Many Latin poets of later ages have imitated him, Cafimir, a Polifh poet of the last century, is of this number; and discovers a confiderable degree of original genius and poetic fire. He is however far inferior to the Roman in graceful expreffion. Buchanan in fome of his lyric compofitions is very elegant and clas fical. In our own language Dryden's ode on St. Cecilia is well known. Mr. Gray in fome of his odes is cele brated for tenderness and fublimity; and in Dodfley's Miscellanies are feveral very beautiful lyric poems, Profeffedly Pindaric odes are feldom intelligible. Cowley is doubly harsh in his Pindaric compofitions. His Anacreontic odes are happier; and perhaps the most agreeable and perfect in their kind of all his poems, O DIDACTIC POETRY, OF didactic poetry it is the exprefs intention to con vey inftruction and knowledge. It may be executed in different ways. The poet may treat fome inftructive fubject in a regular form; or without intending a great or regular work he may inveigh again particular vices, or make fome moral obfervations on human life and characters. The higheft fpecies of didactic poetry is a regular treatise on some philofophical, grave, or ufeful fubject, i Such are the books of Lucretius de Rerum Natura, the Georgics of Virgil, Pope's Effay on Criticifm, Akenfide's Pleasures of the Imagination, Armstrong on Health, and the Art of Poetry by Horace, Vida, and Boileau. In all fuch works, as inftruction is the profeffed object, the chief merit confifts in found thought, just principles, and apt illuftrations. It is neceffary however that the poet enliven his leffons by figures, incidents, and poetical painting. Virgil in his Georgics embellishes the most trivial circumftances in rural life. When he teaches that the labor of the farmer must be gin in fpring, he expreffes himself thus ; Vere novo gelidus canis cum montibus humor In all didactic works fuch method is requifite, as will clearly exhibit a connected train of instruction. With regard to epifodes and embellishments writers of didactic poetry are indulged great liberties. For in a poetical performance a continued series of instruction without embellishment foon fatigues. The digreffions in the Georgics of Virgil are his principal beauties. The happiness of a country life, the fable of Arifteus, and the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, cannot be praifed too much. A didactic poet ought alfo to connect his epifodes with his fubject. In this Virgil is eminent. Among modern didactic poets Akenfide and Armstrong are diftinguished. The former is rich and poetical; but the latter maintains greater equality, and more chaste and correct elegance. Of didactic poetry fatires and epiftles run into the most familiar style. Satire seems to have been at first a relic of antient comedy, the groffnefs of which was corrected by Ennius and Lucilius. At length Horace brought it into its prefent form. Reformation of manners is its profeffed end; and vice and vicious characters are the objects of its cenfure. There are three dif ferent modes, in which it has been conducted by the three great antient fatirifts, Horace, Juvenal, and Perfius. The fatires of Horace have not much elevation. They exhibit a measured profe. Eafe and grace characterize his manner; and he glances rather at the follies and weaknesses of mankind, than at their vices. He fmiles, while he reproves. He moralizes, like a found philofopher, but with the politeness of a courtier. Ju venal is more declamatory and ferious; and has great. er ftrength and fire. Perfius has diftinguifhed himself by a noble and fublime morality. Poetical epiles, when employed on moral or critical fubjects, feldom rife into a higher ftrain of poetry, than fatires. But in the epiftolary form many other fubjects may be treated; as love, poetry, or elegiac. The ethical epiftles of Pope are a model; and in them he fhows the strength of his genius. Here he had a full opportunity for displaying his judgment and wit, his concife and happy expreffion, together with the harmony of his numbers. His imitations of Horace are fo happy, that it is difficult to fay, whether the original or the copy ought to be most admired. Among moral and didactic writers Dr. Young ought not to be passed over in filence. Genius appears in all his works; but his Univerfal Paffion may be confidered, as poffeffing the full merit of that animated concifenefs, particularly requifite in fatirical and didactic compofitions. At the fame time it is to be obferved, that his wit is often too fparkling, and his fentences too pointed. In his Night Thoughts there is great energy of expreffion, feveral pathetic paffages, many happy images, and many pious reflections. But the fentiments are frequently overstrained and turgid, and the style harsh and obscure. IN DESCRIPTIVE POETRY. N defcriptive poetry the highest exertions of genius may be displayed. In general indeed defcription is introduced, as an embellishment, not as the fubject of a regular work. It is the teft of a poet's imagination, and always distinguishes an original from a second rate genius. A writer of an inferior class fees nothing new or peculiar in the object, he would paint; his conceptions are loose and vague; and his expreffions feeble and general. A true poet places an object before our eyes. He gives it the coloring of life; a painter might copy from him. The great art of picturefque description lies in the felection of circumstances. These ought never to be vulgar or common. They fhould mark strongly the object. No general defcription is good; all diftinct ideas are formed upon particulars. There fhould alfo be uniformity in the circumstances felected. In defcribing a great object every circumftance brought forward fhould tend to aggrandize; and in defcribing a gay object all the circumstances should tend to beautify it. Laftly, the circumstances in defcription should be expreffed with concifenefs and fimplicity. The largest and fulleft defcriptive performance in perhaps any language is Thomfon's Seafons; a work, which poffeffes very uncommon merit. The style is fplendid and strong, but fometimes harsh and indistinct. He is an animated and beautiful deferiber; for he had a feeling heart and a warm imagination. He studied nature with care; was enamoured of her beauties; and had the happy talent of painting them, like a mafter. To fhow the power of a fingle well chofen circum |