remains of Greek and Roman devotional poetry, which have 

 happened to reach us) the compositions of classical times, 

 on sacred subjects, were not inferior in merit, to the other 

 ancient productions of the fine arts. The dithyramtics of 

 Pindar are said to have been the noblest effusions of his 

 genius; they were devotional hymns in honour of Bac- 

 chus. The hymns ascribed to Homer and Orpheus, and 

 those of Callimachus, are preserved; and shew how much 

 the spirit of devotion may elevate and adorn poetry. The 

 same may be said of the carmen seculare and other odes 

 of Horace. The anciertt pagan mythology was singularly 

 adapted to warm and captivate the imagination, by the 

 wildness and variety of its fictions. The traditions and 

 fables of paganism were, many of them, highly ingenious 

 and beautiful: susceptible, at once, of an allegorical mo- 

 rality, and of all the charms and graces of poetic ma- 

 nagement. The descriptions of divinities and their attri- 

 butes, and the rites by which they were adored, and the 

 solemn addresses to them, which occur in the ancient epic, 

 tragic and lyi'ic poets, are among the noblest and most 

 striking passages in their works. Among tlie wonderful 

 remains of ancient art and magnificence, which are yet 

 to be seen, in Egypt,* Gr€ece,-f- Italy ,|. Palmyra,^ Persia^ 

 and even in India,!] and astonish th<3 'traveller; some, by 



1 2 their 



* For the monuments of Egypt, see Briicc's Tiavcli, Deiion, i!id a work 

 of great merit, Mayer's Views in Egypt. 



t See Chandler's Travels, Stuart's Athens, &c. 



X See Ruins of Pcestum, Piranesi, Overbeke, Stolberg's Travel';. 



§ See Ruius of Palmyra, by Wood 



Ij See Chardin, &c. &c. 



