NURSERY POETRY. 283 



poem they are about to criticise, I do not feel myself " obligated," 

 as they say at the police offices, to follow the general example. I 

 am perfectly independent in every thing, and in nothing more so 

 than in matters pertaining to criticism. Here then is the poem to 

 whose matchless excellences I am about to call the attention of my 

 readers : 



" Jack and Gill went up the hill 



To fetch a pail of water ; 

 Jack fell down and broke his crown, 



And Gill came tumbling after '." 



It will at once be perceived by the intelligent reader, that this 

 poem has in it all the qualities of an heroic poem. The grand essen- 

 tials of such a poem are admitted on all hands, from Aristotle down 

 to the most modern critic, to be, that it have a hero, a beginning, a 

 middle, and an end. It is undeniable on the face of it, that this 

 poem possesses all these properties. It has certainly one hero, if 

 not two ; if the latter, so much the better. To go into any length- 

 ened or elaborate arguments to prove that the poem has a begin- 

 ning, a middle, and an end, would be justly deemed an unpardon- 

 able insult to the understanding of my readers. 



The way in which the poem commences is particularly happy. 

 Had Homer been the author, he would have begun with an invoca- 

 tion to the " Heavenly Goddess" to assist him. Virgil would have 

 apostrophised " the Muse;" and Milton would have supplicated the 

 inspiration of the " Heavenly Muse.' 5 There is nothing of the kind 

 here. The poet's good sense taught him to discard all such non- 

 sense. What do readers care about " Heavenly Goddesses/' " Sacred 

 Nines," " Celestial Muses," and so forth. All they want is a good 

 poem. If the poet courts the Muse, and wishes, like the kindred 

 moonstruck swains who are captivated with the charms of some ter- 

 restrial damsel, to fall down on his knees and worship his mistress, 

 why, let him by all means do her homage to his heart's content, but 

 let it be done in secret ; let him not expose himself to the unhallowed 

 gaze of a vulgar world. If the nymphs of Helicon have a particle 

 of modesty in them, they must frown on all such worshippers, and 

 spurn their proffered addresses. 



One great fault of all the heroic poems which have attained any 

 celebrity, is that their authors weary out the reader with tedious 

 and elaborate exordiums, before they reach the subject matter of 

 the poem. Not so in the instance before us. The poet at once 

 introduces us to the subject and the hero.* Let the reader attend 

 to the very first line : 



" Jack and Gill went up the hill." 



A poet of less judgment than my author would certainly have 

 drawn largely on the time and patience of the reader, by a length- 



* It may admit of doubt, as I said before, whether there be only one hero, 

 or two heroes. Whatever the fact may be, it does not in the least affect my 

 argument. 



