His clanging armour rung. Iliad, xii. 94. Iliad, xv. 4. Fear on their cheek, and horror in their eye. And like the moon, the broad refulgent shield Blaz'd with long rays, and gleam'd athwart the field. Iliad, xix. 402. No could our swiftness o'er the winds prevail, Redundant epithets, such as humid in the last citation, are by Quintilian disallowed to orators, but indulged to poets;* because his favourite poets, in a few instances, are reduced to such epithets for the sake of versification; for instance, Prata canis albicant pruinis of Horace, and liquidos fontes of Virgil. As an apology for such careless expressions, it may well suffice, that Pope, in submitting to be a translator, acts below his genius. In a translation, it is hard to require the same spirit or accuracy that is cheerfully bestowed on an original work. * Lib. viii. cap. 6. sect. 2. And to support the reputation of that author, I shall give some instances from Virgil and Horace, more faulty by redundancy than any of those above mentioned: Sæpe etiam immensum cœlo venit agmen aquarum, Georg. lib. i. 322. Postquam altum tenuere rates, nec jam amplius ullæ Est brevitate opus, ut currat sententia, neu se Satir. lib. i. sat. x. 9. I close this chapter with a curious inquiry. An object, however ugly to the sight, is far from being so when represented by colours or by words. What is the cause of this difference? With res pect to painting, the cause is obvious: a good picture, whatever the subject be, is agreeable by the pleasure we take in imitation; and this pleasure overbalancing the disagreeableness of the subject, makes the picture upon the whole agreeable. With respect to the description of an ugly object, the cause follows. To connect individuals in the social state, no particular contributes more than language, by the power it possesses of an expeditious communication of thought, and a lively representation of transactions. But nature hath not been satisfied to recommend language by its utility merely independent of utility, it is made susceptible of many beauties, which are directly felt, without any intervening reflection. And this unfolds the mystery; for the pleasure of language is so great, as in a lively description to overbalance the disagreeableness of the image raised by it. t This, however, is no encouragement to choose a disagreeable subject; for the pleasure is incomparably greater where the subject and the description are both of them agreeable. The following description is upon the whole agreeable, though the subject described is in itself dismal : Nine times the space that measures day and night Lay vanquish'd rolling in the fiery gulf, See Chap. 18. + See Chap. 2. Part 4. eyes Reserv'd him to more wrath; for now the thought A dungeon horrible, on all sides round As one great furnace flam'd; yet from those flames Serv'd only to discover sights of wo, Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peace With ever-burning sulphur unconsum'd! Paradise Lost, B. i. l. 50. An unmanly depression of spirits in time of danger is not an agreeable sight; and yet a fine description or representation of it will be relished: K. Richard. What must the King do now? must he The King shall do it: must he be depos'd? A little, little grave-an obscure grave. Richard II. Act III. Sc. 3. Objects that strike terror in a spectator, have in poetry and painting a fine effect. The picture by raising a slight emotion of terror, agitates the mind; and in that condition every beauty makes a deep impression. May not contrast heighten the pleasure, by opposing our present security to the danger of encountering the object represented? The other shape, If shape it might be call'd, that shape had none Or substance might be call'd that shadow seem'd, And shook a dreadful dart. Paradise Lost, B. ii. l. 666. Now storming fury rose, And clamour such as heard in heaven till now |