Homer

“ Poets divided the Divine Attributes as it were into so many Persons, because the Infirmity of a Human Mind cannot sufficiently conceive, and explain so much Power and Action in a Simplicity so great and indivisible as that of God: And perhaps they were jealous of the Advantages they reap'd from such excellent, and refin'd Learning, and which they thought the vulgar part of Mankind was not worthy of Bossu. ”

“ When Plutarch blam'd the comparing one Man to several Deities, that Censure was not pass'd upon Homer as a Poet, but by Plutarch as a Priest: And no modern fine Gentleman can think the worse of any thing for its being disapproved by a Priest in his Sacerdotal Capacity. ”

“ The Opinion of a Degeneracy of human Size and Strength in the Process of Ages, has been very general. Virgil makes a farther Allowance. In this way of thinking it will appear that Frogs and Mice were not such despicable Animals heretofore as they are at present, either as to their bodily or intellectual Accomplishments. ”

“ The Voice is not Human, but that of a Deity; and the Comparison being taken from an Army, renders it more natural with respect to the God of War. So Polyphemus, a mere Mortal, shook the whole Isle of Sicily with his Cries. ”

“ The God of Fire, who made the Armour of Glaucus, Achilles, &c. It is the Happiness of a Poet to raise the obscurest Circumstances into the strongest Point of Light. Eustathius. Mars must be own'd as proper a Person to desire this Favour of Vulcan, in behalf of those who had never offended him, as Venus was in Virgil to desire it for her illegitimate Son. A Woman in these Days would not be very likely to prevail with her Spouse, by putting him in Mind that she had made him a Cuckold. ”

“ Jove in the Iliad makes this Speech to Juno. A man's Love to the Sex in general, may be no ill Recommendation to a particular Woman, even to a virtuous Matron; tho' I fancy it could never make him more in favour with his own Wife, whatever Influence it might have on the Wife of another, unless Nature was a very different Thing in Homer's time from what it is in our degenerate Age. ”

“ An Epic Poet should order the Machines so, that his Action should stand in no need of them. How many Gods does Virgil make use of to raise a storm, which happened at the rising of Orion? 'Tis well observed, Dij nisi datâ occasione nocere non possunt. Bossu. Thus the Mice might have gnaw'd a few Bean-stalks without any Assistance from two Divinities, but then the Action had not been so fit for the Epopea. ”

“ Repetitions are best when left to the Reader's Pleasure to make whenever he sees occasion, by which he may deserve as much Reputation as the Author himself could have merited by those Flowers; if a long Book must needs be had, 'tis but going over any Part again and again, and the Work is done. ”

“ Bossu owns the learned Men of Antiquity, either out of Pride, Envy, or Error, have gone upon wrong Grounds in a Matter of the highest Importance, and deceiv'd almost all Mankind with deform'd and dangerous Figures, instead of necessary and solid Truths. ↑ v. 634. Corporeal Deities being subject to Pains, is not inconsistent with true Theology; nay, Bossu assures us, even the Adultery of Mars and Venus contains a very moral Lesson. Tho' how to reconcile this with what I have just quoted out of him, I cannot comprehend, without the help of some new Allegory. ”

“ HOMER is by a few bold Men said to have many Faults: But most of the Criticks insist upon it, that where-ever any thing like an Error appears in that great Author, the Blame is to be charg'd wholly upon the Reader ”

“ If Homer held Birth-right to be Divine, 'tis plain it was on Earth only. The Titans were Rebels because they were conquer'd; but had they gain'd the Victory, they would have had at least as much Right to the Sov'reignty of Heaven as ever Jupiter was possess'd of. ”

“ Vulcan's Workmanship being animated, does not deviate at all from Probability; because a God can do more difficult Things than these, and all Matter will obey him. Besides Aristotle assures us, the Wonderful is the distinguishing Character of Epic, and proceeds therein even to the Unreasonable. ”

“ An Ass was not always such a Fool of a Beast as he is now; for other Animals as well as Men, degenerate: However, if it might be thought too low a Comparison for a Man, I hope it is not too mean for a Mouse. ”

“ When the Author has a mind to save any Hero in Distress, he brings in some God to steal him away in a Cloud. A Conduct imitated by almost all his Commentators; who when their favourite Writer is in any Danger, constantly raise a Dust, that the Poet may escape in the Obscurity. ”

