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 furé 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 fet them at the head of a dedication before your poem. However, do not absolutely observe 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 beneft 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: feperate 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 ufe of volatile Mercury. If you have need of devils, draw them out of Milton's Paradife, and extract your spirits from Tasso. The use of these machines is evident; fince no epic poem can poffibly fubfift without them, the wifeft 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 prefcription 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 affiance, but when he is in great per plexity.

For the DESCRIPTIONS.

your

For a Tempest. Take Eurus, Zephyr, Aufter, and Boreas, and caft them together into one verfe: add to these of rain, lightning, and thunder (the loudest you can) quantum fufficit: mix 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 fet it a blowing..

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

As for fimiles 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 advise with your bookfeller.

CHAP

CHAP. XVI.

A Project for the advancement of the Stages

T may

I be thought that we should not wholly

omit the drama, which makes fo great and fo lucratrive 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 practifed 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 Moft 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 fucceffion of our fucceffors, that to this prefent day they contiuue to out-do even their own out-doings: and when the inevitable hand of sweeping Time shall have brushed off all the works of to-day, may this teftimony of a contemporary critic to their fame, be extended as far as to-morrow.

Yet, if to fo wife an administration it be poffible any thing can be added, it is that more ample and comprehensive scheme which Mr Dennis and Mr Gildon (the two greatest critics and reformers then living) made public in the year 1720, in a project figned with their names, and dated the 2d of February. I cannot better conclude than by prefenting the reader with the the substance of it.

1. It is propofed that the two theatres be incorporated

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porated into one company; that the royal academy of mufic 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 leaft ten thousand fpectators, which is become abfolutely neceffary by the great addition of children and nurfes to the audience fince the new entertainments, That there be a ftage as large as the Athenian which was near ninety thousand 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 shall 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-houfe may not be demolished, and a theatre built upon that fide, which lies convenient to receive spectators from the county of Surrey, who may be wafted thither by water-carriage, efteemed by all projectors the cheapest whatsoever. To this may be added, that the river Thames may in the readieft manner convey thofe eminent perfonages from courts beyond the feas, who may be drawn either by curiofity to behold fome of our moit celebrated pieces, or by affection to see their countrymen, the harlequins and eunuchs; of which convenient notice may be given, for two or three months before, in the public prints.

4.

That the theatre above faid be environed

with

with a fair quadrangle of buildings, fitted for the accommodation of decayed critics and poets; out of whom fix of the most aged (their age to be computed from the year wherein their first work was published) fhall be elected to manage the affairs of the fociety, provided nevertheless, that the laureat for the time being, may be always one. The head or prefident over all (to prevent difputes, but too frequent among the learned) shall be the most ancient poet and critic to be found in the whole island.

per

5. The male players are to be lodged in the garrets of the faid quadrangle, and to attend the fons of the poets dwelling under them, by brushing their apparel, drawing on their fhoes, and the like. The actrees are to make their beds, and wash their linen.

6. A large room shall be set apart for a library, to confift of all the modern dramatic poems, and all the criticisms extant. In the midft of this room shall be a round table for the council of fix to fit and deliberate on the merits of plays. The majority fhall determine the dispute; and if it should happen that three and three should be of each side, the prefident shall have a cafting voice, unless where the contention may run so high as to require a decifion by fingle combat.

7. It may be convenient to place the council of fix in fome confpicuous fituation in the theatre, where, after the manner usually practised by compofers in mufic, they may give figns (before fettled and agreed upon) of diflike or approbation. In confequence of thefe figns the whole audience fhall be required to clap or bifs, that the town may

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