good to be thrown away; and it will be of use, applied to any other perfon, who may be loft and evaporate in the course of the work, without the leaft damage to the compofition.

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 best qualities you can find in the most celebrated Heroes of antiquity; if they will not be reduced to a Confiflency, lay them all on a heap upon him. But be fure they are qualities 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 set them at the head of a Dedication before your Poem. However, do not abfolutely obferve the exact quantity of these Virtues, it not being determined whether or no it be neceffary for the Hero of a Poem to be an honeft Man. For the Under-Characters, gather them from Homer and Virgil, and change the names as occafron ferves.

1

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 occafions to make use of volatile Mercury. If you have need of Devils, draw them out of Milton's Paradife, and extract your Spirits from Taffo. The ufe of these Machines is evident; fince no Epic Poem can poffibly fubfift without them, the wifeft way is to reserve 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, nifi dignus vindice Nodus

Inciderit.

That is to fay, A Poet should never call upon the Gods for their Affiftance, but when he is in great Perplexity.

For the DESCRIPTIONS.

For a Tempeft. Take Eurus, Zephyr, Aufter, and Boreas, and caft them together in one verfe: add to thefe of Rain, Lightning and Thunder (the loudeft you can) quantum fufficit, mix your Clouds and Billows well together 'till they foam, and thicken your

Description here and there with a Quickfand. Brew your Tempest well in your head, before you fet it a blowing.

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

For a Burning Town. If fuch a Description 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 Succe

daneum.

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

M 4

CHA P. XVI.

A Project for the Advancement of the Stage.

T may be thought that we should not wholly

omit the Drama, which makes so great and fo 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 Frethren, let me return our fincere and humble Thanks to the moft Auguft Mr. Barton Booth, the moft Serene Mr. Robert Wilks, and the most Undaunted Mr. Colly Cibber; of whom let it be known, when the People of this Age fhall be Ancestors, and to all the Succeffion of our Succefors, that to this prefent Day they continue to Out-do even their own Out-doings: And when the inevitable Hand of fweeping Time shall have brushed off all the Works of To-day, may this Teftimony of a Co-temporary Critic to their Fame, be extended as far as To-morrow.

Yet, if to so wife an Administration it be poffible any thing can be added, it is that more ample and comprehenfive Scheme which Mr. Dennis and

Mr. Gildon (the two greatest critics and Reformers then living) made publick in the year 1720, in a Project figned with their names, and dated the 2" of February. I cannot better conclude than by prefenting 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 Orchestra ; and that Mr. Figg with his Prize-fighters, and Violante with the Rope-dancers, be admitted in Partnership.

2. That a fpacious Building be erected at the public expence, capable of containing at least ten thou Jand Spectators, which is become abfolutely neceffary by the great addition of Children and Nurses 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 Houfes of Parliament, my Lords the Judges, the honourable the Directors of the Academy, and the Court of Aldermen, who shall all have their Places frank.

3. If Westminfier-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 Somerfit-Houfe may not be demolished, and a Theatre built upon that Side, which lies con