AN INTRODUCTORY LECTURE ON POETRY. 81 



Memnon's head is another precious antique gem. The statue of 

 Memnon was, it appears, afflicted with a singing in the head every 

 morning at sunrise, and emitted vocal sounds of a very mysterious 

 nature. Hence, modern bards have delighted to refer their matu- 

 tinal poetical sensations to that head; and you cannot fail to have 

 met with the old vocalist very frequently in recent productions. 

 Make a memorandum of Memnon. The lithanthropist is to be found 

 in Egypt, and is not only of considerable size, but is also of no despi- 

 cable antiquity. You will there find him in statu-e quo ; and as he 

 has long given over singing, and does not seem disposed to " try it 

 back," there can be no earthly reason why you should not put for- 

 ward his head whenever your own heads are at a nonplus. 



You will frequently, my young friends, when you may chance to 

 be in the heroics, have occasion to denounce corruption in whatever 

 form it may exist, and in whatever manner it may chance to exercise 

 its blighting influence. Upon such occasions do not fail to remember 

 the invaluable upas tree. Of all the trees in the wildernesss of 

 poetry commend me to the upas. Sir Henry Steuart never transplanted 

 trees with such success as this has been transplanted into modern 

 poems. The elm, the beech, the ash, the fir, Avither before it. You 

 cannot hoax us with the oak after this you cannot put off the poplar 

 even the aspen is " no great shakes." Religiously cultivate the 

 upas, by all means although the prosers, I perceive, have lately 

 laid hold upon, and set it in their sterile and unproductive soils. 



And this circumstance reminds me that the prosers have long ago 

 adopted the plan which I have now the honour of enforcing upon 

 your attention. I will merely give one instance in corroboration of 

 my assertion. It was said by the great Julius that " Caesar's wife 

 must not even be suspected/' Now, I will venture to affirm, that if 

 a race of Caesars, lineally descended from the great Julius, had been 

 brought down in an unbroken line to the present period ; and had 

 each of these unceasing Caesars said the same thing, they would not 

 be in number comparable to those who have turned the saying to 

 account. I must say, I do humbly think that (although I should be 

 sorry to restrain the march of repetition) we have had this rather too 

 often. The last time I chanced to meet with it was in an interesting 

 work, called " Sugden on Powers," in which it was brought forward 

 to illustrate the extremely sensitive tenure by which the validity of 

 some species of deed was held. 



But to return. These, and images like these, will stand you in 

 good stead in your poetical exercitations. I think I need not multi- 

 ply examples. The few I have selected will suffice for your present 

 guidance. Do not, however, mistake me. You are not always 

 bound to liken your feelings or sensations to well authenticated facts, 

 such as the excursion of the dove, or the solo-singing of Memnon ; 

 still less are you compelled to characterize vice by comparing it with 

 some baleful growth in nature or virtue, by suggesting similitudes 

 borrowed from the stars. Names that carry a good sound with them 

 will sometimes serve your purpose admirably. Thus, when you 

 lament the decline of Greece " Marathon," " Thermopylae," " blue 



M.M. No. 1. M 



