often attain not their maturity, till the imagination begin to flag. Hence, poetry, which is the child of imagination, is frequently inoft glowing and animated in the firft ages of fociety. As the ideas of our youth are remembered with a peculiar pleafure, on account of their liveliness and vivacity; fo the most ancient poems have often proved the greateft favourites of nations." In illuftration of the above, it has been formerly observed also by the Monthly Reviewers, that the reafon why ancient poems have proved and ftill remain the greateft favourites of different nations, is that the fate of fimplicity from which every people have defcended, muft appear more natural to each, than the diffonant cuftoms and prejudices of their contemporaries; and thus, tho' a modern poem, adapted to the peculiar genius of one nation, might be more pleafing to that people for whom it was written, it would be lefs agre: able to all the reft; while an ancient poem being equally applicable to all, might pleafe them all alike. Is it not, in fome meafure, for this reafon, that tho' both the French and English nations are equally admirers of Homer, the former have as little regard for the Paradife Loft of Milton, as we for the Henriade of Voltaire ? "Another reason, fay they, might be given alfo why ancient poems fhould please even a greater number of individuals than modern performances; the defcriptions, in which the former fo largely abound, being always more equivocal and imperfect than those of the latter; which are generally more laboured and minute, If we prefume that, in reading poetical defcriptions, we are not delighted with the mere choice of words, and harmony of numbers, but with the idea excited by fuch defcriptions, it is certain, that however imperfe&t fuch defcriptions may literally be, yet if they excite the fuppofed idea, it is fufficient. Now it is as certain, that the idea excited by poetical defcription, and particularly that of the antients, inuft der end greatly on the Reader's imagination, as well as on the words of the Poet. It is plain, continue the fame critics; that if there be not a fimilarity of genius between the Poet and the Reader, the language of the one will not convey the intended idea to the other; or, if it does, unless they poffefs a congenial mode of apprehenfion, a fimilar method of viewing the tamne objects will difguft, instead of pleasure. While the defcription, however, is partial and indiftin&t, the outlines of the Poet. leave room for the exercife of the fancy, and may be filled up differently by the imagination of different Readers. But if the defcription were perfect and minute, it would pleafe only thole of a kindred turn, turn, or that have nearly the fame affociation of ideas. Helvetius obferves, that the degree of genius adapted to please, is nearly the fame as we are poffeffed of ourselves. This may not be true in the degree, tho' it certainly is in the fpecies. Thus, we always think that defcription the most natural, which is beft fuited to our ideas of the object; and, as there is hardly any two perfons who entertain exactly the fame ideas of any object, or, indeed, annex precifely the fame ideas to the fame words, it is plain, that a kindred genius only can be pleafed with very particular and minute descriptions: whereas bold and ftriking outlines, though vague and indefinite, are adapted to every Reader poffeffed of any fhare of imagination. Hence that obfcurity which excites admiration, and conftitutes, in fo great a degree, the falfe fublime, is the caufe alfo of that pleafure we take in poetical description, when our own imagination is the affiftant of the Poet, and reprefents his imagery in more glowing and lively colours than he hath painted them. In this cafe, however, it is the Reader, and not the Writer, who is often the greatest Poet, "What is here faid of poetical imagery and defcription, may be extended, with fome latititude, to fentiment alfo; the obfcurity of which, frequently obtains it more numerous admirers than would its exactness and precifion. Hence we see the reafon why men of warm paffions and lively imaginations take greater pleasure in poetry than others; not because others want tafte and fenfibility, or would not be delighted with the fame images, had they the power to catch them, but because their imagination cannot keep pace with, or fill up the outlines of the Poet's defcription. Thus it is not want of tafte or judgment, but of imagination, that incapacitates fome perfons for taking pleasure in the rude sketches of ancient poetry. On the other hand, it is very common for Readers of a lively turn, to find poetical beauties, where thofe of cooler reflection, and more refined