OF THE PASSIONS. 



449 



and imagination, and consequently possessing all the radical characters of 

 poetry : and, secondly, that we may expect to meet with the boldest and most 

 frequent use of this kind of language in those periods of every nation in 

 which the passions have been most unrestrained and luxuriant, and therefore 

 in their earliest and least cultivated state ; for we have already seen, that in 

 this state the most vehement and energetic passions are in perpetual play 

 and activity. 



Now, the whole history of the world will confirm us in these two general 

 corollaries; and it has hence been said, and in a restricted sense said truly, 

 that the language of poetry is older than that of prose. Its principles are 

 founded in nature, and in nature in her simplest and most unsophisticated 

 state : and it is to these principles mankind uniformly recur, whenever hurried 

 by a violent shock of feeling from the polished tameness and monotony of 

 colloquial speech. It is then we return to exclamations, interrogations, 

 broken sentences, bold and daring comparisons; and, whether we be 

 indifferent to the world or not, succeed in interesting it in our fate and 

 condition. 



Where, among uncultivated tribes, the passions chiefly called into exercise 

 have been of the pleasurable and sprightly kind, such as we have already seen 

 are the natural result of warmth and beneficence of climate, of tranquil 

 scenery, and an atmosphere perfumed by the rival odours of spontaneous 

 blossoms and balsams, the rude burst of delight has assumed a more regular 

 or measured character, and been uttered in the form of chant or brisk melody, 

 with such corresponding attitudes or movements of the body as might best 

 co-operate in proving the exuberant gayety of the heart. And hence music 

 and dancing are nearly of as early origin as poetry : they were prompted by 

 the same impulse, and had a direct tendency to heighten each other's power ; 

 while ingenuity soon taught the more dexterous of the tribes to imitate 

 musical sounds by the invention of the simple instruments of pipes and re- 

 becks. The Greek philosophers ingeniously and perhaps correctly ascribed 

 the first carols of the human voice to an imitation of the wild notes of the 

 birds ; and the first idea of musical instruments to the occasional whispers 

 of the breeze among beds of hollow reeds. Lucretius has expressed himself 

 upon this subject with so much sweetness, that I lament the constraint I feel 

 under of quoting him before a popular audience rather in a translation than 

 in his native beauty and elegance ; yet the following verses will, Lpresume, 

 give a faint idea of the high merit of the original: — 



And from the liquid warblings of tlie birds 

 Learn'd they their first rude notes, ere music yet 

 To the rapt ear had tuned the measured verse; 

 And Zepiiyr, whispering tlnougiithe hollow reeds, 

 Taught the first swains the hollow reeds to sound ; 

 Whence woke they soon those tender- trembling tonea 

 Which the sweet pipe, when by the fingers press'd, 

 Pours o'er the hills the vales, the woodlands wild, 

 Haunts of lone shepherds and the rural gods. 

 Thus soothed they every care, with music thu3 

 Closed every meal, for rests the bosom then. 

 And oft they threw them on the velvet grass, 

 Near gliding streams, by shadowy trees o'erarch'd, 

 And, though no gold was (heirs, found still the means 

 To gladden life. But chief when genial Spring 

 Led forth her laughing train, and the young year 

 Painted the meads with roseate flowers profuse, — 

 Then mirth, and wit, and wiles, and frolic, chief 

 Flow'd from the heart; for then the rustic Muse 

 War.nesi inspired them; then convivial sport 

 Around their heads, their shoulders, taught to twine 

 Foliage, and flowers, and garlands, richly dight; 

 To loose, innumerous time their limbs to move, 

 Arid beat with sturdy foot maternal earth ; 

 While many a smile and many a laughter loud 

 Told all was new, and wondrous much esteern'(^ 

 Thus wakeful lived Ihey; cheating of its rest 

 The drowsy midnight; with the jocund danco 

 Mixing gay converse, madrigals, and strains, 

 Run o'er the reeds with broad recumbent lip \ 

 As, wakeful still, our revellers through night 



