Page:Virgil's Pastorals, Georgics and Aeneis - Dryden (1709) - volume 2.djvu/36

 He takes no notice that Virgil is Arraign'd, for placing Piety before Valour; and making that Piety the chief Character of his Heroe. I have already said from Bossu, that a Poet is not oblig'd to make his Heroe a Virtuous Man: Therefore neither Homer nor Tasso are to be blam'd, for giving what predominant quality they pleas'd to their first Character. But Virgil, who design'd to form a perfect Prince, and would insinuate, that Augustus, whom he calls Æneas in his Poem, was truly such, found himself oblig'd to make him without blemish; thoroughly Virtuous: and a thorough Virtue both begins and ends in Piety. Tasso, without question, observ'd this before me; and therefore split his Heroe in two: he gave Godfrey Piety, and Rinaldo Fortitude; for their chief Qualities or Manners. Homer, who had chosen another Moral, makes both Agamemnon and Achilles Vicious: for his Design was, to instruct in Virtue, by shewing the deformity of Vice. I avoid repetition of that I have said above. What follows, is translated literally from Segrais.

Virgil had consider'd, that the greatest Virtues of Augustus consisted in the perfect Art of Governing his People; which caus'd him to Reign for more than Forty Years in great Felicity. He consider'd that his Emperor was Valiant, Civil, Popular, Eloquent, Politick, and Religious: he has given all these Qualities to Æneas. But knowing that Piety alone comprehends the whole Duty of Man towards the Gods, towards his Country, and towards his Relations; he judg'd, that this ought to be his first Character, whom he would set for a Pattern of Perfection. In reality, they who believe that the Praises which arise from Valour, are superiour to those, which proceed from any other Virtues, have not consider'd (as they ought,) that Valour, destitute of other Virtues, cannot render a Man worthy of any true Esteem. That Quality which signifies