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fanaticisms of well-meaning but misguided zealots had fubfided, every fpecies of ufeful and elegant knowledge recovered its ftrength, and arofe with new vigour. Acquifitions, whether in theology or humanity, were no longer exclufively confined to the clergy: the laity eagerly embraced those purfuits from which they had long been unjustly restrained : and, foon after the reign of Elisabeth, men attained that state of general improvement, and those fituations with refpect to literature and life, in which they have ever fince perfevered.

But it remains to bring home, and to apply, this change in the fentiments of mankind, to our main subject. The customs, institutions, traditions, and religion, of the middle ages, were favorable to poetry. Their pageaunts, proceffions, spectacles, and ceremonies, were friendly to imagery, to personification and allegory. Ignorance and fuperftition, so opposite to the real interests of human fociety, are the parents of imagination. The very devotion of the Gothic times was romantic. The catholic worship, befides that its numerous exteriour appendages were of a picturesque and even of a poetical nature, difpofed the mind to a state of deception, and encouraged, or rather authorised, every fpecies of credulity: its vifions, miracles, and legends, propagated a general propenfity to the Marvellous, and ftrengthened the belief of fpectres, demons, witches, and incantations. Thefe illufions were heightened by churches of a wonderful mechanism, and constructed on fuch principles of inexplicable architecture as had a tendency to imprefs the foul with every false fenfation of religious fear. The favage pomp and the capricious heroism of the baronial manners, were replete with incident, adventure, and enterprise and the intractable genius of the feudal policy, held forth thofe irregularities of conduct, difcordancies of intereft, and diffimilarities of fituation, that framed rich materials for the minstrel-muse. The tacit compact of fashion, which promotes civility by

diffufing

diffusing habits of uniformity, and therefore destroys peculiarities of character and fituation, had not yet operated upon life: nor had domestic convenience abolished unwieldy magnificence. Literature, and a better sense of things, not only banished these barbarities, but fuperfeded the mode of compofition which was formed upon them. Romantic poetry gave way to the force of reafon and inquiry; as its own inchanted palaces and gardens instantaneously vanished, when the christian champion displayed the fhield of truth, and baffled the charm of the necromancer. The study of the claffics, together with a colder magic and a tamer mythology, introduced method into compofition: and the univerfal ambition of rivalling those new patterns of excellence, the faultless models of Greece and Rome, produced that bane of invention, IMITATION. Erudition was made to act upon genius. Fancy was weakened by reflection and philofophy. The fashion of treating every thing scientifically, applied fpeculation and theory to the arts of writing. Judgment was advanced above imagination, and rules of criticism were established. The brave eccentricities of original genius, and the daring hardinefs of native thought, were intimidated by metaphyfical fentiments of perfection and refinement. Setting afide the confideration of the more folid advantages, which are obvious, and are not the diftinct object of our contemplation at prefent, the lover of true poetry will afk, what have we gained by this revolution? It may be anfwered, much good fenfe, good tafte, and good criticism. But, in the mean time, we have loft a set of manners, and a system of machinery, more fuitable to the purposes of poetry, than those which have been adopted in their place. We have parted with extravagancies that are above propriety, with incredibilities that are more acceptable than truth, and with fictions that are more valuable than reality.

END OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

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