Natural Hiftory of the Ancients. 1 9 



fuggefted by his claffical models, are fomewhat fur- 

 prifmg in one fo fond of Englim landfcape, as we 

 know him to have been from his "Penferofo" arid 

 "Allegro," and from the records of his home- 

 life which have been preferved. His fufceptibility 

 to mufic was extreme, and his gorgeous defcrip- 

 tions of mufical harmony, hymns, and the like, 

 have often been noticed. But it has not been 

 remarked hitherto that his ear, rather than his eye, 

 caught thofe reflections of nature which he has 

 loved to reproduce in deathlefs verfe. The crow- 

 ing of the cock, finging of the lark, warbling 

 of the nightingale, and fimilar founds at once 

 occur to the memory. This may account for the 

 paucity of his notices of animated nature. The 

 cuftom of welcoming the founds, and fongs, and 

 cries of external nature through the ear muft often 

 have mercifully flood him in good ftead when the 

 affliction of blindnefs fell upon him in late life. 

 It is obvious how diftinct from both Virgil and 

 Milton is Shakefpeare in the manner he enlarges 

 upon and welcomes into his verfes the flowers, 

 birds, and beafts of common life. Here, as alfo 

 in his grafp of human greatnefs, and his delinea- 

 tion of the mafter-fprings of action, he can only 

 be compared with Homer. Both together are the 

 moft catholic of poets, in the depth of their 

 fenfibilities, the range of their infight, and the 

 power and far-reaching grafp of their fympathy. 

 The natural hiftory of Shakefpeare has been and 

 ftill is ftudied from every point of view ; the above 

 is at leaft a humble contribution towards the fuller 

 enjoyment of Homer. 



