22 Poetry, [Chap. XX. 



Poetical versions of the Psalms made, during 

 this period, on the continent of Europe, were nu- 

 merous ; but of these a very small portion are 

 worthy of notice. . The Hymns of Gellert, a cele- 

 brated poet of Germany, are said to be entitled to a 

 place in the first class of this kind of writings. The 

 Hymns oi Kleist, Cramer, Klopstock, Schlegel, and 

 Herder, of the same country, have also received 

 high praise among persons of piety and taste. 



SECTION IV. 



SATIRICAL POETRY. 



In this department of poetry the eighteenth 

 centijfy is, on the whole, superior to any pre- 

 ceding age. Two satirical poets of great emi- 

 nence had flourished in Europe toward the close 

 of the preceding age. Boileau and Dryden, equal 

 in most respects to the great Roman satirists, and 

 in some superior to them all, brought modern 

 satire to a very high degree of excellence. Dry- 

 den was the first who displayed with success the 

 power of the English language in this kind of 

 composition. In the eighteenth century the can- 

 didates for , satirical fame were numerous ; and in 

 variety of manner, correctness of taste, purity of 

 virtue, and, in some instances, in wit, humour, 

 and force of ridicule, may be said to have exceed- 

 ed all their predecessors. 



In this list Mr. Pope is entitled to the first 

 place. His Satirical Epistles, his Imitations ©f 



