The poetical works of Sir Walter Scott, with memoir of the author.

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PREFACE TO -

narrative poetry, the very circumstances which
the authors themselves adopted, only because their
art involved the duties of the historian as well as
the poet. It cannot be believed, for example,
that Homer selected the siege of Troy as the
most appropriate subject for poetry; his purpose
was to write the early history of his country; the
event he has chosen, though not very fruitful in
varied incident, nor perfectly well adapted for
poetry, was nevertheless combined with traditionary and genealogical anecdotes extremely
interesting to those who were to listen to him;
and this he has adorned by the exertions of a
genius, which, if it has been equalled, has certainly been never surpassed. It was not till comparatively a late period that the general accuracy
of his narrative, or his purpose in composing it,
was brought into question. AOKea nrpiroc [6:Avaayopac] (Kcaia Qoat aPoplvof kv Ilavroda7ry 'Iaropiq) rTv
'Ofpov irotiaw y 4iroovaCaat elvat rrep aperbC Kal &dKtatovcrv.1l But whatever theories might be framed
by speculative men, his work was of an historical,
not of an allegorical nature. 'Evavriaero erat raoo
Mivrew, iKa 87rov ekcGarore &qilCoro, Travra rT &iritxpla
diewpdro, at laropeInv ruvviavero. elKbcd 6i myv tv cat
uvrw6arvva ravrvw ypaieraO.2 Instead of recommending the choice of a subject similar to that of
Homer, it was to be expected that critics should
1 Diogenes Laertius, Lib. ii. Anaxag. Segm. 11.
2 Homeri Vita, in Herod. Henr. tieph. 1570, p. 356.