in epic and dramatic poetry, is when the poet introduces some supernatural being into the scene, in order to solve some difficulty, or to perform some exploit out of the reach of human power. The ancient dramatic poets never made use of machinery, unless where there was an absolute necessity for so doing. It is quite otherwise with epic poets, who introduce machinery in every part of their poems; so that nothing is done without the intervention of the gods. In Milton's Paradise Lost, by far the greater part of the actors are supernatural personages. Homer and Virgil do nothing without them; and, in Voltaire's Henriade, the poet has made excellent use of St Louis.