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Describe Achilles, as Achilles was,
Impatient, rash, inexorable, proud,
Scorning all Judges, and all Law but Arms;
Medæa must be all Revenge and Blood,
Ino all Tears, Ixion all deceit,
Io must wander, and Orestes mourn:
If your bold Muse dare tread unbeaten Paths,
And bring new Characters upon the stage,
Be sure you keep them up to their first height.
New Subjects are not easily explain'd,
And you had better chuse a well known Theam,
Than trust to an Invention of your own;
For what originally others writ,
May be so well disguis'd, and so improv'd,
That with some Justice it may pass for yours
But then you must not Copy trivial things,
Nor word for word too faithfully Translate,
Impatient, rash, inexorable, proud,
Scorning all Judges, and all Law but Arms;
Medæa must be all Revenge and Blood,
Ino all Tears, Ixion all deceit,
Io must wander, and Orestes mourn:
If your bold Muse dare tread unbeaten Paths,
And bring new Characters upon the stage,
Be sure you keep them up to their first height.
New Subjects are not easily explain'd,
And you had better chuse a well known Theam,
Than trust to an Invention of your own;
For what originally others writ,
May be so well disguis'd, and so improv'd,
That with some Justice it may pass for yours
But then you must not Copy trivial things,
Nor word for word too faithfully Translate,
Nor
