Sect. VII.] Lyric Foetry. 35 



city, and the general poetic excellence, for whicli 

 the author is remarkable. 



In pastoral song and ballad, the poets of the last 

 age incontestably excelled those of all preceding 

 centuries. In this class of poetic compositions 

 Great Britain has been particularly fruitful ; and 

 few names deserve to be mentioned with so much 

 honour as that of Robert Burns, who was noticed 

 in a former section. In the happy union of ease, 

 simplicity, humour, pathos, and energy, he has 

 j|iad (ew equals in any age. • 



SECTION VII. 



LYRIC POETRY. 



The last age produced some specimens of lyric 

 poetry which deserve the highest praise. It has 

 been asserted indeed, that, in this species of com- 

 position, modern poets are universally and indis- 

 putably inferior to the ancient ; but this assertion 

 is made too hastily, and without sufficient qualifi- 

 cation. Some of the odes of Collins and of Gray 

 will bear an honourable comparison with the best 

 productions of this kind oif any age. Beside these, 

 the lyric compositions of Watts, Thomson, Lyttle- 

 ton. Mason, Warton, Cowper, Mrs. Barbauld, 

 Coleridge, and several other English poets, will 

 long do honour to the literature of their country. 



During the same period, much lyric poetry of 

 a rospectable character was produced on the con- 

 tinent of Europe. In the French language, the 



D 2 



