MISCELLANEOUS. 389 



chant : every line presents new beauties of idea, aided by 

 all the magic of animated diction. From the inexhaust- 

 ible stores of figurative language, majesty, and subli- 

 mity, which the ancient English poets alibrd, he has culled 

 some of the richest and the sweetest flowers. But. un- 

 fortunately, in thus making use of the beauties of other 

 writers, he has been too unsparing ; for the greater num- 

 ber of his ideas, and nervous epithets, cannot, strictly 

 speaking, be called his own ; therefore, however we may 

 be charmed by the grandeur of his images, or the felicity 

 of his expression, we must still bear in our recollection, 

 that we cannot with justice bestow upon him the highest 

 eulogium of genius — that of originality. 



It has, with much justice, been observed, that Pope and 

 his imitators have introduced a species of refinement into 

 our language, which has banished that nerve and pathos 

 for which Milton had rendered it eminent. Harmonious 

 modulations, and unvarying exactness of measure, totally 

 precluding sublimity and fire, have reduced our fashion- 

 able poetr}^ to mere sing-song. But Thomas Warton, 

 whose taste was unvitiated by the frivolities of the day, 

 immediately saw the intrinsic worth of what the woiid 

 then slighted. He saw that the ancient poets contained 

 a fund of strength, and beauty of imagery as well as dic- 

 tion, which in the hands of genius would shine forth with 

 redoubled lustre. Entirely rejecting, therefore, modern 

 niceties, he extracted the honied sweets from these beau- 

 tiful, though neglected flowers. Every grace of senti- 

 ment, every poetical term, which a false taste had ren- 

 dered obsolete, was by him revived and made to grace his 

 own ideas ; and though niany will condemn him as guilty 

 of plagiarism, yet few will be able to withhold the tribute 

 of their praise. 



The peculiar forte of Warton seems to have been in the 

 sombre descriptive. The wild airy flights of a Spenser, 

 the " chivalrous feats of barons bold," or the " cloister'd 

 solitude," were the favourites of his mind. Of this hi8 

 bent, he informs us in the following lines : — 



" Through Pope's soft song though all the graces breathe, 

 And happiest art adoi-ns his Attic page, 