tafte, fee nothing but unmeaning rant, and inco'herent bombaft *." It is pretty generally allowed that obfcurity is neceffary to the fublime; and if what is advanced by the above-cited critics be true, it appears to be alfo requifite to the beautiful. At least, it appears neceffary, that the poet, if he would pleafe and become popular, fhould adopt both the language and ideas of the multitude; for whom he writes. A poet, indeed, who might aim only to please philofophers (few of which, care much for poefy) might adopt the precifeness of philosophy, See Monthly Review, Vol. 28. very different from the profufions of poefy: but would he pleafe poetical readers, for whom a poet fhould certainly write? By no means. He would obtain, at beft, the name of a philofopher, and it would be well if at worft, that of a pedant. A true poetical genius might fire with indignation to find Mr. Aikin obferve, (as certain critics fay he judiciously. does) that in the description of natural objects, every fabulous image should be avoided. How! fable banished from poetry! Away at once with both! Would our author have true pictures of nature, let him, we fay again, feck for them in philofophical defcriptions in plain profe; and never risk his reputation again, by committing fo grofs a blunder, as that of calling the author of the Night-Thoughts, the reafoning, the philofophical Dr. Young. We are perfuaded. he did this in compliment, if not altogether in compliance, to the popularity of that eccentric genius; whofe claim to the character of poet, is deficient only in point of tafte; but whofe claim to that of a reafoner or philofopher, is truly contemptible. Of this our Effayift himself gives the following inftance. "The Copernican theory of the folar fyftem has been now long enough established to take place of the Ptolemaic even in poetical allufion; and the fun, tranquilly feated in the centre of its vaft dependencies, cheering, invigorating, and animating the whole, may, on every occafion of fublime imagery, fupercede the chariot of Phoebus, for ever painfully dragged round the petty globe we inhabit. How inexcufable is the reasoning, the philofophical, Dr. Young in adopting an abfurd notion entertained by fome of the fathers, that the final canflagration of the world will begin at midnight; as if it were poffible for night at any one inftant to be univerfal on the globe,, or an equal portion of the earth were not always illuminated by the fun! "At midnight, when mankind is wrapt in peace, NIGHT THOUGHTS. We agree with our Effayift, that exploded errours in Science fhould be avoided in Poetry; but they fhould be fuch as are popularly exploded; for, as we before observed, poems are not calculated for the philofophical few, but the unphilofophical million. Woe be to that poet, therefore, who foars above the comprehenfion of the vulgar. Safe is he who swims with the ftream; while he does not attempt to buoy himself too bigh, he cannot eafily fink beneath it. K The The Spirit of Athens. Being a Political and Philofophical Inves tigation of the Hiftory of that Republic. By William Young, Efq; 8vo. 5s. Robfon. "Multum legendum effe, non multa, is," as this writer obferves, an adage of antiquity replete with a deep and excellent sense; -it means that much reading implies not much knowledge, and that ftudy leadeth not neceffarily to wifdom;-it teaches that to profit of our application, whilft we perufe one book, we fhould think another; and inftead of being librorum helluones give the mind exercise and time wherewith to digeft a moderate and wholesome fare;-it inculcates, that to run over many authors, may to the language of pedantry gain the title of learning; but that attentively to penetrate the fenfe of a few, is the way to science." It is obferved, however, with equal propriety that all men have not equal acuteness to develope, equal affiduity to purfue, or equal memory to retain the fubject-matter of a book." It is for the benefit of readers, therefore, of inferior capacity, in thefe refpects, that the prefent performance appears to be calculated. But the author's defign and manner, as well as motives for writing, are, perhaps, beft difplayed in his own words. My defign is from the annals of men and things to extract the fpirit of character and event, with the narrative to interweave the moral, and to give at once the history and its comment; and in this, my book may be of fome ufe to the young, or to the fuperficial student;-it may teach him that the ancient Greek history is fraught with something more than apophthegm and anecdote,-that to know the names of Marathon and Salamis, of Codrus or of Cimon (to purfue a metaphor of Mr. Burke's), is merely to know the land-marks of history, and not the country, that to a fagacious traveller the country is the object,-its abrupt breaks, its gentler declivities, its culture, and its produce: he muft not expect to meet with his acquaintance from the Pantheon;— the heroes of fable have found no admittance in this work;-well were it, if nothing of more importance to the history was omitted!