of fentiments. The loves of Dido and Æneas are only copies of what has paffed between other perfons. Adam and Eve before the fall are a different fpecies from that of mankind, who are defcended from them; and none but a poet of the most unbounded invention, and the most exquisite judgment, could have filled their converfation and behaviour with fo many apt circumstances during their state of innocence.

Nor is it fufficient for an epic poem to be filled with fuch thoughts as are natural, unless it abound alfo with such as are fublime. Virgil in this particular falls fhort of Homer. He has not indeed fo many thoughts that are low and vulgar; but at the fame time has not fo many thoughts that are fublime and noble. 1 he truth of it is, Virgil feldom rifes into very afto

nishing fentiments where he is not fired by the Iliad: he every where charms and pleases us by the force of his own genius, but seldom elevates and transports us where he does not fetch his hints from Homer.

Milton's chief talent, and indeed his distinguishing excellence, lies in the fublimity of his thoughts. There are others of the Moderns who rival him in every other part of poetry; but in the greatness of his Sentiments he triumphs over all the poets, both modern and ancient, Homer only excepted. It is impoffible for the imagination of man to distend itself with greater ideas than those which he has laid together in his First, Second, and Sixth Books. The Seventh, which defcribes the creation of the world, is likewise wonderfully fublime, tho' not fo apt to stir up emotion in the mind of the reader, nor, confequently, fo perfect in the epic way of writing; because it is filled with lefs action. Let the judicious reader compare what Longinus has obferved on feveral paffages in Homer, and he will find parallels for most of them in the Paradife Loft.

From what has been faid we may infer, that as there are two kinds of Sentiments, the natural and the sublime, which are always to be pursued in an heroic poem, there are alfo two kinds of thoughts which are carefully to be avoided. The first are fuch as are affected and unnatural, the second such as are mean and vulgar. As for the first kind of thoughts, we meet with little or nothing that is like them in Virgil; he has none of those trifling points and puerilities that are

fo often to be met with in Ovid, none of the epigrammatic turns of Lucan, none of those swelling fentiments which are so frequently in Statius and Claudian, none of those mixed embellishments of Taffo. Every thing is just and natural. His Sentiments fhow that he had a perfect insight into human nature, and that he knew every thing which was the most proper to affect it.

Mr. Dryden has in fome places, which I may hereafter take notice of, mifrepresented Virgil's way of thinking as to this particular, in the translation he has given us of the Æneid. I do not remember that Homer any where falls into the faults above mentioned, which were indeed the falfe refinements of later ages. Milton, it must be confeft, has sometimes erred in this refpect, as I fhall fhew more at large in another paper; though, considering all the poets of the age in which he writ were infected with this wrong way of thinking, he is rather to be admired that he did not give more into it, than that he did sometimes comply with the vicious taste which still prevails fo much among modern writers.

But since several thoughts may be natural which are low and grovelling, an epic poet should not only avoid fuch fentiments as are unnatural or affected, but also such as are mean and vulgar. Homer has opened a great field of raillery to men of more delicacy than greatness of genius, by the homeliness of fome of his fentiments: but, as I have before said,

thefe are rather to be imputed to the fimplicity of the age in which he lived, to which I may also add, of that which he described, than to any imperfection in that divine poet. Zoilus among the Ancients, and Monfieur Perrault among the Moderns, pushed their ridicule very far upon him, on account of fome fuch fentiments. There is no blemish to be observed in Virgil under this head, and but a very few in Milton.

I shall give but one instance of this impropriety of thought in Homer, and at the same time compare it with an instance of the fame nature both in Virgil and Milton. Sentiments which raise laughter can very feldom be admitted with any decency into an heroic poem, whose business is to excite paffions of a much nobler nature. Homer, however, in his characters of Vulcan and Therfites, in his hiftory of Mars and Venus, in his behaviour of Irus, and in other paffages, has been obferved to have lapfed into the burlesque character, and to have departed from that serious air which feems effential to the magnificence of an epic poem. I remember but one laugh in the whole Æneid, which rifes in the Fifth Book upon Monotes, where he is reprefented as thrown over-board, and drying himself upon a rock. But this piece of mirth is fo well timed, that the feverest critic can have nothing to fay against it, for it is in the book of Games and Diverfions, where the reader's mind may be supposed to be fufficiently relaxed for fuch an entertainment. The only piece of pleasantry in Paradise Loft, is where the