140 



fparingly, in the poems of Homer, that faithful painter of heroic 

 manners. We perceive none of the fine flrokes, the foft unfoldings 

 of the enamoured heart, that mark a writer, who has deeply ftudied 

 the tender emotions. Hefwd has nothing of it. There is very Uttle 

 of it in the Argonautics, falfeiy afcribed to Orpheus * though the 

 event of the poem hinges on a love intrigue. It is furprizing, how 

 little of love we find in the numerous plays, which yet remain of the 

 three great tragedians of Greece ; and as to the poem falfeiy afcribed 

 to Mufieus, on the fubjeft of the Loves of Hero and Leander. It is 

 confeffedly, the produftion of an age long fubfequent, indeed, to that 

 of the venerable Mufatis, who was the fon, according to fome, and 

 certainly the difciple of Orpheus, and contemporary with David the 

 monarch, the bard, and prophet of the Jews. Alcman or Alanxon,-ss\iQ feems 

 to have been the firft writer, who devoted his talents exprefsly to amatory 

 compofitions, which he wrote in lyric meafure, was a native of Sardis in 

 LydJa, a city and a region then flourifliing in commerce, wealth, and fplen- 

 dor, and plunged in all the gratifications of luxury and fenfual indul- 

 gence. This mud have imparted a more than Afiatic foftnefs to the 

 manners of the inhabitants ; and befides, Alcman appears to have flou- 

 riflied, full three hundred years fubfequent to HomerA A fmall frag- 

 ment of this writer remains ; it is cited by Athenans. Alcman fpeaks 

 thus of himfelf, and, his own feelings, in thofe lines, which are to 

 be found in Athenmis. 



The joys which Venus can beftow, 

 With fweetnefs all my foul o'erfiow, 



Ty\vy,^(j xMEi^uv xaeOiCiy lutm* 



Alcaus, the illudrious poet of Lejbos, the inventor of that noblefl: 

 kind of lyric meafure, Alcaic verfe, amidft the various objefts, which 



employed 



* Far from offering the delicate ftrokes of nature, and feminine feelings, which are 

 found in ApoUonius Rhodlus, Onomacritus, the author of this poem reprefents Mtdia as 

 3 bold, forward, and ferocious wanton. 

 , + Saxii Vol. I, Pa. 15. 



