For what originally others writ, May be so well disguis'd, and so improv'd, That with some Justice it may pass for yours. Roscommon.
Sometimes it is built upon the Poet's Invention only, who forms an entire Plot out of his own Head. Most of the Ancients, both Greeks and Romans, form'd their Tragedies upon fabulous History; most of the Moderns either upon true History, or upon Fiction of their own Invention, or such as has been borrow'd from Romances of later Writers; which tho' they are fabulous, are not, however, trite and vulgar, like several of the Ancients; as the Medea, for Instance, Hercules, Iphigenia, and the like.
In the Foundation of the Drama, Horace's Rule, in the first Place, ought to be observ'd:
[371] Aut famam sequere, aut sibi convenientia finge, Scriptor.
Follow Report, or feign coherent Things. Roscommon.
If it is built either upon true or fabulous History, let nothing be introduc'd contrary to the Notices we have receiv'd from Fame or History, of the Persons concern'd in it. For, in this Case, the Faith of the one, and the Report of the other, would openly contradict the Fiction. A noble Critic of ours[372] has severely lash'd a certain Poet[373] for this Fault, viz. for representing Hannibal soft, effeminate, and languishing in the Blandishments of Love; and Scipio passionate, and head-strong. But if the whole is Fiction, let it be Fiction according to Probability. Let the Writer take care that the Parts don't disagree, and contradict each other. Here, again, Horace's Maxim is of Force:
[374] Si quid inexpertum scenæ committis, & audes Personam formare novam; servetur ad imum Qualis ab incepto processerit, & sibi constet.
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. Roscommon.
To follow Fame in an honest Sense, and to form a good Poem out of History, requires much Art, and no small Invention. But a Poet that works wholly upon his own Stock, shews scarce less Art, but certainly more Invention. The latter is, in my Judgment, the more noble Task. As it is wholly new, it is sure to afford more Pleasure to the Audience, and Honour to the Writer: He may be said, in some Sense, to create his Materials, and is, therefore, in the most proper one, a Poet.
I am well aware, that what I have here advanc'd, seems to contradict the following Opinion of Horace: