Dr. Barnes on Poetry, 57 
ii moment to honour with that name ? Is not 
Telemachus a noble epic poem ? For who 
would dare to degrade it to a lower character ? 
Who would refufe the appellation to, the Death of 
Abel, which thole, who underlland the German 
language, fpeak of with fo much rapture ? Or 
to the Incas of Marmontel, which the French 
celebrate, with equal enthufiafm of praife ! 
** Does not elevation of fentiment of itfelf 
produce modulation of language ? The foul, in- 
fpired with great ideas, naturally treads with a 
lofty ftep. There is a dignity in all her move¬ 
ments. She declaims, with a meafured, folemn, 
majeftic utterance. Her ftile is fonorous, and 
fwelli.ng. Thefe attributes indicate thefe con - 
Jlitute the poet. They give ftrength and feeling 
to his compofitions. Where thefe are found, 
who would look for any higher claims, before he 
would confer the palm of poetic honours ? Where 
thefe are wanting , what other properties could 
give, even the lhadow of a title ? Who would 
refufe the title of bard to the great Mailer-of 
Hebrew fong? For what can be more truly fub- 
lime, or poetical, than many of the Pfalms of 
David ? And yet, after the ingenious labours 
of the learned Dr. Lowth, the metre or rhythm 
has not been exadtly afcertained ; and probably 
will not, becaufe it does not exift. The har¬ 
mony of numbers, of which every ear muft be 
fenfible, arifes purely from the native impulfe of a 
foul. 
