68 Poetry.- [Chap. XX'. 



monioiis and excellent verse. The M'Fingal of 

 Mr, Trumbull was mentioned in a former page, 

 a-=: doing high honour to the talertts of its author. 

 The Vision of Columhus, and other poems, by Mr. 

 Barlow, are possessed of much poetic merit. To 

 these may be added the various productions of 

 Mr. Humphreys, Mrs. Morton, Dr. Ladd, Mr. 

 Freneau, and several others, who, though far 

 from being worthy of a place among the first class 

 of poets, have yet manifested talents honourable 

 to themselves and their country, and have been 

 noticed with respect by foreign as well as domes- 

 tic critics. 



From the statement contained in the last para^ 

 graph, it appears that New England, and particu- 

 larly the state of Connecticut, has been more di- 

 stinguished by the production of poetical genius, 

 than any other part of our country. Of the few 

 poets to which North America has given birth, 

 several of the most eminent ate natives of that 

 State. 



But though the conspicuous poets of America 

 are not numerous, we are by no means to ascribe 

 this circumstance either to the paucity or the bar- 

 renness of American genius. Great poetical me- 

 rit has been rare in all ages, and in all countries 5 

 and that it should be peculiarly rare in a coun- 

 try Mdiere literature has comparatively few vota- 

 ries, and where those who have any taste for let- 

 ters have little respite fi'om the toils of professional 

 and active lifcj is so far from being unaccountable, 

 that the contrary would be wonderful. 



