horror. The death of Priam, especially, may be singled out as a masterpiece of description. All the circumstances of the aged monarch arraying himself in armour, when he finds the enemy making themselves masters of the city; his meeting with his family, who are taking shelter at an altar in the court of the palace, and their placing him in the midst of them; his indignation when he beholds Pyrrhus slaughtering one of his sons; the feeble dart which he throws; with Pyrrhus's brutal behaviour, and his manner of putting the old man to death, are painted in the most affecting manner, and with a masterly hand. All Homer's battles, and Milton's account, both of Paradise and of the infernal regions, furnish many beautiful instances of poetical description. Ossian, too, paints in strong and lively colours, though he employs few circumstances; and his chief excellency lies in painting to the heart. One of his fullest descriptions is the following of the ruins of Balclutha; 'I have seen the walls of Balclutha, but they were desolate. The fire had resounded within the halls; and the voice of the people is now heard no more. The stream of Clutha was removed from its place, by the fall of the walls; the thistle shook there its lonely head; the moss whistled to the wind. The fox looked out at the window; the rank grass waved round his head. Desolate is the dwelling of Moina. Silence is in the house of her fathers.' Shakspeare cannot be omitted on this occasion, as singularly eminent for painting with the pencil of nature. Though it be in manners and characters, that his chief excellency lies, yet his scenery also is often exquisite, and happily described by a single stroke; as in that fine line of the Merchant of Venice,' which conveys to the fancy as natural and beautiful an image, as can possibly be exhibited in so few words:

How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!

Here will we sit, &c.

Much of the beauty of descriptive poetry depends upon a right choice of epithets. Many poets, it must be confessed, are too careless in this particular. Epithets are frequently brought in merely to complete the verse, or make the rhyme answer; and hence they are so unmeaning and redundant, expletive words only, which in place of adding any thing to the description, clog and enervate it. Virgil's 'Liquidi fontes,' and Horace's Prata canis albicant pruinis,' must, I am afraid, be assigned to this class: for, to denote by an epithet that water is liquid, or that snow is white, is no better than mere tautology. Every epithet should either add a new idea to the word. which it qualifies, or at least serve to raise and heighten its known signification. So in Milton,

-Who shall tempt with wand'ring feet

The dark, unbottom'd, infinite abyss,
And through the palpable obscure, find out
His uncouth way? or spread his airy flight,
Upborne with indefatigable wings,

Over the vast abrupt?

B. II.

The epithets employed here plainly add strength to the description, and assist the fancy in conceiving it ;-the wandering feet--the un

bottomed abyss-the palpable obscure-the uncouth way—the indefatigable wing-serve to render the images more complete and distinct. But there are many general epithets, which, though they appear to raise the signification of the word to which they are joined, yet leave it so undetermined, and are now become so trite and beaten in poetical language, as to be perfectly insipid. Of this kind are barbarous discord-hateful envy-mighty chiefs-bloody war -gloomy shades-direful scenes,' and a thousand more of the same kind which we meet with occasionally in good poets; but with which, poets of inferior genius abound every where, as the great props of their affected sublimity. They give a sort of swell to the language, and raise it above the tone of prose; but they serve not in the least to illustrate the object described; on the contrary, they load the style with a languid verbosity.

"

Sometimes it is in the power of a poet of genius, by one wellchosen epithet, to accomplish a description, and by means of a single word, to paint a whole scene to the fancy. We may remark this effect of an epithet in the following fine lines of Milton's Lycidas: Where were ye, Nymphs, when the remorseless deep Clos'd o'er the head of your lov'd Lycidas? For neither were ye playing on the steep, Where your old bards, the famous Druids lie, Nor on the shaggy top of Mona high,

Nor yet where Deva spreads her wizard stream.

Among these wild scenes, 'Deva's wizard stream' is admirably imaged; by this one word, presenting to the fancy all the romantic ideas, of a river flowing through a desolate country, with banks haunted by wizards and enchanters. Akin to this is an epithet which Horace gives to the river Hydaspes. A good man, says he, stands in need of no arms,

Sive per Syrtes iter æstuosas,

Sive facturus per inhospitalem
Caucasum, vel quæ loca fabulosus

Lambit Hydaspes.*

I. od. 22. 5.

This epithet fabulosus,' one of the commentators on Horace has changed into 'sabulosus,' or 'sandy;' substituting, by a strange want of taste, the common and trivial epithet of 'the sandy river,' in place of that beautiful picture which the poet gives us, by calling Hydaspes 'the romantic river,' or the scene of adventures and poetic tales. Virgil has employed an epithet with great beauty and propriety, when accounting for Dædalus not having engraved the fortune of his son Icarus:

Bis conatus erat casus effingere in auro;
Bis patriæ cecidere manus.f

Whether through Lybia's burning sands
Our journey leads, or Scythia's lands,
Amidst th' unhospitable waste of snows,
Or where the fabulous Hydaspes flows.
Here hapless Icarus had found his part,
Had not the father's grief restrain'd his art:
He twice essay'd to cast his son in gold,

Twice from his hand he dropp'd the forming mould.