-In my courfe many a flower have I difregarded, that others have flayed to pluck, and perchance, fometimes a fimple have I culled, which another hath neglected; what I have idly rejected, and what, perhaps, as idly chofen, may equally fubject me to cenfure;- humbly fubmit to if, nor will I prolong this preface to deprecate its feverity,-nor, in the language of deference, to hint pretenfions, nor to jingle a quaint an tithefis to public amufement, and to public utility;-to fay I wrote for either, were vain as it is falfe;-I wrote the following book to beguile an idle time, and I know no better reason for publishing, than because -I have wrote, it." Having thus frankly declared his views in compofing this work, its author proceeds to defend the importance of ancient and even fabulous hiftory in the following introductory reflections. "The wildest narratives of remote antiquity, however little to be depended on for veracity, are not wholly to be regarded as the fports of roving fantastic genius, or as ufeful merely as fables bearing a deep and beautiful moral: they are ftill more ftriking as types of the spirit and purfuits of the age they relate to. The mind of man untutored in philofophical truths recurs naturally to the marvellous; blind to the inherent wonders of every the minuteft part of the creation, he himself imagines new miracles for the deity of his foul;-each god, each demigod, each hero, is thus aggrandized by the fertile enthusiasm of his adherents, who unwilling to allow the confeffed fuperiority to a being noways effentially differing from themfelves, inveft him with fuch powers, and attribute to him fuch actions, as their wanton zeal may fuggeft, or wild credulity patronize. Still, however, the virtues held up to admiration, are the virtues of the age that admires: the prejudices and pursuits of the fabulitt enter into the delineation of the creature of his fancy, however pertect he may delign him, and as our poet or other writer is a member of, and writes but for his community, we may pronounce that his embellishments, though but an airy fuper ftructure, are yet raised on a known and good foundation, and that his recital is a leaft confonant to the amufement and take of his contem poraries. "Thus the memoirs of chivalry or ftories of more ancient heroisin inform, as well as delight; the age of gallant knighthood is perhaps better defcribed, in Amadis, than by Mezeray; Wosen and his followers are better known from a Runic fong, than from a monkish hiftorian; and in the tales of Hercules and the Argonauts, the spirit of those remote times is better traced than it could be in the book of any ftrict conformer to truth and fact: we thus get acquainted with the prior ages by fables, as with fucceeding from records, nor is the fludy thereof to be flighted, as long as the improveability of man is thought worthy to hold a place in his fpeculations; and the progreis and various iteps and changes of the human mind are deemed proper objects of its enquiry. In fuch philofophical purfuit the reading of fabulous history has its peculiar ufe, but further is not to be expected from it; the infancy of human nature can no more ferve as example to man in an improved ftate, than the child's whims to one in years, in whofe deeper thoughts and studies they may yet profitably find a place. 66 By many, and indeed most of the learned, it hath been deemed difficult to draw the line in ancient history between the fabulous and the authentic; but here the word fabulous bears another fenfe, and the oppofition of terms may fimply be conftrued into true and false: The ten first books of Livy have been ftigmatized with the term fabulous, meaning folely that the facts therein reprefented are fingular, doubtful, and in many cafes ftated as fuch, by the very author; but yet are they not to be claffed with the tales of poetry:-their leffon is deep, and they bear a strong and pointed character,-whether after the life or not, the picture hath a phyfiognomy mott interefting, and fo well elucidated by the masterly touches of the painter, that equal profit and pleasure refult from the niceft confideration of it. It is enough that the politic Machiavel hath dedicated the most sterling labours of his pen to reflections on this theme: Let the antiquary bring his medals, or the VOL. V. lii book |