But being beaten from this hold, they will not yet allow him to be
valiant, because he wept more often, as they think, than well
becomes a man of courage.
In the first place, if tears are arguments of cowardice, what shall
I say of Homer's hero? Shall Achilles pass for timorous because he
wept, and wept on less occasions than AEneas? Herein Virgil must be
granted to have excelled his master; for once both heroes are
described lamenting their lost loves: Briseis was taken away by
force from the Grecians, Creusa was lost for ever to her husband.
But Achilles went roaring along the salt sea-shore, and, like a
booby, was complaining to his mother when he should have revenged
his injury by arms: AEneas took a nobler course; for, having
secured his father and his son, he repeated all his former dangers
to have found his wife, if she had been above ground. And here your
lordship may observe the address of Virgil; it was not for nothing
that this passage was related, with all these tender circumstances.
Pages:
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227