Page:Monsieur Bossu's Treatise of the epick poem - Le Bossu (1695).djvu/107

 in their room; otherwise he would have left out part of the Matter contain'd in his Model, and his Poem would have been defective.

This last sense of the Word Episode is not so different from the second as it seems at first sight, since it still informs us that an Episode is a necessary part of the Action. The difference between them lies in this, that an Episode in the second sense is the Foundation and Ground-work of the Episode in the third Sense: and that this third Sense adds to the second the probable Circumstances of Places, Princes, and People, where and among whom he was cast by Neptune, and abode during his Absence from Ithaca.

We must likewise take notice, that in this third Sense, the Incident which serves as a Foundation to an Episode, ought to be of some Extent and Compass, and that without this an Essential part of the Action and Fable is not an Episode. As in the Example of Oedipus which we propos'd; the Cure of the Thebans is a part proper and essential to the Fable, and would be an Episode in the second Sense. But because the Poet has not amplified this Incident by any Circumstance, therefore 'tis not an Episode in the third Sense: 'tis only the Foundation of such an Episode, which the Poet made no use of. This Observation makes it clear, that in reality the first Platform of the Action contains only what is proper and necessary to the Fable, and has not any Episode; as Aristotle says of the Model he has given us of the Odysseïs.

'Tis therefore in this third Sense we are to understand the Precept of Aristotle, which orders us not to form the Episodes till after we have made Choice of the Names we would give our Personages. Homer could not have spoken of a Fleet and Navy, as he has, if instead of the Names of Achilles, Agamemnon, and the Iliad, he had made choice of those of Capaneus, Adrastus, and the Thebaid, as he might have done without spoiling the Essence of the Fable.

If one should form an Episode, whereof not only the Names and Circumstances were not necessary, but whose very Ground-work and Foundation was not a part of the Action, that serves for the Subject-Matter of a Poem: then this Episode would have a sorry Connexion, and would render the Fable Episodical. This Irregularity is discernable, when one can so take away a whole Episode, without substituting any thing in its room, that this Substraction shall make no Vacuum, nor Defect in the Poem. The Story of Hypsipyle inserted in the Thebaid, is an Instance of these defective Episodes. If the whole Narration of this famous Matron were taken away, the Sequel of the main Action would be but so much the better; one should not perceive that the Poet had forgot any thing, or wanted the least Member of the Body of his Action.