1793' LITERARY INTELLIGEKCER. 21 



" things, you would deferve better of your country, thaB 

 " if you produced a goera containing the united beau- 

 " ties of the Iliad, the i^neid, Paradife loft, and Fin- 

 " gal." 



Now, though it is moft readily admitted, that the 

 objefts pointed out by this very judicious correfpondent, 

 are of the highell utility, and that there is perhaps 

 ten times as much poetry written as any wife man 

 would choofe to read ; yet, it by no means follows from 

 hence, that poetry fhould be actually profcribed from 

 this work. If it be right to cherifh the fineft feelings 

 of the heart ; if hilarity of difpofition promotes, the 

 pleafurable intercourfes of civil fociety ; if innocent re- 

 creation tends to divert the mind from hurtful pur- 

 fuits ; and if the happinefs of man be augmented by in- 

 dulging thofe tender propenfiries which fpring from 

 the contemplating afts of beneficence and diiinterefted 

 bounty ; if pious exercifts tend to elevate the foul 

 to praife-worthy ei^ertions - then fliall we be forced to 

 allow that poetry, which, if judicioufly feleded, tends 

 to promote all thefe good ends, fo far from being hurt- 

 ful, ought to be admitted as a very ufeful part of this 

 nHfcellany. For thefe and other obvious reafons, though 

 it fliall be our ftudy never to forget the ufeful purfuits 

 here pointed out, vre fliall alfo make it our bulinefs to 

 fearch for fuch pieces of poetry, ancient or modern, as 

 appear to be deferving the attention of tJie public. 



Poetry is indeed fo congenial to the human mind, that 



[it has been, among all nations, the firilfpecies ofcompo- 



fition that has attracted the univerfal attention of the 



iDCople; and it is in the language of poetry, that a fpirit 



f devotion has naturally been expreffed. Among themofl 



"avage tribes, its charms liave been recognized ; and it 



s only after refinement has weakened the natural tones 



f the human mind, that its influence comes to be dif- 



uted. The poetry of nations therefore, affords per- 



aps the bed and the moll univerfal key for tracing 



iie progrefs of civil focieiy ; for though the natural 



