Jl6 



linalterable necessity of exerting his persuasive powers nearly 

 in the same manner. 



Poetry is an imitative, or rather a descriptive art, and the 

 objects with which it is principally conversant, are the actions 

 and characters of man, and the external appearance of nature. 

 Now that the actions and characters of mankind are nearly 

 the same in all ages, we need not here repeat; and as to 

 the manners, it is an observation equally old and just, that 

 the most favourable , asra for the higher orders of poetry is a 

 period of imperfect civilisation. In this state, man being more 

 dependant on his own individual exertions, than in a more 

 perfect form of society, is less under the necessity of regulat- 

 ing his behaviour according to the pleasure of those around 

 him, his actions are restrained by no artificial deUcacy, his 

 manners mellowed indeed from the harsh asperity of the sa- 

 vage, but far from that insipid sweetness too generally found 

 in the modern fine gentleman. The bold swellings of his 

 soul are not taught to subside to the level of good breeding, 

 nor is the strong and varied expression of his feeling lost in 

 (what is too often) the monotony of decorum. Here there- 

 fore, before man has assumed that veil of politeness, which, 

 except to a very minute inspector, gives such an uniform 

 appearance to society, the poet has an opportunity of ob- 

 serving the natural movements of the mind, the original and 

 unconstrained features of the human character. Accord- 

 ingly we find in Homer the most natural characters, which 

 jvill always retain their power over the mind, because being 



