on all them that dwell on the Earth. For the fecond, There can be no queftion but 'twas Diabolical, the Enemy working upon the difturb'd Fancy of this poor Man, and filling his Imagination with the fame words with which he tempted our Saviour. But here it feems he was affected, juft as in the former Vifion, troubled and harrafs'd, and fear'd [the former State was coming upon him. For the Third Vifion, 'tis confuted; as God's Spirit tells us the falfe Prophets fhould be, by the Fact not coming to pafs, tho' the Seducer apes the facred Stile here pretty towardly: [I am come down to fettle the Kingdoms of the World.] 'Tis fpoke of as already actually done, at leaft a doing. And this was in King Charles's time, and many Years before his Death, above twenty Years fince: But this is ftill fo far from being done, this Settlement fo far from being made, that one would rather think [the Devil himself was come down, having great Wrath] by all thofe Af faffinations, Poifonings, Treafons, Murders, Wars, and Defolations that are fince made, and are ftill making among all Mankind. This, the poor Man fays, 'twas feven Years before he could think of, and feven more before he could write it. But to what purpofe was it then reveal'd fo long before, the Cafe being vastly different from Nebuchad

pear'd more like an Angel of Light, than in the former. He rais'd all his Machines in the afflicted Perfon's Brain, and furnish'd out the best Puppet-Show he could afford, with Sun-fhine and Glories: but this is a tale Trick, he did the fame of old for his Friend Apollonius, and 'tis no more than fome of his Acquaintance can do every Evening, with great Candles, and Rozin. We would advise you therefore, as you have ftill conceal'd these Fancies, fo, if you have any more, ftill to do fo; to take fome wife Phyfician's Advice, for the purging your diftemper'd Head and Body; and befides all this, to faft and pray, that you may not enter into Temptation, or else be deliver'd from it: Thefe being exactly the fame Fancies with which the Devil fill'd the Heads of our Enthufiafts in the laft Age, and the Anabaptifts in Germany not many Years before, who ran about all Europe like diftracted Perfons, fome of 'em ftark naked, telling the World they were fent from God to warn 'em to repent, for the day of Judgment was at hand, while our more hair-brain'd Prophets in England appointed the very time, for which Doomsday Sedgwick was fo famous, and others of 'em had feign'd the very Night, fitting up to wait for it, and crying out blafphemously, Behold he comes in nezzar's Dream, which was the Clouds; when 'twas nofirft reveal'd to him, and then thing but a Flock of their to others? It's true, in this Kindred Wild Geefe flying o. laft Vifion, the Enemy ap ver them.

Ꭲ 4

Quest

Queft. Who were the Gods the Babylonians chiefly ador'd, and what was their manner of worShipping them; had every one Accefs to their Altars in general, or had they Priefts which offer'd for them?

Anfw. They had their Priefts, as well as other Nations; they were call'd Chaldeans, and Magi, and much inclin'd to Aftrology and Divination, and had their Schools for the educating Youths in that kind of Knowledge. The chief Deities they worshipp'd were Belus or Baal, and Aftarte, or Aftaroth, by whom they meant Jupiter and Juno. By their religious Difcipline they were alfo oblig'd to worship the Sun, and the King himfelf to offer to him every Day a white Horfe richly furnifh'd. They likewife under the Names of Nego, and Shaca, worshipp'd the Fire and the Earth. To their Goddess Shaca, they kept a Feaft in Babylen for five Days, during which time the Servants were Masters, and Masters Servants. They also ador'd Venus, and for the maintaining of her Worship, the Women proftituted themfelves to Strangers, procuring much Riches thereby; to this end they fat and expos'd themselves at her Temple, which they call'd Militia. Their Priefts us'd to fhave their Heads and Beards, and fand in their Temples, with Axes, Scepters, and other Weapons in their Hands, with Candles lighted before them and us'd to have their Proceffions, carrying their I

dols on their Shoulders, the
People before and behind wor-
fhipping. They held a divine
Providence, but deny'd the
Creation. They worshipp'd
diverfe Ways, fometimes by
bowing the Head, or bending
the Knee, fometimes by bow-
ing or proftrating the whole
Body, and fometimes by kif-
fing the Images of their Gods,
or their own Hands,
if they
could not reach the Image.

Queft. What is the Nature of a true Epic Poem? who have beft obferv'd it among the Poets, and what are the Rules for it?

Anfw. Homer and Virgil have, by the Confent of all Ages, been the moft perfect Models of Epic Poetry: from them it is that we must take our artificial Measures; and there is no great doubt to be made but Ariftotle form'd his Method for the compofition of a regular Poem, upon the practice of Homer. An Epic Poem is properly a Fable, in imitation of an important Action, and related in Verfe after a wonderful, but probable manner.

