lower and tree, its duty done,
Reposing in decay serene,
_Like weary men when age is won_,' &c.

The difference between poetical and historical _narrative_ may be
illustrated by the 'Tales Founded on Facts', generally of a religious
character, so common in the present day, which we must not be thought
to approve, because we use them for our purpose. The author finds in
the circumstances of the case many particulars too trivial for public
notice, or irrelevant to the main story, or partaking perhaps too much
of the peculiarity of individual minds:--these he omits. He finds
connected events separated from each other by time or place, or a
course of action distributed among a multitude of agents; he limits
the scene or duration of the tale, and dispenses with his host of
characters by condensing the mass of incident and action in the
history of a few. He compresses long controversies into a concise
argument--and exhibits characters by dialogue--and (if such be his
object) brings prominently forward the course of Divine Providence by
a fit disposition of his materials. Thus he selects, combines,
refines, colours--in fact, _poetizes_. His facts are no longer
_actual_ but _ideal_--a tale _founded on_ facts is a tale _generalized
from_ facts. The authors of _Peveril of the Peak_, and of _Brambletye
House_, have given us their respective descriptions of the profligate
times of Charles II. Both accounts are interesting, but for different
reasons. That of the latter writer has the fidelity of history;
Walter Scott's picture is the hideous reality unintentionally softened
and decorated by the poetry of his own mind. Miss Edgeworth sometimes
apologizes for certain incidents in her tales, by stating they took
place 'by one of those strange chances which occur in life, but seem
incredible when found in writing'. Such an excuse evinces a
misconception of the principle of fiction, which, being the
_perfection_ of the actual, prohibits the introduction of any such
anomalies of experience. It is by a similar impropriety that painters
sometimes introduce unusual sunsets, or other singular phenomena of
lights and forms. Yet some of Miss Edgeworth's works contain much
poetry of narrative. _Manoeuvring_ is perfect in its way--the plot and
characters are natural, without being too real to be pleasing.

_Character_ is made poetical by a like process. The writer draws
indeed from experience; but unnatural peculiarities are l