146 



poliflied. I do not apprehend that the pofition, which he has laid down, 

 in fuch latitude, is warranted by experience, or the hiftory of human 

 intelleft, or human fociety. I do not think that it is fupported, by the 

 quotations and inftances adduced by the amiable author himfelf. I apprehend, 

 that he is rather too eager to prefs the more ancient Greek poets into the 

 fervice of love, and that he does not fufficiently diflinguilh, as I would wifh 

 the reader to do, between the ftrains of the voluptuary and the fenfualilt, 

 and the poetry of love. The Greek poets to whom he refers, as Alcman 

 and Ibycus, and perhaps a few paflages, in the dramatic writers, in the way 

 of general reflexion on the univerfal dominion and power of love, do not, 

 by any means, fupport his pofition to the extent in which it is advanced, of the 

 univerfal and early prevalence of love poetry, even in the firfl: and rudefl: 

 ftages of fociety. The Greek poets in queftion, wrote when fociety 

 was very far advanced, when politenefs and luxury had reached a very 

 high pitch, and in countries, too, where politenefs and luxury peculiarly 

 prevailed. Such inftances, therefore, do not illuftrate or fupport his opinion. 

 And befides, I cannot bring myfelf to give the names of amatory poets 

 on fuch writers as Alcman, Ibycus, or Anacreon, who devoted their mufes 

 to pleafure and fenfual enjoyments, and fung the charms of mirth and 

 revelry, and indifcriminate indulgence with the fair fex, without entering 

 into the bofom like Sappho, and painting the tumults of defire, the 

 emotions of paffion ; — as well might we give the title of erotic poets, to 

 fuch modern writers, as Chaulieu, La Fare, and Grecourt. 



It is true that the influence of beauty is univerfal, that there is no 

 race fo favage and uncultivated ; no bread fo dull and gloomy, as to be 

 infenfible to its enchanting fplendour. This, no doubt, is true in a cer- 

 tain degree, but in the manners of the heroic ages are many peculiar 

 circumftances which ferve to guarantee men in that flate of fociety, 

 againfl the fweet feduflions of love. Sir William Jones quotes * Carci- 

 hilTo, to fliew that the Peruvians excelled in amatory poetry, and 

 moft exprefllve love fongs. But it will occur to the recolleftion- of 



every 



* See Sir William Jones, Pocfeos Afi.it. Comment. Cap. 15, de Poefi Amatoria, 

 Works, vol. 2. page 543. 



