That Is To Say, Epic Poetry Has

If Epic Poetry Is A Definite Species, The Sagas Do Not Fall Within It.

The Balance Of Private Good And General Welfare Is At The Bottom Of Civilized Morals But The Morals Of The Heroic Age Are Founded On Individuality, And On Nothing Else.

The Epic Poet Collaborates With The Spirit Of His Time In The Composition Of His Work. That Is, If He Is Successful; The Time May Refuse To Work With Him, But He May Not Refuse To Work With His Time.

That Is To Say, Epic Poetry Has Been Invented Many Times And Independently; But, As The Needs Which Prompted The Invention Have Been Broadly Similar, So The Invention Itself Has Been.

The World Knows Of A Vast Stock Of Epic Material Scattered Up And Down The Nations; Sometimes Its Artistic Value Is As Extraordinary As Its Archaeological Interest, But Not Always.