few of that ftamp, who are not "fucum " pecus!"

But the Homeric ftar fheds not its influence on PLATO alone; HERODOTUS, and other writers of established reputation, are proved by LONGINUS to have submitted to its direction. To these we may add VIRGIL and MILTON: these authors admirably trace. the excellences of their Grecian mafter. Episodes and fentiments are occafionally copied, and almoft as conftantly improved: descriptions moft admired, fimiles moft happily introduced, and mere thoughts, which add a dignity to the original, are very judicioufly transfufed into the Roman and Englifh epics. Indeed, in many paffages they may not improperly be termed elegant Paraphrafes of HOMER.

But the fureft ftumbling-block to a writer, if not one whom " æquus amavit Jupiter," is the affected fondnefs of originality. Of this the poet STATIUS is a melancholy proof:

in the celebration of his Games he has difdained the affiftance both of HOMER and VIRGIL.

STESICHORUS, mentioned in this fection was the inventor of the Lyric Chorus: he was an author of merit, but high-flown. HORACE Compliments his writings:

"Stefichori graves camœnae :

where "graves" muft mean weighty and majeftic, fometimes over-labored, and of confequence inflated,

ARCHILOCHUS was famous for his Iambics: he is called the author of that measure, not because he invented it, but because he was the first that wrote in that verfe with energy and grace.

“Archilochum proprio rabies armavit lambo.”

HOR. A.P.

"Proprio,"

"Proprio," I imagine, means, peculiar

' to his genius:' he was, as BOILEAU fays of himself,

ELIBERATION is the parent of perfec

tion: LONGINUS obferves the method we ought to take in handling any subject; namely, to follow the best examples in the branch of writing we undertake.

In Poetry we should confult HOMER; in Oratory, DEMOSTHENES, &c. As felf-partiality is the ruling disease of the human. mind, we ought to be as fevere critics of our own, as of other compofitions; weigh every fentence, examine every thought, with the fincerity of juft judges; condemn every word that admits of cenfure; eject every impro

priety;

priety; fift every phrafe; and fuccefs, it is then moft probable, will crown our work,

"Decies quùm caftigatus ad unguem."

Not that the fuccefs is abfolutely to be infured, in an age which feems to below a lavifh profufion of applaufe on more trivial excellences; on productions adapted to a paffing period, where expence of thought is facrificed to fortunate expreffion. A work formed of materials naturally lafting bids but ill for a fuperfluity of readers.

SECTION

XIV.

HE fublime owes its origin, in a great measure, to the ufe of figures. An image among the reft places before the eyes, what in reality it commits but to the ears: a poet, handling this figure with judicious boldness, is a painter, whofe colors are fo

ftriking,

ftriking, and whofe objects fo expreffive, that they only want motion, to appear really

alive.

rors.

ORIG.—Ω μήτερ, ἱκετέυω σε.

Of all the conditions, in which an human creature can be reprefented, that of Madness, juftly delineated, must be more immediately picturesque confufion of fentiments, haftinefs of expreffions, and diftraction of founds, place affliction before our eyes in all its horThe defcription of DIDO's Madness, in the fourth book of the Æneis, is an admirable proof of the judgement of the poet. How fudden and various are the starts of paffion! When fhe is reprefented viewing the fleet of the Trojans, fhe begins venting her fury with a violent exclamation against the ungrateful man :

"Proh Jupiter! ibit!

"Ibit, et hic noftris illuferit advena regnis."

Then