it 188 THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MIND. the nation of the poets and critics, than that Isomer and Virgil are inimitable writers of heroic poems ? And whosoever pre- sumed to attack their writings or their reputation, was either con- demned for his malice or derided for his folly. These ancient authors have been supposed to derive peculiar advantages to ag- grandize their verses from the heathen theology, and that variety of appearances in which they could represent their gods, and mingle them with the affairs of men ; yet within these few years Sir Richard Blackmorç, (whose prefaces are universally esteem- ed superior in their kind to any of his poems) has ventured to pronounce some noble truths in that excellent preface to his poem, called Alfred, and has bravely demonstrated there, beyond all possible exception, that t both Virgil and Homer are often guilty of very gross blunders, indecencies and shameful improprieties ? and that they were so far from deriving any advantage from the rabble of heathen gods, that their theology almost unavoidably exposed them to many of those blunders ; and that it is not possible upon the foot of Gentile superstition, to write a perfect epic poem ; whereas the sacred religion of the bible, would fur- nish a poem with much More just and glorious scenes and a nobler machinery. Mr. Dennis also had made it appear in his essays some years before, that there were no images so sublime in the brightest of the heathen writers, as those with which we are furnished in the poetic parts of the holy scripture; and Rapin, the French critic; dared to profess the same sentiments, notwith- standing the worldof poets and critics had so universally and unanimously exalted the heathen writers to the sovereignty for No many ages. If we would find out the truth in many cases, we must dare to deviate from the long - beaten track, and venture to think with a just and unbiassed liberty. Though it be necessary to guard against the evil influences of authority, and the prejudices derived thence, because it has introduced thousands of errors and mischiefs into the world, yet there are three eminent and remarkable cases wherein authorityy, or the sentiments of other persons, must or will determine time judgments and practice of mankind : I. Parents are appointed to judge for their children in their younger years, and to instruct them what they should be- lieve, and what they should practise in the civil and religious life. This is a dictate of nature, and doubtless it would have been so in a state of innocence. It is impossible that children should be capable of judging for themselves before their minds arefurnished with a competent number of ideas, before they are acquainted with any principles and rules of just judgment, and before their reason is grownup to any degrees of maturity and proper exercises upon such subjects.
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