or THE PASSIONS. 



519 



ated with all bis faculties and senses, endued with speech and reason, to 

 open his eyes in a most delightful plain ; to view for the lirst tune tiie se- 

 renity of the sky, the splendour of the sun, the ver(iure of the helds and 

 woods, the glowing colours of the flowers ; we can hardly believe it possi- 

 bly, that he should refrain from bursting into an ecstasy of joy, anUpouimg 

 his praises to the Creator of those wonders, and the author of his happi- 

 ness'. This kind of poetry is used in all natioris ; but as it is the subiiniest 

 of all/when it is applied to its true object, so it has often been perverted 

 to impidus purposes by pagans and idolaters."* 



It is true-, the devotional poetry of our own country, that can pretend to 

 any high degree of merit is but very sparing, when compareti with what we 

 may reasonably boast on most other subjects. Mot, however, that we are 

 without writers of high and deserved reputation, or specimens ol admirable 

 excellence and sublimity. Yet we must not judge, as Dr. Johnson ap- 

 pears to have done, from our own country alone : since perhaps, no peo- 

 ple celebrated for great refinement in taste and language, have so little cul- 

 tivated this branch of the poetic art. It is a remarkable fact, that the nje- 

 trical psalmody of our estabhshed church, which ought to be the best, is 

 the worst of all English poetry in its old version, and not always improved 

 as one could wish in its new, though several of the psalms in this later 

 version, are exquisitely turned. 



And here it is obvious, that the fault does not lie with the subject, for the 

 original Hebrew is full of excellencies of every kind. Our poets of the high- 

 est reputation, whether epic, dramatic, or lyric, have seldom ventured upon 

 sacred themes ; and in the few instances in which they have made such an 

 attempt, they have too frequently proved theniselves to be equally unac- 

 quainted with the style and character of devotion ; which, like those of every 

 other science, (for I am now only speaking of if in its subordinate and 

 exterior attributes) can only be acquired by a pecuhar genius for the task, 

 and a long course of study in it. Let any one examine critically the Vniver- 

 sal Prayer of Pope, or the Veni Creator Spiritus., or Te Deum ot Dry den, 

 ^ and I have little doubt that he will accede to the correctness of this remark. 

 There is a constraint in these productions, which belongs to the writers 

 nowhere else; an elegant exterior, but without a vivifying spirit ; a total 

 want of that happy union of bosom ease and ardour, and raciness, which 

 the French Theologians call unction^ that prove a man to be at home upon 

 his subject, and to have drimk deeply of the inspiring stream, and that it 

 circulates freely through his heart : that which renders Addison as much su- 

 perior to both these poets upon this point, as he was inferior to them upon 

 every other ; which is deeply impressive in Cowper's devotional pieces ; 

 which peculiarly characterizes, not only the more lofty and ornamental, 

 but even the mete doctrinal hymns of Dr. Watts, which admit of but 

 little embellishment; and which we sometimes behold in the congrega- 

 tional contributions of persons possessing few pretensions to learning and 

 genius, and who, perhaps^ make a boast of their deficiency. 



Let it be remembered, that elegance alone will not answer, nor will 

 ease alone answer, nor will general descriptions alone answer ; whether 

 of the perfections of the Deity, the beauty of creation, the penitence of 

 the soul, or its ardent longing for the happiness of Heaven, or for commu- 

 nion with God on earth. We have at times seen atteUipts of this kind 

 (and many of us, as I trust, with real grief of heart,) by lyrical writers of 



♦ Essay on the Arts commonly called Imitative Works, iv. 550, 4to. 