Æn. vi. 32.

FRANCIS.

DRYDEN.

In this translation the thought is justly given; but the beauty of the expression 'patriæ manus,' which in the original conveys the thought with so much tenderness, is lost.

These instances and observations may give some just idea of true poetical description. We have reason always to distrust an author's descriptive talents, when we find him laborious and turgid, amassing common place epithets and general expressions, to work up a high conception of some object, of which, after all, we can form but an indistinct idea. The best describers are simple and concise. They set before us such features of an object, as, on the first view, strike and warm the fancy; they give us ideas which a statuary or a painter could lay hold of, and work after them; which is one of the strongest and most decisive trials of real merit of description.

QUESTIONS,

HAVING treated of pastoral and lyric | what beauties of this kind are menpoetry, to what does our author pro- tioned? What other passages are also ceed; and under it, what is included? mentioned; and of them, what is obWhat should be the ultimate end of served? By what remark are these ilcompositions of every kind? In what lustrations followed? In what, by a manner is this useful impression, in didactic poet, may much art be shown? poetry, most commonly made? From What instance have we of Virgil's adwhat, therefore, does it, in form only, dress in this point? Of Dr. Akenside's differ? At the same time, by means of Pleasures of the Imagination, what is its form, what advantages has it over remarked; and also of Dr. Armstrong, prose instruction; and hence, what in his Art of Preserving Health? Into follows? In what different ways may it what style do satires and epistles nabe executed? All these come under turally run? As the manners and chawhat denomination? What is the high-racters, which occur in ordinary life, est species of it? Of this nature, what are their subject, what follows? Of sapoems have we? In all such works, as tire, in its early state, what is observed? instruction is the professed object, in Who corrected its grossness; and what what does the fundamental merit con- was done by Horace? What end does sist? While the poet must instruct, it profess to have in view; and in order what must he, at the same time, stu- to this end, what does it assume? In dy? Where do we find a perfect model how many different ways, and by of this; and what art does he possess? whom, has it been carried on? In By what passage is this remark illus- what manner does Horace conduct it? trated? Instead of telling his husband- Of Juvenal's manner, what is obserman, in plain language, that his crops ved? Which does Perseus resemble; will fail through bad management, and for what is he distinguished? Of what is his language? Instead of or- poetical epistles, when employed on dering him to water his grounds, with moral or critical subjects, what is obwhat does he present us? Repeat the served? In the form of an epistle, howpassage. In all didactic works, what ever, what may be done; and what inare essentially requisite ? Of Horace's stances are given? For what are such Art of Poetry, what is remarked; and works as these designed; and what of him, what is farther observed? follows? But of didactic epistles, what What, however, does that work con- is observed? In all didactic poetry of tain? How should it be considered; this kind, what is an important rule? and of it, what is then observed? With In what does much of their grace conregard to episodes and embellishments, sist; and what does this give to such what is remarked; and why? What compositions? On what, also, does is the great art of rendering a didactic much of their merit depend? How is poem interesting? Of these, what is this illustrated? Of Mr. Pope's ethical observed? From Virgil's Georgics, epistles, what is observed? Here, what

is further observed of him, and also of all the English poems in the descripDryden? Of what would one scarcely tive style, what are the richest and think him capable; but what remark most remarkable? Of these two poems, follows? Of his translation of the Iliad, what is farther observed? Repeat the what is observed? From what does it passage here introduced from the Penappear that he was capable of tender seroso. On this passage, what remarks poetry? But what are the qualities for are made? What says Homer, dewhich he is chiefly distinguished? How scribing one of his heroes in battle? Of is this remark illustrated? What is the this passage, what is observed? Into character of his imitations of Horace? what does it evaporate, when it comes Of his paintings of characters, what is into the hands of Pope? Repeat Mr. observed? What idea do these parts of Pope's translation. What is to be obhis works give us of the effect of rhyme? served? What can bear to be more What does he himself tell us? Among amplified and prolonged; and why? moral and didactic poets, who must But where a sublime or pathetic imnot be passed over in silence? What pression is intended to be made, what, appears in all his works? Of his Uni- above all things, is required; and for versal Passion, what is observed? what reason? Repeat Ossian's descripThough his wit may often be too tion of a ghost. What, also, deserves sparkling, yet, what follows? Of his attention? Why should this be done? Night Thoughts, what is observed? To whom is this well known; and Among French authors, who has much what remark follows? What illustramerit in didactic poetry? Of his art of tive example is given? Of these five poetry, his satires, and his epistles, what lines, what is remarked? What is a is observed? great beauty in Milton's Allegro?

