I must therefore avow, in the first place, from whence I took the character.  The first image I had of him, was from the Achilles of Homer; the next from Tasso’s Rinaldo, (who was a copy of the former) and the third from the Artaban of Monsieur Calpranede, who has imitated both.  The original of these, Achilles, is taken by Homer for his hero; and is described by him as one, who in strength and courage surpassed the rest of the Grecian army; but, withal, of so fiery a temper, so impatient of an injury, even from his king and general, that when his mistress was to be forced from him by the command of Agamemnon, he not only disobeyed it, but returned him an answer full of contumely, and in the most opprobrious terms he could imagine; they are Homer’s words which follow, and I have cited but some few amongst a multitude.

  [Greek:  Oinobares, kynos ommat’ echon, kradien d’ elaphoio.]
                                   —­Il. a. v. 225.

  [Greek:  Demoboros basileus,] &c. —­Il. a. v. 231.

Nay, he proceeded so far in his insolence, as to draw out his sword, with intention to kill him;

  [Greek:  Elketo d’ ek koleoio mega xiphos.]
                                   —­Il. a. v. 194.

and, if Minerva had not appeared, and held his hand, he had executed his design; and it was all she could do to dissuade him from it.  The event was, that he left the army, and would fight no more.  Agamemnon gives his character thus to Nestor;

  [Greek:  All’ hod’ aner ethelei peri panton emmenai allon,
  Panton men krateein ethelei, pantessi d’ anassein.]
                                   —­Il. a. v. 287, 288

and Horace gives the same description of him in his Art of Poetry.

  _—­Honoratum si forte reponis Achillem,
  Inpiger, iracundus, inexorabilis, acer,
  Jura neget sibi nata, nihil non arroget armis._

Tasso’s chief character, Rinaldo, was a man of the same temper; for, when he had slain Gernando in his heat of passion, he not only refused to be judged by Godfrey, his general, but threatened that if he came to seize him, he would right himself by arms upon him; witness these following lines of Tasso: 

Venga egli, o mundi, io terro fermo il piede:  Giudici fian tra noi la sorte, e l’arme; Fera tragedia vuol che s’appresenti, Per lor diporto, alle nemiche genti.

You see how little these great authors did esteem the point of honour, so much magnified by the French, and so ridiculously aped by us.  They made their heroes men of honour; but so, as not to divest them quite of human passions and frailties:  they content themselves to shew you, what men of great spirits would certainly do when they were provoked, not what they were obliged to do by the strict rules of moral virtue.  For my own part, I declare myself for Homer and Tasso, and am more in love with Achilles and Rinaldo, than with Cyrus and Oroondates.  I shall never subject my characters to the French standard, where love and honour are to be weighed by drams and scruples:  Yet, where I have designed the patterns of exact virtues, such as in this play are the parts of Almahide, of Ozmyn, and Benzayda, I may safely challenge the best of theirs.