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ten dialogues, which are sprightly and agreeable; but his characters, whoever his perfonages be, all become Frenchmen. The divine dialogues of Dr. Henry More amid the academic ftiffness of the age are often remarkable for character and vivacity. Bishop Berkley's dialogues are abftra&t, yet perspicuous.

EPISTOLARY WRITING.

IN epiftolary writing we expect ease and familiarity;

and much of its charm depends on its introducing us into fome acquaintance with the writer. Its fundamental requifites are nature and fimplicity, fprightli nefs and wit. The ftyle of letters, like that of converfation, fhould flow eafily. It ought to be neat and correct, but no more. Cicero's epiftles are the most valuable collection of letters, extant in any language. They are compofed with purity and elegance, but without the leaft affectation. Several letters of Lord Bolingbroke and of Bishop Atterbury are mafterly. In those of Pope there is generally too much study; and his letters to ladies in particular are full of affectation. Those of Swift and Arbuthnot are written with eafe and fimplicity. Of a familiar correfpondence the most accomplished mod el are the letters of Madame de Sevignè. They are easy, varied, lively, and beautiful. The letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montague are perhaps more agreeable to the epiftolary ftyle, than any in the English language.

FICTITIOUS HISTORY.

THIS fpecies of composition includes a very nu

merous, and in general a very infignificant class of writings, called romances and novels. Of these however the influence is known to be great both on the morals and taste of a nation. Notwithstanding the bad ends, to which this mode of writing is applied, it might be employed for very useful purposes. Romances and novels defcribe human life and manners, and discover the errors, into which we are betrayed by the paffions. Wife men in all ages have used fables and fictions, as vehicles of knowledge; and it is an obfervation of Lord Bacon, that the common affairs of the world are insufficient to fill the mind of man. He must create worlds of his own, and wander in the regions of imagination.

All nations whatfoever have discovered a love of fiction, and talents for invention. The Indians, Perfians, and Arabians abounded in fables and parables. A. mong the Greeks we hear of the Ionian and Milefian tales. During the dark ages fiction affumed an unusual form from the prevalence of chivalry. Romances arose, and carried the marvellous to its fummit. Their knights were patterns not only of the most heroic courage, but of religion, generofity, courtesy, and fidelity; and the hercines were no lefs diftinguished for modesty, delicacy, and dignity of manners. Of thefe romances the

most perfect model is the Orlando Furiofo. But, as magic and enchantment came to be disbelieved and ridiculed, the chivalerian romances were discontinued, and were fucceeded by a new fpecies of fictitious writing.

Of the fecond stage of romance writing the Cleopatra of Madame Scuderi and the Arcadia of Sir Philip Sydney are good examples. In these however there was still too large a proportion of the marvellous; and the books were too voluminous and tedious. Romance writing appeared therefore in a new form; and dwinaled down to the familiar novel. Interesting fituations in real life are the groundwork of novel writing. Upon this plan the French have produced fome works of confiderable merit. Such are the Gil Blas of Le Sage and the Marianne of Marivaux.

In this mode of writing the English are inferior to the French; yet in this kind there are fome performances, which difscover the strength of the British genius. No fiction was ever better, supported, than the Adventures of Robinson Crufoe. Fielding's novels are highly diftinguished for humor and boldness of character. Richardson, the author of Clarissa, is the most moral of all our novel writers; but he poffeffes the unfortunate talent of spinning out pieces of amusement into an immeafurable length. The trivial performances, which daily appear under the title of lives, adventures, and hiftories, by anonymous authors, are most infipid; and, it must be confeffed, often tend to deprave the morals, and to encourage diffipation and idleness.

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NATURE OF POETRY.

Its ORIGIN and PROGRESS. VERSIFICATION.

WHAT, it may be asked, is poetry; and how

does it differ from profe? Many disputes have been maintained among critics upon these questions. The effence of poetry is fuppofed by Ariftotle, Plato, and others, to consist in fiction. But this is too limited a defcription. Many think' the characteristic of poetry lies in imitation. But imitation of manners and characters may be carried on in profe as well, as in poetry.

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Perhaps the best definition is this, "poetry is the language of paffion, or of enlivened imagination, "formed most commonly into regular numbers." As the primary object of a poet is to pleafe and to move; it is to the imagination and the paffions, that he addreffes himself. It is by pleafing and moving, that he aims to inftruct and reform.

Poetry is older, than profe. In the beginning of fociety there were occafions, upon which men met together for feafts and facrifices, when music, dancing, and fongs were the chief entertainment. The meetings of American tribes are diftinguished by mufic and fongs. In fongs they celebrate their religious rites and martial achievements; and in fuch fongs we trace the beginning of poetic compofition.

Man is by nature both a poet and musician. The fame impulfe, which produced a poetic ftyle, prompted a certain melody, or modulation of found, fuited to the emotions of joy or grief, love or anger. Mufic and poetry are united in fong, and mutually affift and exalt each other. The first poets fung their own verses. Hence the origin of verfification, or the arrangement of words to tune or melody.

Poems and

Poets and fongs are the first objects, that make their appearance in all nations. Apollo, Orpheus, and Amphion were the firft tamers of mankind among the Greeks. The Gothic nations had their fcalders, or poets. The Celtic tribes had their bards. fongs are among the antiquities of all countries; and, as the occafions of their being compofed are nearly the fame; fo they remarkably refemble each other in ftyle. They comprise the celebration of gods, and heroes, and victories. They abound in fire and enthufiafm; they are wild, irregular, and glowing.

During the infancy of poetry all its different kinds were mingled in the fame compofition; but in the progrefs of fociety poems affumed their different regular forms. Time feparated into claffes the feveral kinds of poetic compofition. The ode and the elegy, the epic poem and the drama, are all reduced to rule, and exercife the acutenefs of criticism.

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