The Fable is therefore the chief Foundation; and is a Difcourfe intended to form our Manners, by Inftructions difguis'd under the Allegory of an Action. Confequently to conftruct the Fable as it ought to be, a good Choice must be made of the Inftruction and Moral, which is the ground it. Artificially thus to counterfeit, and under the Idea of Truth, 'tis requifite to take from History the Names of fuch Perfons whom the thing probably hap

to

pen'd

thofe known Names, with fuch Circumstances as change nothing that is effential to the Fable and Moral. Homer, for inftance, feeing Greece divided into as many States as Towns, whofe Form of Government was independent one upon another; defigning on one fide, to fhow them how neceffary a good Intelligence and Agreeement among themselves was, to defend them against the common Enemies; and on the other hand, that the Difunion and Ambition of their Governors would inevitably ruin their Confederations; it was requifite for him to find fuch Perfons as could probably represent those he intended in this Fable, and therefore he chofe Achilles contending with Agamemnon. Those who are ignorant of the Art of the Poet, don't difcover the Fiction, but believe he had no other end than to relate the Adventures of the Siege of Troy But he infinuates excellent Inftructions when he feems only to speak of his Hero's. He makes ufe of the Greeks fuffering the Difagreement of their Governours, as

pen'd, and relate it under ting above all things, and the forming the defign of the Fable, before Names were affix'd to it. And then if the Perfons whom the Poet introduces have perform'd fuch known Adions as relate to his defign, he may make use of, and accommodate them to it: For we are most eafily perfuaded that a thing is poffible, when it has before happen'd. This Law of Probability is fo ef fential, that it must not be difpens'd with, even to speak great things; as we see in the Hecuba of Seneca, who makes two handsome Reflections upon the Destruction of Troy, and the Death of Priam; for it cannot be fuppos'd that a Woman loaded with fo many Afflictions, fhould have fuch Thoughts as were more worthy a Philofopher, than agreeble to the fad Condition whereunto her Misfortunes had reduc'd her. 'Tis true, this Defect is fomething excufable in Seneca, because he maintain'd it with a great deal of Wit: But 'tis infupportable in those who, intending to raise their Difcourfe, forfake good Sense; who for fear of falling to the Earth, lofe themselves in the Clouds. One of the principal Rules in this Poem, is Unity of Action, which is rigorously obferv'd in the Eneids and Iliads. And therefore 'tis requifite fo to connect all the Epifedes in the principal Action, that they may neceffarily depend one upon another: They must be Members of the Body to which they are united, and as fo many Incidents

fop in his Fables does of the Wolf's devouring the Sheep, whilft the Dogs who ought to have kept them, mutually deftroy'd each other. Thus a particular recital of the Actions of the Perfon whofe Name is borrow'd, has a lefs fhare in an Epic Poem, than the Fiction of what probably ought to be done. Ariftotle himself recommended inven

which yet hinder not the U-tleman at last grew carelefly def

nity of Action; confequently the Action which the Poet takes for his Subject must be all of a piece: It must have fuch a beginning as fuppofes nothing before it for for the understanding of the Fact, and which requires fomething fhould follow : A middle, which leaves no Interpretation, is the Caufe of what precedes, and the Effect of what comes after: And an End, that permits us to expect nothing more. To this must be added, the Accomplishment of the Epic Action, which is the putting a Period to whatever difturbs the Reft and Tranquillity of the Hero. If we Confult Authority, we fhall find no inftance of a Work of this nature, that ending leaves the chief Perfon unfortunate. In refpect to its Duration, Ariftotle has fix'd no time. Homer has given eight Years to his Odyffes; Virgil feven to his neids, and the Iliads are perfectly concluded in forty feven Days. Queft. Whether a Man may not, in fome cafes, do Evil that Good may come on't? As, Two Perfons, whom Nature and Art Jeem'd to have done their utmost to accomplish, fell in Love with each other; but Fortune proving extremely niggardly to them both, and they intirely affecting each other, could propofe no less than that the greatest Mifery would attend their Matrimony,and purely upon that Account they deferr'd it fome Years, in the mean time endeavouring their utmeft to fall into fome Way, &c. But finding no Profpect of any thing, the Gen

perate, running into all Extravagancies, as Drinking, &c. to drive his Cares away. She took a better Courfe, devoting her felf to Piety, and wholly depending upon Providence for a Provifion; and in this only they disagreed. At last it happen'd, that they were perfonally feparated a confiderable diftance from each other, but fill continu'd their amorous Correfpondency by Letters, &c. Also he remain'd in his Course of Drunkenness and Debauchery; infomuch, that he had contracted fuch Debts that he hourly expected the Effects of his Extravagancies,and nothing but a Prifon for his Portion. But Fortune at the fame time unhappily prefenting a Perfon to him, who propofing upon Marriage to maintain him, fet him clear of the World, and keep the Wolf from the Door for the future; in this Neceffity and Distraction, he marries her, and accordingly fhe proves a confiderable Fortune; and could be bave forgot his first Love, he might have thought himself happy in her. His former Mistress knowing nothing of his being marry'd," but meeting him lately, propos'd both Matrimony, and a Method for their Maintenance; at the fame time using fuch pious Arguments to win him from his Debaucheries, and to fet his Mind on a future State, that his Confcience tells him, that for bis Soul's fake be can do no less than live with her; for kis Body's fake, he muft not be guilty of Bigamy, especially if known: Befides, 'twill be Ingratitude in him to leave his Wife: Whereupon rifes the Question above, viz. Whether he had not better do Evil in these cafes, that be may

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