9S 



ON THE MACHINERY OF THE 

 ANCIENT EPIC POEM. 



BY THE REV. GEORGE WALKER, F. R S. 

 Read Dec 2, 1800, 



If prejudice apart from sound judgment de- 

 cide in matters of religion and philosophy, 

 where sound judgment alone ought to be 

 sovereign, it is not to be wondered,, if her capri- 

 cious authority be sometimes found to usurp in 

 the less regulated provinces of taste and cri- 

 ticism, and her influence be found equally 

 injurious to truth in each. It has been said, 

 that, when system begins, genius ends. This,. 

 like many other bold maxims, whose very 

 baldness conciliates belief, must be subject to 

 numerous exceptions ; for men of rcspectable 

 talents are found among the friends and 

 patrons of system ; particular systems owe their 

 very birth to eminent genius, and the system 

 of the universe Is referred to genius of the 

 sublimest form. The maxim therefore is not 

 universally true, for genius may be the author 

 of system, and genius may be laudably exer- 

 cised in conformity to system. But still there 

 IS a considerable degree of ti'uth in the maxim ; 

 for systems, however fabricated, and to other 



