Enough,
however, has been said on the subject in one of our published
writings.
16
Discovery in general has been explained already. As for the species of
Discovery, the first to be noted is (1) the least artistic form of it,
of which the poets make most use through mere lack of invention,
Discovery by signs or marks. Of these signs some are congenital, like
the 'lance-head which the Earth-born have on them', or 'stars', such
as Carcinus brings in in his _Thyestes_; others acquired after birth--
these latter being either marks on the body, e.g. scars, or external
tokens, like necklaces, or to take another sort of instance, the ark
in the Discovery in _Tyro_. Even these, however, admit of two uses, a
better and a worse; the scar of Ulysses is an instance; the Discovery
of him through it is made in one way by the nurse and in another by
the swineherds. A Discovery using signs as a means of assurance is
less artistic, as indeed are all such as imply reflection; whereas one
bringing them in all of a sudden, as in the _Bath-story_, is of a
better order. Next after these are (2) Discoveries made directly by
the poet; which are inartistic for that very reason; e.
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