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tenderness for his people: we find in Idomeneus a plain direct soldier; in
Sarpedon a gallant and generous one. Nor is this judicious and astonishing
diversity to be found only in the principal quality which constitutes the
main of each character, but even in the under parts of it, to which he
takes care to give a tincture of that principal one. For example: the main
characters of Ulysses and Nestor consist in wisdom; and they are distinct
in this, that the wisdom of one is artificial and various, of the other
natural, open, and regular. But they have, besides, characters of courage;
and this quality also takes a different turn in each from the difference
of his prudence; for one in the war depends still upon caution, the other
upon experience. It would be endless to produce instances of these kinds.
The characters of Virgil are far from striking us in this open manner;
they lie, in a great degree, hidden and undistinguished; and, where they
are marked most evidently affect us not in proportion to those of Homer.
His characters of valour are much alike; even that of Turnus seems no way
peculiar, but, as it is, in a superior degree; and we see nothing that
differences the courage of Mnestheus from that of Sergestus, Cloanthus, or
the rest, In like manner it may be remarked of Statius's heroes, that an
air of impetuosity runs through them all; the same horrid and savage
courage appears in his Capaneus, Tydeus, Hippomedon, &c. They have a
parity of character, which makes them seem brothers of one family. I
believe when the reader is led into this tract of reflection, if he will
pursue it through the epic and tragic writers, he will be convinced how
infinitely superior, in this point, the invention of Homer was to that of
all others.
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