EPI
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EPI
Art, to form the Manners by Inftruelions, difguifed under Perfon, named as the Poet thinks fit, wou'd, probably, or
the Allegory of an important Action, related in Verfe, in neceffarily have done on the like Occafion. 'And thus it
a probable, entertaining, and furprizing Manner. See is that he (hews either the unhappy Confequences ufualy
Poem. attending imprudent Schemes, or ill Actions ; or the Re-
The Epopea is diflinguifhed from the Comedy, in that ward of' good Actions, and the Satisfaction retaking from
the Action of the latter is not important, nor is it related a Defigndaid in Virtue, and conducted with Prudence. So
by the Poet, but acted by the Perfons introduced for that that in the Epic Poem, according to Arifotte's Sentiment,
Purpofe; which Circumftance, likewife, diftinguifhes it the Perfons and Actions, however named, are all fcign'd,
from a Tragedy. Sec Comedy and Tragedy. allegorical, and univerfa], not hiftorical and lingular.
Nor is it a philofophical Poem, as that of Lucretius, But the Poets thus taking on 'em the Office of Moral on the Creation of Sir R. jBlackmore; nor a Treatife of Philofophers, did not ceafe to be Divines. On the con- Agriculture, or the like, as the Georgicks of Virgil--, thole trary, their Morality it felf frequently obliges them to Poems not being intended to form the Manners .- beiide, introduce the Deity into their Works ; as the Knowledge, that the Instructions they contain are naked, iimple, and Fear, and Love of God, are the firft and molt folid direct, without any Difguife, or Allegory. Which fecond Foundations of all Morality. The Prefence of the Divi- Circumftance likewife diftinguifhes it from a Treatife of nity, and the Care fo augufl a Perfon tge was fuppoied
Morality, wrote in Verfe : "Or a fimple Hiflory in Verfe, as the 'Pharfalia of Litem ; the Punic War of Silius ; or the Civil Wars of Sam. Daniel ; add, that its being con- fined ' to one important J3ion, diflinguifhes it from a
to have of the Action, obliged the Poet to make the Action great and important, and to have it tranfacted by Kings and Princes. The fame likewife obliged 'em
- o think and fpeak, in a manner elevated above the
Poem which relates all the Actions of a Perfon's Life; common Pitch of Men; and equal, in fome meaffirc, the T'hefeid and Acbilkid of Statins, which are what to the Dignity of the divine Perfons introduced. To
vhich End ferves the poetical and figurative Language, wirh the Majefiy of Heroic Verfe. Add, that as fo much of the divine and miraculous might ruin the Pro- bability, they were hereby obliged to have Recour f e to feveral Rules to maintain the fame. See Machine.
Thus much the Poets were driven to by the Subitance of the Things they had chofe for the Matter of their
liveitng 'cm
we properly call Heroic Poems. See Heroic
Mon. de la Alotte, indeed, in his Controverfy with Ma- dam 1)acier, on the Subject of Homer, maintains, that the whole Life of a Hero, may juitly be made, the Sub- ject of an Epic Poem ; and even, that the Lutrin of Mon. Soileau, might pafs for an Epic Poem : But he feem'd, afterwards, to return to the common Sentiment. In effect:,
the Queftion is not as to the Senfe, which may be affected Poems and Inftruclions. The Manner of del
to the Words Epic 'Poem, but the Senfe which Cuftom has ufefully and methodicallv, obliged 'em ro feveral other
actually affected to 'em. Rules. See Unity, Episode, &
If we had only Regard to the Etymology of the Word The Epic Poem is intended more for the Manners and
Epic, (of fee, Verfe; 'Poetry, from hot, dico, J [peak, Habitudes, than for the Paffions. Thcfe latter rife all
relate') all Poems wherein the Poet fpeaks, or rehearfes at once, and their Violence is but of fhort Deration; but
Things himfclf, without making the Perfons of his Poem the Habitudes ate more calm, and imprefs'd, or quitted
fpeak, except at fecond hand, as he relates what they more leifurely. Confequently, the Epic Action cou'd not
fpoke on this or that Occaficn, wou'd be Epic Poems ; be included in the Space of a Day, as that of the
and fo, there's not an Epigram, Sonnet, or Madrigal, but Theatrical. A longer Time was necellary than is requir-
wou'd come under this Denomination. But this were ed for Tragedy, which is altogether for the Paffions.
w ^ This Dittinction has introduced a World of Difference
In Effefl, the Term Epic Poem, is only attributed to a between Tragedy and Epic Poetry. The Tragic Violence
Compofition, whofe Subje3 is grear, inftruflive, and fe- requires a more lively and animated Reprefcntation, than
rious ; that only comprehends one fingle principal Event, a mere Recital. Accordingly, it is wholly thrown into
to which all the reft refer; which principal Aftion is to Action, and the Poet never fpeaks at all, as he does in
be terminated in a certain Space of Time, ordinarily the Epopea, where there are no Actors,
about a Tear. 'Tis true all this is arbitrary; but the See further of the Nature of the Epic Poem 4 under
Senfe of all Words is fo too: And in Matters of Lan- Fable.
