zZ Dr. Barnes on Poetry'. 
foul, infpired with fentiments, which it could 
not poffibly exprefs in any language, but what 
was fervid and poetical. 
“ By this theory, it may be faid, we account 
for the common remark, that the original language 
of mankind was poetical: becaufe, in the infancy 
of the world, every thing would naturally excite 
admiration, and vehement paflion. Their rude 
and imperfed fpeech would bear infcribed upon it, 
the (lamp of ftrong and animated feeling. It 
would refemble the harangues of Indian orators, 
at this day, whofe fpeeches are accompanied with 
tones and geftures, which to a cultivated 
European, appear extravagantly pompous. Their 
lives were full of danger and variety. New 
fcenes were continually opening upon them. 
Growing arts and fciences were prefenting new 
objeds of curiofity. Hence, their feelings were 
amazingly intenfe. And hence their language was 
boid, and poetically fublime. Longinus, in the 
fragment of a treatife, which is unhappily loft, 
has this fentiment. “ Meafure belongs properly 
to poetry, as it perfonates the paffions^ and their 
language ; it ufes fidion and fable, which naturally 
produce numbers and harmony.” 
It may be added, in fupport of this definition, 
** That our own inimitable poet, than whom none 
feems more to have enjoyed the infpiration of the 
Mufe, dcfcribes the poet, as chiefly diftinguifhed 
fay the fervour of Imagination, He does not^ 
indeed,, 
