look out for Materials, and then form his Design according to what the Disposition of his Materials may suggest to his Fancy.
In this then, as in a great many other things, [1]Poetry is like Painting. The Poet is frequently oblig'd to suit himself to the Dispositions of his Matter: which is found to be true, especially in the Composition of the Episodes, which are made after the General Personages are singulariz'd by the Imposition of the Names. It may likewise so happen that some Person in History may furnish an Author with fine Fancies, and as exact a Moral as that which Homer teaches. And in this Case, the Poet does not at all transgress his Art, though he should apply all his Moral to the Action. But notwithstanding this rare and lucky Hit, the common Rules lose nothing of their Exactness or Authority.
We still maintain, "That the Epick Poem is a Fable; that is, not the Rehearsal of the Action of some one Hero, in order to form Mens Manners by his Example; but, on the contrary, a Discourse invented to form the Manners by the Recital of a feign'd Action, and describ'd at pleasure under the borrow'd Name of some Illustrious Person or other, that is made choice of, after the Platform of the Action, that is ascrib'd to him, is laid."
CHAP. XV.
Of the feign'd Actions, the Recitals whereof are Historical.
As there are True Actions, the Recitals whereof are exact and regular Fables; so on the other hand, there are Feign'd Actions, the Recitals whereof are Historical. Nothing is to be esteem'd Fabulous in them, but a downright Falshood, and that has as little to do with the Fable, as the Truth of History. The Reason of this is, that the most essential part of the Fable, and that which must indispensibly serve for its Foundation, is the Truth signified. 'Tis easie to explain our selves by those very Examples we have already made use of; we need only cut off some necessary Circumstances of them in order to illustrate the Doctrine we would add here.
If the Dogs that were set to keep the Sheep, and whose Falling out gave the Wolf an opportunity of seizing upon some of them; if they, I say, follow the Wolf before they end their Quarrel; and if up-
- ↑ Ut Pictura Poesis erit. Hor. Poet.
on
