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understood, if we premise a short inquiry into the ori gin and early use of this style of composition.

The origin and first use of poetical language are undoubtedly to be traced into the vehement affections of the mind. For what is meant by that singular frenzy of poets, which the Greeks, ascribing to divine inspiration, distinguished by the appellation of enthusiasm, but a style and expression directly prompted by nature itself, and exhibiting the true and express image of a mind violently agitated? When, as it were, the secret avenues, the interior recesses of the soul are thrown open; when the inmost conceptions are displayed, rushing together in one turbid stream, without order or connection. Hence sudden exclamations, frequent interrogations, apostrophes even to inanimate objects: for to those, who are violently agitated themselves, the universal nature of things seems under a necessity of being affected with similar emotions. Every impulse of the mind, however, has not only a peculiar style and expression, but a certain tone of voice and a certain gesture of the body adapted to it some, indeed, not satisfied with that expression which language affords, have added to it dancing and song; and as we know there existed in the first ages a very strict connection between these arts and that of poetry, we may possibly be indebted to them for the accurately admeasured verses and feet, to the end that the modulation of the language might accord with the music of the voice, and the motion of the body.

Poetry, in this its rude origin and commencement, being derived from nature, was in time improved by art, and applied to the purposes of utility and delight. For as it owed its birth to the affections of the mind, and had availed itself of the assistance of harmony, it was found, on account of the exact and vivid delineation of the ob

jects which it described, to be excellently adapted to the exciting of every internal emotion, and making a more forcible impression upon the mind than abstract reasoning could possibly effect; it was found capable of interesting and affecting the senses and passions, of captivating the ear, of directing the perception to the minutest circumstances, and of assisting the memory in the retention of them. Whatever therefore deserved to be generally known and accurately remembered, was (by those men, who on this very account were denominated wise3) adorned with a jocund and captivating style, illuminated with the varied and splendid colouring of language, and moulded into sentences comprehensive, pointed and harmonious. It became the peculiar province of poetry to depict the great, the beautiful, the becoming, the virtuous; to embellish and recommend the precepts of re

3 The bards, or poets, are enumerated by the SoN OF SIRACH, among the wise and illustrious men of former times:

"Wise and eloquent in their instructions,
"Such as found out musical tunes,

"And recited written verses."

ECCLUS xliv. 4.

Observe also, whether those four, whose wisdom is so much celebrated, 1 KINGS iv. 31. Beni Machol, be not Sons of the Choir; that is, musicians or poets: for they were (not sons of Mahol, as our translators render it, taking an appellative for a proper name, but) sons of Zerach, as appears from 1 CHRON. ii. 6. "Whence the eldest of them, Ethan, was also called "Ha-Ezrachi, 1 KINGS iv. 31. where the Targum expressly has it Bar Zerach, son of Zerach." H. Among the Greeks also the poets were anciently called wise men, or sophists:

"Rosy Venus, queen of all!

"So the wise bright Venus call."

That is, the poets. So also Pindar

"Sung by the wise,

"And honour'd by the will of Jove."

ANACREON.

Ist. V. 36.

Upon which passage the Scholiast: "The poets are commonly called wise "men, and sophists." "The poets preceded these (the philosophers) by

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some ages; and before the name of philosopher was known were called "wise men." LACTANTIUS, Lib. V. 5. Author's Note.

ligion and virtue, to transmit to posterity excellent and sublime actions and sayings; to celebrate the works of the Deity, his beneficence, his wisdom; to record the memorials of the past, and the predictions of the future. In each of these departments poetry was of singular utility, since before any characters expressive of sounds were invented, at least before they were commonly received, and applied to general use, it seems to have afforded the only means of preserving the rude science of the early times; and in this respect, to have rendered the want of letters more tolerable: it seems also to have acted the part of a public herald, by whose voice each memorable transaction of antiquity was proclaimed and transmitted through different ages and nations.

Such appears by the testimony of authors to have been the undoubted origin of poetry among heathen nations. It is evident that Greece for several successive ages was possessed of no records but the poetic: for the first who published a prose oration was Pherecydes, a man of the isle of Syrus, and contemporary with king Cyrus, who lived some ages posterior to that of Homer and Hesiod: somewhat after that time Cadmus the Milesian began to compose history. The laws themselves were metrical, and adapted to certain music, al notes: such were the laws of Charondas, which were sung at the banquets of the Athenians: such were

4 STRABO Geog. Lib. I. PLIN. Nat. Hist. Lib. VII. 56, & V. 29. This matter is well explained by Isidorus, however rashly some learned men may have taken it. "It is well known," says he, "that among the Greeks, as "well as among the Latins, metrical composition was much more ancient "than prose. Every species of knowledge was at first contained in poetry: "it was long before prose composition flourished. The first man among "the Greeks, who composed in prose, was Pherecydes Syrius; among the "Romans, Appius Cæcus first published a work in prose against Pyrrhus." ISIDOR. HISPAL. Orig. Lib. I. 27. Author's Note.

