e London Cries,
wrapped upon rollers, with a glass before them. In this at least they
resemble the monsters in Ovid's Metamorphoses; but your similies, I
suppose, are Homeric?

_Poet._ The great Bard well understood how to make use of this kind of
ornament in Epic Poetry. He brings his valiant heroes into the field with
much parade, and sets them a fighting with great fury; and then, after a
few thrusts and parries, he introduces a long string of similies. During
this the battle is supposed to continue; and thus the time necessary for
the action is gained in our imaginations; and a degree of probability
produced, which contributes to the temporary deception or reverie of the
reader.

But the similies of Homer have another agreeable characteristic; they
do not quadrate, or go upon all fours (as it is called), like the more
formal similies of some modern writers; any one resembling feature seems
to be with him a sufficient excuse for the introduction of this kind of
digression; he then proceeds to deliver some agreeable poetry on this new
subject, and thus converts every simile into a kind of short episode.

_B._ Then a simile should not very accurately resemble the subject?

_P._ No; it would then become a philosophical analogy, it would be
ratiocination instead of poetry: it need only so far resemble the
subject, as poetry itself ought to resemble nature. It should have so
much sublimity, beauty, or novelty, as to interest the reader; and should
be expressed in picturesque language, so as to bring the scenery before
his eye; and should lastly bear so much veri-similitude as not to awaken
him by the violence of improbability or incongruity.

_B._ May not the reverie of the reader be dissipated or disturbed by
disagreeable images being presented to his imagination, as well as by
improbable or incongruous ones? _P_. Certainly; he will endeavour to
rouse himself from a disagreeable reverie, as from the night-mare. And
from this may be discovered the line of boundary between the Tragic and
the Horrid: which line, however, will veer a little this way or that,
according to the prevailing manners of the age or country, and the
peculiar associations of ideas, or idiosyncracy of mind, of individuals.
For instance, if an artist should represent the death of an officer in
battle, by shewing a little blood on the bosom of his shirt, as if a
bullet had there penetrated, the dying figure would affect the beholder
with pity; and i