“ The Mouse Psicharpax wrathful at the Sight,
To screen his Friend, oppos'd his ample Shield.
505 Prassophagus retiring, vainly thought
To shun, by quick Retreat, his speedy Foe,
Him thro' from Side to Side Psicharpax smote:
With utmost Fury rising to the Blow:
Prone down he fell; to Pluto's nether Skies,
510 Where Heroes Shades remain, his Soul unwilling flies.
LII.
Pelobates [75] drew by the Helmet's Thong
The Warrior Artotrogus [76] through the Dust,
And choakt amid the Waves: nor triumpht long;
For strong Psicharpax through his Liver thrust
515 His Jav'lin's deadly Point. ”

“ Juno the Air has two Elements, Earth and Water at her Feet, call'd Anvils, because in them only Arts are exercised. The Moral intimates, that good Housewives should stay at home. Dacier. There is another Moral equally plain, over-look'd by the learned French Woman, viz. That Husbands upon extraordinary Occasions, may bestow upon their Wives corporal Correction. If the fair Sex now think this brutal, 'tis merely out of false Delicacy. ”

“ Nor Prophet Phœbus [90] open'd the Debate,
Nor sage Minerva [91] ventur'd to begin.
615 At length impatient Mars disclos'd his Mind,
Spoiler of Cities, stain'd with human Gore,
Scarcely so loud [92] three thousand Warriors join'd,
Or shout when Fighting, or when wounded roar.
Thus from his brazen Chest the Murd'rer spoke,
620 Whilst rattling with his Voice, th' extended Welkin shook.
LXIII.
Beware, for Gods by mortal Arms may smart,
And Wounds, and Pain, and Shame have oft endur'd.
Juno and Pluto felt Alcides' Dart,
Whom Pæons healing Medicines hardly cur'd. ”

“ Some say Homer has given the Gods such Manners, as turn them into mere swine, Bossu. Here Jupiter is chang'd into a Brute indeed, but into one of a nobler Species, tho' in Manners it must be own'd, inclin'd to lasciviousness. ↑ 122. It is not strange to give Epithets to Persons upon Occasions which have no Relation to them. Boileau. As may appear even from Virgil himself sometimes.—Quem Pius Æneas dictis affatur amaris. ”

“ By Man call'd Crabs: o'erpow'r'd the Mice are kill'd,
Who guard the Passes issuing from the Lake,
And Jove's Imperial Purpose is fulfill'd.
715 No Mortal strength their crusted Limbs could harm,
Or penetrate Dame Nature's Panoply;
The Mice in vain around the Monsters swarm,
Sawn clean asunder by their Sheers they die,
Which snapp'd their brittle Spears, and crash'd their Mails,
720 And cropt their forward Heads, and lopt their dragging Tails.
LXXIII.
Not monstrous [102] Foes, the King of Mice exclaim'd,
But Gods averse I fear, and hostile Jove ”

“ Hosts routed, Lakes of Gore, and Hills of slain,
750 An Iliad [105] , Work Divine! [106] rais'd from a Day's Campaign.
FINIS.
↑ v. 1. Your Aid.] Bossu acquaints us the Invocation is necessary, because the Poet reports what he cannot be suppos'd to know, if some Deity had not inspir'd him; not that the Muse signifies any thing else, but the Qualifications requisite to Poetry. ↑ Ibid. Muses.] The Poet to win the Attention of the Reader, and warning us he is about to relate something surprizing, invokes not one Muse, but the whole number. ↑ v.4. Mars.] ”

“ The Iliad in a Nutshell:
OR,
Homer's BATTLE
OF THE
FROGS and MICE.
I.
our Aid [1] , ye Heav'n-born Muses [2] , hither bring,
Who sung the wandring Greek and Ilium's Wars,
Hard Argument for mortal Bard I sing
The Sport tumultuous of Revenger Mars. [3]
5 How Mice renown'd with Frogs a War maintain'd
For Fame, for Vengeance, and for Empire strove
While each side sternly sought, yet neither gain'd
The hard-fought field; Mean-time sky-ruling Jove [4]
In equal Ballance [5] pois'd their Fortunes long ”