64 Dr. Barnes on Poetry. 
With refpedt to mere number , the difficulty is 
not great, in the prefent cultivated ftate of lan¬ 
guage, for any perfon, of a tolerable ear, to tag 
together lines, the mufic of which fnall be flow- 
ing and agreeable. Hence, the multitudes of 
indifferent poets, who abound amongft us ! But it 
has been juftly obferved, that a ftate of cultivated 
fociety is not favourable to thofe bolder exer¬ 
tions of poetic fancy, which elevate, aftonifh, 
and delight the mind. 
It has been often faid, as we have before re¬ 
marked, that the original ftile, both of hiftory and 
converfation, was poetical. The friends of this 
hypothefis mud mean no more, than that, in 
early ages, their language was, in general, bold 
and florid. And we have already obferved, that 
ftrong conceptions naturally clothe themfelves 
in figurative, and modulated expreffions. From 
Jlrong, to regular , the tranfition is not difficult; 
and the advantage would be great. Uniform 
metre would give more delight to the ear, by 
rendering the mufic more perfedt; and it would 
be more eafily retained by the memory. 
We may account for the formation of regular 
, uerfe, on another principle. This fame animated 
feeling, which prompted men to dance and fing y 
would alfo prompt them, to exprefs themfelves 
with energy of tone , of Jlile, of Jentiment. It would 
lead them to endeavour to adapt their language 
to their /ong. But, in order to this- union, it 
mull 
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