5 "The laws of Charondas were sung at banquets among the Athenians,

those which were delivered by the Cretans to the ingenuous youth to be learned by rote, with accompaniments of musical melody, in order that by the enchantment of harmony, the sentiments might be more forcibly impressed upon their memories. Hence certain poems were denominated reu (nomoi) which implied convivial or banqueting songs, as is remarked by Aristotle; who adds, that the same custom of chanting the laws to music, existed even in his own time among the Agathyrsi. If we may credit Strabo,' the Turdetani, a people of Spain, had laws in verse. But the Germans," as Tacitus positively asserts, had no records or annals but the traditional poems, in which they cele

"as Hermippus relates." ATHEN. Lib. XIV. 3. See BENTLEY's Dissertations on Phalaris, p. 373. Author's Note.

6 ELIAN, Var. Hist. L. II. 39.

"Why are laws called canticles? but that before alphabetical writing "was invented, the laws used to be sung, that they might be preserved in "remembrance? as is the custom still among the Agathyrsi." Prob. §. 19. Q. 28. Author's Note.

8 Possibly laws, which are in the sententious style, were originally precepts of equity and morals, and in course of time acquired authority in the courts of justice. There is much of this proverbial style in the ancient German laws and I am assured by good authority, in those of Sweden also. Moses himself is so sententious and compact, and pays so much attention to brevity in many of his laws, that he seems to have adopted into his code some well-known proverbs, containing the general principles of equity; of this I think there is an instance in Exod. xxiii. 5. in which there is a point and antithesis, more resembling the familiarity of a proverb than the dignity of a statute. To the example of the Lusitanians, we may add one more recent of the Swedes, who in the year 1748 published laws in M.

verse.

9 Geog. Lib. III.

10 After the extraordinary revolutions of Germany, and the dispersion of that people into different colonies, it is not surprizing that no monuments of the poetical records of our ancestors should remain. Scandinavia and Iceland have been more fortunate in this respect; there the records of their most ancient transactions are traditionally preserved to this day. These instances of a practice so agreeable to that of the Hebrews existing among a people so remote, serve to prove the great similarity in the human mind

brated the heroic exploits of their ancestors."

In the

same manner, and on the same account, the Persians,

throughout all the countries of the globe, and show that the most natural and early mode of preserving facts, has been by verses committed to memory, rather than by written documents. What Pocock relates of the Arabs, applies perhaps more directly to the present subject. “It seems,” he says, "to be entirely owing to their poetry, that so copious a language is pre"served in a perfect state. Among other commendations of their poetry, "they enumerate this, that both the purity of the Arabic language, and the propriety and elegance of their pronunciation, have owed their preserva"tion entirely to it. Ebn Phares observes, that the Arabic poems serve in "the place of commentaries, or annals, in which are recorded the series of "their genealogies, and all the facts of history deserving of remembrance, "and from which a knowledge of the language is to be collected." M.

However the antiquity of Ossian's poems, as exhibited to the public, may be doubted, it is certain that there exists in the Highlands of Scotland many remains of the ancient historical ballads, which, though in all probability of a much later date than the age of Ossian is pretended to be, contain many marks of wild genius, and I am informed from good authority furnished Mr. Macpherson with the bulk of his materials.

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11 To these testimonies concerning the early use of poetry, I will add a remarkable passage of Plutarch, which states summarily many facts relating to this circumstance. "The use of reason seems to resemble the ex"change of money: that which is good and lawful is generally current " and well known, and passes sometimes at a higher and sometimes at a "lower value. Thus, there was a time when the stamp and coin of all reasoning or composition was verse and song. Even history, philosophy, "every action and passion, which required grave or serious discussion, was "written in poetry and adapted to music. For what at present few will "attend to, was then by all men thought an object of importance: by “ ploughmen and by bird-catchers, according to PINDAR. For such was the "inclination for poetry at that period, that they adapted their very preIcepts and instructions to vocal and instrumental music, and exhorted, reproved, and persuaded by fables or allegories. The praises also of "their gods, their prayers, and thanksgivings after victory, were all com"posed in verse; some through the love of harmony, and some through "custom. It is not therefore that Apollo envies the science of divination "this ornament, nor did he design to banish from the Tripos his beloved "muse; he rather wished to introduce her as one who loved harmony and "excited to it; as one who was ready to assist the fancy and conception, "and to help to produce what was noble and sublime, as most becoming " and most to be admired." PLUT. Inquiry, why the Pythia now ceases to deliver her oracles in verse. Author's Note.

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See this subject treated at large, essays historical and moral, by G. GREGORY, Essay I. On the progress of manners, p. 31, 37, 39, 40, 43..

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