54 



children, and that infants delight in it. The Sicilian bard, who was no 

 flranger to the voice of natnre, felt, acknowledged, and applied its 

 truth, in one of the moll charming verfes that ever fell from the pen of 

 a poet. 



While the Greek language retained its purity, we have feen that no 

 poem profeffedly in rhime, diftinguiflied its verfe. From the time of 

 Homer to that of Gregory Nazianzene, at the latter end of the fourth 

 century, was confiderably more than a thoufand years ; and fo long did 

 this admirable language continue, if not in all its ancient fplendor, at 

 lead an expreffive and harmonious tongue. The chriftian Ifocrates may 

 be efteemed the lafl: of that great and fallen people, a dreadful memento 

 of poor humanity! After this time, certain hymns, it is faid, began to 

 be compofed for the Greek church, in rhime, which, fliould they be 

 the fame, continue to be fung by that communion. Indeed, as the firfl: 

 poetry of every nation has generally been employed in religious pur- 

 pofes, chriflianity, when flie ceafed to be perfecuted, would naturally 

 recommend herfelf in numbers ; and in order to give a more facred 

 air to the new religion, might wifli through the emphafis of the rhime, 

 fo happily adapted to mufic, both to draw attention, and to intereft the 

 heart, by an impreffive devotion. Could the date, however, of thefe 

 hymns be well afcertained, we miglit probably determine the firft rhimes 

 in the Greek, after its declenfion ; a painful and mortifying enquiry, that 

 would reward us only with the recognition of what it was, the bitter 

 downfal of the finefl; language that ever elevated man above the brute; 

 and bring us at lad -to the tenth or eleventh century, Humbling on a 

 miferable epigram, or an impious epitaph, whofe wretched rhime, while 

 it humbles human pride, proves that of all barbarians a Bad Tajle is the 

 worft. " Eo funt redafti miferi Grceci, ut nee legere nee cantare GrKce 

 " fciunt amiflbque omni priftino cultu, cum castcris barbaris ritibus, mufam 

 " quoque barbaram fmt amplexi." (Jofs. de Poem, cant, Sffc.) 



Of the Latin it is more difficult to fpeak : and here it is not material 

 to our purpofe whether the old Etrufcan was Canaanitifli, or Phrygian, 

 or Pelafgic : its original uncouthnefs is acknowledged, and it was not till 



after 



