admitting this, the fimilarity of even its constituent parts is, alfo, neceffary.

The genius of Virgil never füffers more in the opinion of his critics, than when his book of games comes into confideration and is confronted with Homer's. It is not unpleasant to obferve the difficulties an advocate for his fame is put to in this nice point, to fecure his honour from the imputation of plagiarism. The descriptions are accurately examined; and the improvement of a fingle circumftance, the addition of an epithet, even the novelty of a metaphor, or varied turn in the expreffion, is diligently remarked, and urged with triumph, in favour of his invention. Yet all this goes but a little way towards ftilling the clamour. The entire defign is manifeftly taken; nay, particular incidents and circumftantials are, for the most part, the fame, without variation. What fhall we fay, then, to this charge? Shall we, in defiance of truth and fact, endeavour to confute it? Or, if allowed, is there any method of fupporting the reputation of the poet? I think there is, if prejudice will but fufpend its determinations G 3 a few

a few minutes, and afford his advocate a fair hearing.

The epic plan, more especially that of the Aeneïs, naturally comprehends whatever is moft auguft in civil and religious af fairs. The folemnities of funeral rites, and the feftivities of public games (which religion had made an effential part of them), were, of neceffity, to be included in a reprefentation of the latter. But what games? Surely thofe, which ancient heroism vaunted to excell in; thofe, which the usage of the times had confecrated; and which, from the opinion of reverence and dignity entertained of them, were become moft fit for the pomp of epic defcription. Further, what circumstances could be noted in thefe fports? Certainly thofe, which befell moft ufually, and were the apteft to alarm the fpectator, and make him take an interest in them, Thefe, it will be faid, are numerous. They are fo; to the poet's purpose are, with little or no variation, the fame. It happened luckily for him, that two of his games, on which accordingly he hath exerted all the force

yet fuch as are most

of

of

4

of his genius, were entirely new. This advantage, the circumftances of the times afforded him. The Naumachia was purely

his own.

Yet fo liable are even the best and moft, candid judges to be haunted by this spectre of imitation, that one, whom every friend to every human excellence honours, cannot help, on comparing it with the chariot-race of Homer, exclaiming in thefe words; "what is the encounter of "Cloanthus and Gyas in the strait be"tween the rocks, but the fame with that "of Menelaus and Antilochus in the hollow "way? Had the galley of Serjeftus been

broken, if the chariot of Eumelus had (6 not been demolished? Or, Mneftheus

been caft from the helm, had not the "other been thrown from his feat?" The plain truth is, it was not poffible, in describing an antient fea-fight, for one, who had even never seen Homer, to overlook fuch ufual and ftriking particulars, as the justling of fhips, the breaking of galleys, and lofs of pilots.

It may appear from this inftance, with what reafon a fimilarity of circumstance,

in the other games, hath been objected, The fubject-matter admittéd not any material variation: I mean, in the hands of fo judicious a copier of Nature as Virgil. For,

"Homer and Nature were, he found, the fame."

So that we are not to wonder he kept clofe to his author, though at the expence of this falfe fame of Originality. Nay it ap pears directly from a remarkable inftance that, in the cafe before us, He unquestionably judged right.

A defect of natural ability is not that which the critics have been moft forward to charge upon Statius. A perfon of true taste, who, in a fanciful way, hath contrived to give us the juft character of the Latin poets, in affigning to this poet the topmoft ftation on Parnaffus, fufficiently acknowledges the vigour and activity of his genius. Yet, in compofing his Thebaid (an old story taken from the heroic ages, which obliged him to the celebration of funeral obfequies with the attending folemnities of public games), to avoid the dishonour of following

too

too closely on the heels of Homer and Virgil, who had not only taken the fame route, but purfued it in the moft direct and natural course, he refolved, at all adventures, to keep at due diftance from them, and to make his way, as well as he could, more obliquely to the same end. To accomplish this project, he was forced, though in the description of the fame individual games, to look out for different circumStances and events in them; that fo the identity of his fubject, which he could not avoid, might, in fome degree, be atoned for by the diverfity of his manner in treating it. It must be owned, that great ingenuity as well as induftry hath been used, in executing this defign. Had it been practicable, the character, juft given of this poet, makes it credible, he must have fucceeded in it. Yet, fo impoffible it is, without deferting Nature herfelf, to diffent from her faithful copiers, that the main objection to the fixth book of the Thebaid hath arifen from this fruitless endeavour of being original, where common fenfe and the reafon of the thing would not permit

5

it.