been for ever unknown, if he had not conquer'd and celebrated them.

As the Subject was quite new, so it gave birth to new Thoughts. There is one which I prefent to the Readers, both as an Example of Novelty, and as a Spark of the Fire which animated fometimes the Author.

"The Araucani, fays he, were furpris'd at firft, to fee Creatures like Men, with "Fire in their Hands, and dreadful MonCC fters fighting under them. They thought cc they were the immortal Gods, defcend

ing from above, with Thunder and De"ftruction. They fubmitted, though with "Reluctance; but afterwards being more "acquainted with their Conquerors, they "faw their Vices, and judg'd they were -66 Men; then on a fudden, afham'd of being opprefs'd by their Fellow-Mortals,

they fwore by their Shame, to wash off "their Error with the Blood of the DeceiСс vers, and to execute a Vengeance exemplary, dreadful, and irrevocable."

It will be useful perhaps, to take notice of a Paffage in the fecond Book, which bears a near Refemblance to the Beginning of the Iliad, and which being -handled quite differently, deferves to be prefented to the little Number of impartial Readers, that they may judge between Homer and Alonzo in that particu

lar.

lar. The firft Action of the Araucana, is a Quarrel which happen'd between all the barbarous Chiefs, as in Homer between Achilles and Agamemnon. The Dispute was not about a Woman, but about the Right of commanding the Army. Every one of thofe favage Warriors affumes an uncontroul'd Behaviour upon the Confcioufnefs of his own Worth; and at laft the Difpute grew fo high, that they were ready to fight one against another, when one of the Cafiques call'd Colocolo, as old as Neftor, and lefs boafting of himself than the Grecian, made the following Speech:

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Cafiques, ye illuftrious Defenders "of our Country, the vain Defire of Empire does not move me to speak to you. I do not complain that you all contend fo eagerly for an Honour which perhaps is due to my old Age, "and fhould adorn my Decline. "Tis my Love to you, 'tis the Duty that I owe to my Country, which forces me

to intreat you to attend to my feeble "Voice. Alas! How can we be fo af<6 fuming, as to pretend to any Gran

deur whatever, and to claim honourable Titles; we, who have been Subjects, nay, miferable Slaves, to the Spaniards? Your Anger, Cafiques, your Fury, would be better employ'd

"againft

"

against our Tyrants; why do you turn against your Breafts, thofe Arms which

might exterminate your Enemies, and revenge our World? Ah! if Death "be your Defire, feek a Death that is

honourable Shake off the fhameful "Yoke with one Hand, affault the Spaniards with the other, and shed not in an unprofitable Quarrel, thofe laft Drops of Blood of this State, which cc the Gods have left in it for its Revenge. I am not difpleas'd, I confefs, to fee the undaunted Haughtiness of your Courages. This very Fiercenefs "which I blame, heightens the Hopes "I conceive of our Defigns; but let not your ill-govern'd Valour prey_upon itfelf, and destroy with its own Force, the Country you rife to defend. If you perfift in your Quarrels, let your Swords firft be imbru'd in my Blood, already frozen with old Age. I have "liv'd too long. Happy is he who dies

before his Countrymen are unfortu"nate, and unfortunate by their own Fault. Attend then to what I dare propofe for your Welfare. Your Valour, O Cafiques, is equal; you are all equally illuftrious by the Honours of the War, by your Birth, by your "Power and Riches; your Souls are "noble in an equal Degree, all worthy G

to

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<< to command, and able to fubdue our World. Thofe Heavenly Gifts are the prefent Subject of your great Con"tefts, you want a Chief, and every one of you is equal to that noble <c Charge; then fince there is no Dif"ference between your Courages, let "the S.rength of the Body decide what the Equality of your Virtues would keep undecided for ever, &c."

Then that old Man propofes a Game, fit only for a barbarous Nation, and confequently very proper. It was to carry a ponderous Beam, and he who could fuftain the Weight longeft, was to be the Chief.

Now fince the best Way of improving our Tafte, is that of comparing together Things of the fame nature, let us bring in the Difcourfe of Neftor, in oppofition to this of Colocolo, and laying afide that Worship, which our Minds juftly prejudiced, pay to the great Name of Homer, let the Reader weigh the two Speeches in the Ballance of Equity and Reafon.

As foon as Achilles warn'd and infpir'd by Minerva, the Goddefs of Wifdom, has call'd Agamemnon Drunkard, Dog, and Stag, the wife Neftor arofe to calm the ruffled Minds of thofe Heroes ; and among other other Things which I wave, to come clofely to the Point of

Com

Comparison, thus he faid; "What a Sa"tisfaction will it be to the Trojans, when they hear of your Diffenfions!

Young Men, you must respect my "Years, and fubmit to my Wifdom; I "have liv'd in my Youth with Heroes,

by far fuperior to you; no, my Eyes "will never fee fuch Men, as the un"daunted Pirithous, the bold Ceneus, the

divine Thefeus, &c. I went to war with them, and though younger, I "fway'd their Strength by my perfuaແ five Eloquence; they liftned to, they obey'd Neftor. If in my early Years they deem'd me fo wife; you, young "Warriors, attend to the Advice of my old Age. Atrides, do not feize on

the Slave of Achilles; you Son of The.. tis, do not treat our Prince with Pride. Achilles is the greatest, the most courageous of the Warriors, Agamemnon is the greatest of Kings, &c." Thus fpoke the wife Neftor, and his Speech prov'd entirely ineffectual, for Agamemnon commended his Eloquence, and neglected the Advice.

Let the Readers confider on one part, the Endearments by which the barbarous Colocolo ingratiates himfelf into the Favour of the Cafiques, the awful Majefty with which he checks their Animofity, the Tendernefs with which he fofG2

tens