Gondibert, or Orlando Furioso; all which have Fable enough in ’em of any reason; but their principal Actions might be still true, as we are sure was that of the best Heroic that ever was written; (I need not say I mean Virgil) since few or no Authors ever deny’d that there was such a Man as AEneas, or even that he came into Italy, built Cities there, and erected a Kingdom, which Tully mentions, as a generally receiv’d Tradition in those Parts, and which it seems he thought not frivolous, but true and solid; otherwise he’d scarce have given it a place in his Argument for his Client.  Of this Opinion too seems Horace himself, in his Art of Poetry, namely, That there’s no necessity of the principal Action’s being feign’d; for his Direction is, “Aut famam sequere, aut sibi convenientia finge; Either follow Tradition or Fame, or else feign what’s agreeable thereunto.”  He makes not feigning essential to Heroic Action, but gives leave to follow Fame, who is not so great a Lyar, but that she is sometimes in the right.  Nay, what if we should after all have Bossu himself on our side, which I’m mistaken if he be not; for these are his Expressions, Lib. 1.  Cap. 7.  Le Fiction, &c.  “The Fiction may be so disguis’d under the Verity of the History, that those who are ignorant of the Art of the Poet, may believe it not a Fiction; and to make the Disguisement well, he ought to search into History for the Names of some Persons, to whom such an Action has probably or truly happen’d, &c.”  Hence ’tis evident, that according to Bossu’s own Notion, the main Action may be true; which appears even from Aristotle himself, as quoted by him, 97. [Greek:  Kan ara] &c.  “An Author is not less a Poet, because the Incidents he recites have truly happen’d; if so be that which happen’d had the appearance of Truth, and all that Art demands, and be really such as it ought to have been feign’d.”  And this Bossu himself illustrates admirably well by an ingenious Simile; “A Statuary,” says he, “first forms his Design, Posture, Altitudes which he intends for his Image; but if he then lights on any precious Material, Agate, or such like, where the Figure, the Colours, and Veins will not be accommodated to all he design’d, he regulates his Design and Imagination according to his Matter; nor ought we to believe, at the same time, that these singular lucky Hits condemn the Justness of his Art.”  From all which, I must leave it to the Reader, whether I han’t sufficiently prov’d what I’ve undertaken; that Fiction is not necessary to the principal Action of our Heroic Poem; on which I’ve been something more large, not so much on my own account; for ’tis indifferent to me by what Name any Man calls my Poem, so it answers the great End of Epic, which is Instruction; but because I’ve heard some Persons have been so conceited as to criticise on our immortal Cowley for this very reason, and deny his Davideis the Honour of being an Heroic Poem, because the Subject thereof is a true History.