CCXI sociable letters written by the thrice noble, illustrious, and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

CXXVII.

MADAM,

I May not Discommend the Old Historical, or Heroick Poets, for if I should, I should be Condemned for a Fool, as not having neither Judgment nor Understanding, yet I may say, my Reason believes they VVrit Unreasonably, not only of their Feigned Gods, but of their Feigned Fights, and of their Feigned Fortunes or Successes; The truth is, they are for the most part Romances, containing more Lies than Truth, more Impossibilities than Probabilities, for though Feigning is the Ground of Poetry, yet, methinks, such kind of Poetry should not have such kind of Feignings, for to Reason it can neither be Pleasant nor Profitable, for Rea∣son takes Delight in Probabilities, not in Impos∣sibilities, for though the Ground or Subject of an Heroical Story, or Poem, may be Feigning, yet the several Actions should be Natural, not beyond the Power of Men, nor Unusual to their Practice; neither can it be Profitable, for what cannot be Practised, cannot be Imitated; the VVay of VVriting may be Imitated, but not the Actions; for what One man can Disorder, or Rout an Army, with his Single Strength or Courage? nay, what One man can Disorder, or Rout a Brigade, nay, a Company of an Hundred?

The truth is, a Hundred to One is too great Odds to Encounter, and too Many for One man to Overcome; neither can I believe, a Hundred men should be so Afraid of One man, were he as Big, and as Strong as Goliah, so as to Run a∣way, unless they did apprehend he had Follow∣ers; but yet when I remember the Story of Sampson, I Dare not say, it Cannot be, but I Dare say, it cannot be without a Miracle, wherefore most of the Heroick Poets make their chief He∣roes to have the Assistance of particular Gods and Goddesses, so as to Impower them above the Effects of Nature; but of all the Heroick Poems I have read, I like Sir W. Ds. as being Most, and Nearest to the Natures, Humours, Actions, Practice, Designs, Effects, Faculties, and Natural Powers, and Abilities of Men or Human Life, containing no Impossibilities or Improbabilities: Indeed, such an Heroick Po∣em it is, that there cannot be found any Fault therein, unless he seem'd to have too much Care or Pains taken in the Expression of his De∣scriptions, for the Language is like so Curious and Finely Ingraven a Seal, as one cannot rea∣dily see the Figure Ingraven therein, without a Magnifying glass, or like as many seve∣ral Figures, so Curiously Cut, as to be all in the Compass of a Cherry-stone, wherein they cannot be Distinguished, without often Perusal, and Strict Examination, and Quick and Ready Sight; But had the Language been as Easie, as Fine, and had not those

Choice Expressions been so Closely Compact, but were as Usual, as his Descriptions are Natural, certainly it had been a President for all Heroick Poems; indeed, his Language or Expressions of his Descriptions are like Gold that is too Pure and Fine to be Wrought, and wants some Allay to make it Proper and Fit for Use; The Truth is, very Spruce Language, or Extraordinary Choice Phrases, take off the Pleasure of the Reader, being rather Tedious than Delightful, whereas Extraordinary, and Courtly Expressions, and Choice, and Nice Phrases, are to be Highly Commended, in comparison of Clownish, and Rude Expressions or Phrases, such as are in Homer, I know not whether they be so in the Original, surely in the Translation they are in many Places, where not onely the Men Speak Rude and Clownish, but he makes the Gods to Speak so too. Wherefore, for my part, I had rather read Sir W. Ds. Work ten times, than Homer twice, as he is Translated. But I'le leave off Judg∣ing of such Master-Poets as my Pupil-aged Wit cannot Understand, for should I live to Methu∣salem's Age, my Wit would be but a Novice, my Judgment an Ignorant Fool, and my Opini∣ons Erroneous, for Women are neither fit to be Judges, Tutors, nor Disputers, neither are we fit to be Commanders, or Rulers, we are alwayes fitter to Learn than to Teach, and in a Con∣dition rather to Obey than to Command, apter to Dispute than to Confute, to Prate

than to Preach. And so leaving to write more for this time, I rest,

Madam,

Your faithful Friend and Servant.