The Second Canto begins, _apropos_ of nothing (indeed Boileau was frankly troubled about his “transitions”), with a discussion, partly metaphorical, of the Idyll, Eclogue, and Pastoral, followed by a similar account of other kinds of shorter pieces—Elegy, Ode, Sonnet, Epigram, and others, down to Vaudeville—the Fable being absent, to the discomfort and laborious excuse-making of the disciples. The Idyll must be neither too pompous nor too trivial: follow Theocritus and Virgil and all will be right. Elegy is proper for Death and Love; but you must not, in regard to the latter, be frigid and hackneyed. Imitate Tibullus and Ovid, and again all will be right. The ode is worthy of Achilles or Louis; but do not be too historical—which indeed would be difficult in regard to Achilles, and might be inconvenient in regard to Louis. Sonnets are very difficult, but a sonnet without fault is by itself worth an Epic.[362] The epigram may have _pointes_, which are elsewhere to be utterly rejected. The other kinds are lightly treated till the Satire, descending to the _vaudeville_, has a longer discussion. Satire, the apologist _pro domo_ declares, is the voice of Truth. Lucilius, Horace, Juvenal, are characterised. Regnier is _our_ best man; but his style is antiquated, and his subjects and language are really shocking.[363] Then “the Frenchman, _né malin_,” made the Vaudeville. It is only fair to Boileau to say that, could he have foreseen the tedious abuse of this _mot_, he would certainly either have forborne it, or have given us a capital line or couplet to tie to the tail of the culprits. Canto Three passes, with no less abruptness, to the drama, which occupies the first half, the latter part being given to the Epic. Boileau is at first vague. In fact, he does not seem at all thoroughly to have appreciated the Aristotelian doctrine, which in the main he runs up as his flag. Dramatic art in teaching must please and touch, which it may do by exciting pity and terror. Do not make a long and obscure introduction; keep the Unities as you value your dramatic salvation; never be incredible; and let everything contribute to the development of your story. ----- Footnote 362: It may be sometimes forgotten in the quotation of this famous line, that _long poem_ was a technical term in French criticism, from the days of the Pléiade downwards, and means definitely an Epic, or Heroic Poem, not a long piece of verse. It is characteristic of Boileau to hit backwards at the _modern_ epic, of which he was no admirer, in this rather treacherous praise of the sonnet, towards which he was equally lukewarm. -----