ventures: There let him work for twelve books; at the end of which you may take him out, ready prepared to conquer or to marry; it being neceffary that the conclufion of an Epick Poem be fortunate.

To make an EPISODE.

Take any remaining adventure of your former collection, in which you could no way involve your Hero; or any unfortunate accident that was too good to be thrown away; and it will be of ufe, applied to any other perfon, who may be loft and evaporate in the course of the work, without the leaft damage to the composition.

For the MORAL and ALLEGORY.

These you may extract out of the Fable afterwards, at your leifure: Be fure you ftrain them fufficiently.

For the MANNERS.

For thofe of the Hero, take all the beft qualities you can find in the most celebrated Heroes of antiquity; if they will not be reduced to a Confifiency, lay them all on a heap upon him. But be fure they are qualitics which your Patron would be thought to have; and to prevent any mistake which the world may be fubject to, felect from the Alphabet thofe capital letters that compofe his name, and fet them at the head of a Dedication before your Poem. However, do not absolutely obferve the exact quantity of thefe Virtues, it not being determined whether or no it be neceffary for the Hero of a Poem to be an honest Man. For the Under-Characters, gather them from Homer and Virgil, and change the names as occafion ferves.

For the MACHINES.

Take of Deities, male and female, as many as you can use: Separate them into two equal parts, and keep

Jupiter in the middle: Let Juno put him in a ferment, and Venus mollify him. Remember on all occasions to make ufe of volatile Mercury. If you have need of Devils, draw them out of Milton's Paradife, and extract your Spirits from Taflo. The use of these Machines is evident; fince no Epick Poem can poffibly fubfift without them, the wifest way is to referve them for your greatest neceffities: When you cannot extricate your Hero by any human means, or yourself by your own wit, feek relief from Heaven, and the Gods will do your bufinefs very readily. This is according to the direct Prescription of Horace in his Art of Poetry,

Nec Deus interfit, nift dignus vindice Nodus

Inciderit.

That is to say, A Poet should never call upon the Gods for their affiftance, but when he is in great perplexity.

For the DESCRIPTION s.

For a Tempeft. Take Eurus, Zephyr, Auster, and Boreas, and caft them together in one verfe: add to thefe of Rain, Lightning, and Thunder (the loudest you can) quantum fufficit, mix your Clouds and Billows well together till they foam, and thicken your Defcription here and there with a Quickfand. Brew your Tempest well in your head, before you set it a blowing.

For a Battle. Pick a large quantity of Images and Defcriptions from Homer's Iliad, with a spice or two of Virgil, and if there remain any overplus, you may lay them by for a Skirmish. Season it well with Similies, and it will make an excellent Battle.

For a Burning Town. If fuch a Defcription be neceffary (because it is certain there is one in Virgil), old

Troy is ready burnt to your hands. But if you fear that would be thought borrowed, a Chapter or two of the Theory of the Conflagration, well circumstanced and done into verfe, will be a good Succedaneum.

As for Similies and Metaphors, they may be found all over the Creation; the most ignorant may gather them, but the difficulty is in applying them. For this advife with your Bookfeller.

CHA P. XVI.

A Project for the Advancement of the Stage.

IT may be thought that we should not wholly omit the Drama, which makes fo great and so lucrative a-part of Poetry. But this Province is fo well taken care of by the prefent Managers of the Theatre, that it is perfectly needless to suggest to them any other Methods than they have already practised for the advancement of the Bathos.

Here, therefore, in the Name of all our Brethren, let me return our fincere and humble thanks to the most Auguft Mr. Barton Booth, the most Serene Mr. Robert Wilks, and the most undaunted Mr. Colley Cibber; of whom let it be known, when the people of this age fhall be ancestors, and to all the Succeffion of our Succeffors, that to this present day they continue to Out-do even their own Out-doings: And when the inevitable Hand of fweeping Time fhall have brushed off all the Works of To-day, may this Teftimony of a Cotemporary Critick to their Fame, be extended as far as To-morrow.

Yet, if to fo wife an adminiftration it be poffible any thing can be added, it is that more ample and comprehenfive Scheme which Mr. Dennis and Mr. Gildon (the two greateft Criticks and Reformers then living) made publick in the year 1720, in a Project figned with their names, and dated the second of February. I cannot better conclude than by presenting the Reader with the Subftance of it.

1. It is propofed, That the two Theatres be incorporated into one Company; that the Royal Academy of Mufick be added to them as an Orcheftra; and that Mr. Figg with his Prize-fighters, and Violante with the Rope-dancers, be admitted into Partnership.

2. That a spacious Building be erected at the publick expence, capable of containing at least ten thousand Spectators, which is become abfolutely neceffary by the great addition of Children and Nurfes to the Audience, fince the new Entertainments. That there be a Stage as large as the Athenian, which was near ninety thoufand geometrical paces fquare, and feparate divifions for the two Houses of Parliament, my Lords the Judges, the honourable the Directors of the Academy, and the Court of Aldermen, who fhall all have their Places frank.

3. If Westminster-Hall be not allotted to this fervice (which by reafon of its proximity to the two Chambers of Parliament above-mentioned, feems not altogether improper), it is left to the wisdom of the Nation whether Somerfet-Houje may not be demolished, and a Theatre. built upon that Side, which lies convenient to receive Spectators from the County of Surry, who may be wafted thither by water-carriage, eficemed by all Projectors the cheapest whatfoever. To this may be added, that the river Thames may in the. readieft manner convey

those eminent Perfonages from Courts beyond the feas, who may be drawn either by Curiofity to behold fome of our most celebrated Pieces, or by Affection to fee their Countrymen, the Harlequins and Eunuchs; of which convenient notice may be given, for two or three months before in the publick Prints.

4. That the Theatre abovefaid be environed with a fair Quadrangle of Buildings, fitted for the accommodation of decayed Griticks and Poets; out of whom Six of the most aged (their age to be computed from the year wherein their first work was published) shall be elected to manage the affairs of the Society, provided nevertheless that the Laureate for the time being may be always one. The Head or Prefident over all (to prevent difputes, but too frequent among the learned) fhall be the most ancient Poet and Critick to be found in the whole Ifland.

5. The Male-Players are to be lodged in the garrets of the faid Quadrangle, and to attend the perfons of the Poets, dwelling under them, by brufhing their apparel, drawing on their shoes, and the like. The Actreffes are to make their beds, and wash their linen.

6. A large room fhall be fet apart for a Library, to confift of all the modern Dramatick Poems, and all the Criticisms extant. In the midst of this room fhall be a round table for the Council of Six to fit and deliberate on the Merits of Plays. The Majority fhall determine the Difpute; and if it should happen that three and three fhould be of each fide, the Prefident fhall have a cafting Voice, unless where the Contention may run fø high as to require a decifion by Single Combat.