: And this he thinks Virgil did in this
manner, "The Gods save a great Prince from the Ruines of his Country, and
chuse him for the Preservation of Religion, and re-establishing a more
glorious Empire than his former. The Hero is made a King, and arriving at
his new Country, finds both God and Men dispos'd to receive him: But a
neighbouring Prince, whose Eyes Ambition and Jealousie have closed against
Justice and the Will of Heaven, opposes his Establishment, being assisted
by another King despoil'd of his Estate for his Cruelty and Wickedness.
Their Opposition, and the War on which this pious Prince is forc'd, render
his Establishment more just by the Right of Conquest, and more glorious by
his Victory and the Death of his Enemies." These are his own Words, as any
may see who are at the pains to consult him; nor can I help it, if either
Virgil or Bossu happen to be Prophets.

When the Poet has proceeded thus far, and as Bossu calls it, dress'd
his Project, he's next to search in History or receiv'd Fable, for some
Hero, whose Name he may borrow for his Work, and to whom he may suit his
Persons. These are Bossu's Notions, and, indeed, very agreeable to
Aristotle, who says, that Persons and Actions in this sort of Poetry must
be feign'd, allegorical, and universal.

This is the Platform they lay; and let's now see if we can discover the
Reasons whereon they found these Rules, being so unanimous for Fable
rather than true History, as the Matter of an Heroic Poem; and, if I
mistake not, these are some of the principal.

1. Because they had observ'd the best Models of Heroic Poems were laid
after this manner; the greatest part of the Action both in Homer and
Virgil being pure Fable. Homer beginning, and all the rest following his
Steps.

2. Because no single Hero, or true History, which the Ancients knew was
sufficient, without Fable, to furnish Matter for an Epic Poem. History,
says Aristotle, treats of particular Things as they really are; Poetry, as
they ought to be; and therefore he prefers Poetry as the more grave and
more instructive; the Poets being forc'd to follow the same Methods with
their Kindred-Art, that of the Painters, and gather a great many Beauties
together, out of 'em all, to steal one Venus.

3. A third Reason may be, because, supposing they should have found some
one Example from whence to enforce strongly any particular Point of
Morality, yet it would have miss'd those other Characters of Epic, mo