From didactic, to what does our au-Why should every thing in descripthor next proceed? By descriptive poe- tion be as marked and as particular as try, what is not meant; and why? possible? What illustration of this reFor what purpose is description gene-mark is given? What writers were rally introduced? But why does it de-sensible of this; and of this, what inmand no small attention? Of what is stance is given? What passage is also description the great test; and what introduced from Horace, illustrative of does it always distinguish? How is the same remark? What evidence this remark fully illustrated? To what have we that both Homer and Virgil is this happy talent chiefly owing? In are remarkable for the talent of poetiwhat lies the great art of picturesque cal description? What furnish many description? That these may be right- beautiful instances of poetical descriply selected, what general directions are tion? Of Ossian, what is observed? given? How will these general rules What passage is introduced as one of be best understood? Which is the lar- his fullest descriptions? Of Shakspeare gest and fullest professed descriptive as a descriptive poet, what is observed; composition in any language; and of it, and what instance is given? Upon what is observed? What is its style? what does much of the beauty of deNotwithstanding this defect, of him, scriptive poetry depend? On this partiwhat is observed? What had he stu- cular, what remarks are made? What died and copied; and being enamour-poems of Virgil, and of Horace, must ed of her beauties, what was the con- be assigned to this class; and why? sequence? Transmitting the impres- What should every epithet do? To il sion which he felt to his readers, what lustrate this, what example is given follows? What instances of beautiful from Milton? Of the epithets here emdescription might be given; but what ployed, what is observed? How is this one only is produced? Repeat it. Of illustrated? But, of what kind are this passage, what is remarked? Re- there many epithets? Of this kind, peat the eulogium which Dr. Johnson what instances are given? What do gives of Thompson. What is said of they give to the language; but what Mr. Parnell's tale of the Hermit? In it, is their effect? What is, sometimes, in what are pieces of very fine painting; the power of a poet of genius? In what and of them, what is observed? But of lines may we remark this effect?

ANALYSIS.

A. The manner of its execution.
B. Method and order essential.
c. Episodes and embellishments.
D. Satirical poems.

E. Poetical epistles.

F. Didactic writers of eminence.
Descriptive poetry.

Among these wild scenes, what is ad-
mirably imagined; and by this one 1. Didactic poetry.
word, presenting what? Akin to this,
is what epithet? What does he say?
Repeat the passage. What comment
has been made on this passage? In ac-
counting for what, has Virgil employ-
ed an epithet with great beauty and 2.
propriety? Repeat the passage. Of
what may these instances and obser-
vations give some just idea? When
have we reason to distrust an author's
descriptive talents? Of the best de-
scriptions, what is observed? What
features of an object do they set before
us, and what do they give us?

A. Description the test of a poet's imagination.

a. The selection of circumstances. B. The character of Thompson's Sea

sons.

c. Parnell, Milton, &c. descriptive poets.

D. Homer, Virgil, &c. descriptive poets. a. A proper choice of epithets of great importance.

LECTURE XLI.

THE POETRY OF THE HEBREWS.

AMONG the various kinds of poetry which we are, at present, employed in examining, the ancient Hebrew poetry, or that of the Scriptures, justly deserves a place. Viewing these sacred books in no higher light, than as they present to us the most ancient monuments of poetry extant, at this day, in the world, they afford a curious object of criticism. They display the taste of a remote age and country. They exhibit a species of composition, very different from any other with which we are acquainted, and, at the same time, beautiful. Considered as inspired writings, they give rise to discussions of another kind. But it is our business, at present, to consider them not in a theological, but in a critical view and it must needs give pleasure, if we shall find the beauty and dignity of the composition, adequate to the weight and importance of the matter. Dr. Lowth's learned treatise, De Sacra Poesi Hebræorum,' ought to be perised by all who desire to become thoroughly acquainted with this subject. It is a work exceedingly valuable, both for the elegance of its composition, and for the justness of the criticism which it contains. In this lecture, as I cannot illustrate the subject with more benefit to the reader, than by following the track of that ingenious author, I shall make much use of his observations.

I need not spend many words in showing, that among the books of the Old Testament, there is such an apparent diversity in style, as sufficiently discovers, which of them are to be considered as poetical, and which as prose compositions. While the historical books, and legislative writings of Moses, are evidently prosaic in the composition, the book of Job, the Psalms of David, the Song of Solomon, the Lamentations of Jeremiah, a great part of the prophetical writings, and several passages scattered occasionally through the historical books, carry the most plain and distinguishing marks of poetical writing.

There is not the least reason for doubting, that originally these