For its Matter, fee Action. For its Form, fee Nar-
guage we muft always be guided by Cuftom.
If M. de la Motte had only pretended, that one might make a fine, inftruodve Poem, on the whole Life or a Hero ; or an agreeable, and diverting Poem, on fome hu- morous Adventure ; all the World would have been of his
ration. See alfo Manners, chines, ££c.
EP1CARPIUM, in Medicine, ufually in Form of a Cata^lafm,
Character, Ma-
a Kind of Remedy, or Plaiiler, coniifting as Garlic, or Onion,
Side. But 'tis enough that Cuftom has not thought good of fliarp, penetrating Ingredients, to apply the Term Epic, either to Subjects of too much Spiders-Web, Hellebore, Camphor, Treacle, iSc. applied Extent, and that are ftuff'd with too many Incidents no round the Wrift, at the Beginning of the Acccfs of a wife connected together ; nor to burlefque Poems, as the Fever, to prevent the fame.
The Word is form'd of the Greek ^7, Jiiper, on, and
Satrachomyamachia of Homer; the Secchia Rapita of I'alfoni ; the "Defaite de IJulot ; the Lutrin of Soileau ; the Hudibras of 'Butler; the Rape of the Lock of Mr. %>ope; or the 2)ifpenfary of Dr. Garth. See Burlesque.
The Epic Poem, then, as appears from what was above obferved, bears a Relation, or Analogy, to four Things ;
)gt?7njV, Carpus, Wrift.
EPICEDION, in the Greek and Latin Poetry, a Poem, or poetical Compofition, on the Death of a Perfon.
At the Obfequies of ar.y Man, there were three Kinds of Difcourfes ufually made : That rehcars'd at hi
Hiftory, Morality, Fable, and Poetry : To Hiftory, as %i>j}um, or Funeral Pile, was call'd Nenia ; that engrav both of 'em relate one or more Actions; but then, the cn his Tomb, Epitaph; and that fpoke' in the Ceremony Actions of Hiftory are lingular; fo that the Epopea is no f his Funeral, Epicedion. See Nenia and Epitaph. Hiftory, nor Kind of Hiflory. See History. We have two beautiful Epicedions in Virgil; that of
To Moral Philofophy, as both of them confiffi of In- Euryalus, and that of Pallas. ftruaions for forming the Manners ; but the Action and Tlle Worl } ; s Q Tee ^ f orm 'd f am, upon, and xn'JVoSa/, Allegories diftinguifli it herefrom. See Morality. t0 p er f orm Funerals, to do the laft Office to any One, of
But it relates entirely to Poetry and Fable, as being ^-^ mr/ ^ tm _ ftriaiy a Poem, and a Fable. See Poetry and Fable. EP1COENE, in Grammar, a Term applied to Nouns,
The Nature of the Epic ^ Poem, ^finely drawn by^ the whkhj mAa [he fam( , Gmd „ and Termination, mark,
l ,' indifferently, two Kinds, or Sexes. §ee Gender.
Such, in Latin, is Jlquila, Vefpertilio, &c. which fig- nifie equally, a Male or Female Eagle, or Bat.
Grammarians diftinguifli between Epiccene and Com- mon : A Noun is faid to be common of two Kinds, when it may be joyned either with a Mafculine, or a
great Critic abovementioned : The Epic Poets, fays Fath
Soffit, have done that with Regard to Morality, which
the ancient Heathen Divines did with Regard to the
Divinity. The too great Diverfity of divine Actions and
Perfections, fo very difproportionatc to our Comprehenfion,
obliged the latter to divide a fingle Idea of a fimple Effence, ^
God, into feveral Perfons ; to whom they attributed feveral Fem i nine Article;' and Epicane, when it "is always' joyn'd
Names, Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, etc. See God. t0 f ome one of thc tw0 Abides, and yet figni&s both
And, 'on the contrary, the Nature of moral Philofophy, Gender5 _
which never prefcribes Rules for particular Things, lead EPICERASTICKS, in Medicine, arc Remedies, which
the Poets to collefl into one fingle Idea, one and the fame ^ ^^r ^ laftic yirtue, or temperate Moifture, foften
the Acrimony of an Humour, and affivage the painful Sulfation of thc Part irritated or afflicted : Such are the
rne conrrary, uic D^mit ui lumai rinw^i-n
r prefcribes Rules for particular Things, lead ) collect into one fingle Idea, one and the fame Perfon, and one apparently lingular Action, whatever of that Kind was found in different Perfons, and different Actions.
Thus Ariftotle, On w&lfru i risracrt avaiM-n, &c. Poetry, fays he, teaches moral Philofophy, not by relating only, in manner of an Hiltorian, what AlcibiadeS, tor in- llance, did or fuffer'd; but by propofing what fome
Roots of Althaia, Mallows, Liquorice; Leaves of Lettice, Mallows, Nenuphar, Purilain ; the Seeds of Flax, Poppy, iSc.
The Word is form'd of S and %&■} yofKu, tempera, I moderate, correct.
Ss * EH-
