542 
and cireumfcribed the fphere of its appli- 
cation. 
* But from no country (fave Plato’s 
idea] republic) has poetry been banifhed. 
To fpeak in the dialeét of materialifin, 
fouls formed of finer clay have. in every 
Jand, andin every generation, arifen, who, 
themfelves {mitten with the love of fa- 
cred fong, have captivated the atrention 
of thofe that liftened to their lays, and 
have raifed rhemfelves and their art to 
the moft facred fhrine of the temple of 
Fame. Hence the countlefs multitude 
of poetic effufions of every defcription, 
from the lofty epic, to the humble paf- 
toral, which have embellithed every lan- 
guage that has affumed a form and body, 
and which lie before us as materials from 
which we muft form our judgment, on 
the fubjeét of this evening’s enquiry ; 
viz. the Ends of poeiry. 
“ Tn the courfe of our laft difcuffion, 
we feemed to be unanimoufly of opinion, 
that the grand characteriftic, the /e 
gud non of poctry, confifts in its capacity 
of impreffing the mind with the moft 
vivid piétures.. Indeed, the maxim uf 
piciura poefis. is amply iluftrated when- 
ever poetry is in any thape the fubjeét of 
inveitigation. The terms of the pain- 
ter’s art then infenfibly creep into the 
difcourfe, and model our phrafeology. 
“Purfuing, then, this idea, we may per- 
haps lay it down as the grend and Icad- 
ing end of poetry, to make a ftrong and 
lively imprefiion on the feelings. In her 
operations. fhe hurries us fay beyond the 
reach of the voice. of fober judgment, 
and captivates by exciting the aid of the 
pafons. Here, then, we fee the caufe of 
the mighty energy of verfe, nor wonder at 
the efficacioufnefs that has been afcribed 
to the mufes. For how eafily are man- 
kind guided by thofe that poffefs the 
happy art of awakening or allaying their 
feelings. Though all uncon{cious of being 
under the guidance of another, they turn 
obedient tothe rein. They are roufed to 
infurreétion, or-modcrated to peace, by’ 
him who can touch, with a skilful hand, 
the mafter fprings that regulate the mo- 
tions of their minds. ,When Brutus 
afcends the roftrum, the words of truth 
and fobernefs are heard, and plain inte- 
grity convinces the judgment. But, when 
Anthony difplays the bloody robe, and 
points to the wounds of Cefar, remind- 
ing the people that this was once their 
darling benefaétor—the multitude are 
melted to forrow, and at laft roufed from 
pity to fury and revenge. 
“ Such are the efeéts that are produced 
x 
" : ° e . . 
On the Charaéleriftics of Poetry. 
[ Sup. 
by interefting the paffions ; and as it is the 
leading end of poetry to make a lively 
impredfion on the feelings, we may judge, 
as It were @ priori, of the amazing intenfe- 
nefs.of its powers, and we shall find our 
judement verifed, when we come to en- 
quire into the faét. What heart bur 
feels at once the beauty and happinefs of 
connubial love, as difplayed by the chief 
of bards, in the characters of Heétor and 
Andromache? The fituations into which 
thele charaters are thrown, prefent us 
with a variety of pictures, fo affecting, 
that nothing but the realities of life can 
potlibly be conceived to excel them, We 
all know the parting fcene, where the 
fon of Priam takes his lait farewell of. 
the partner of his fortunes. It will 
therefore be as unneceffary as impoffible 
to defcribe the emotions excited by the 
tender folicitude of the wife, for hiny - 
who was to-hera father, a mother, and a 
brother ; or the mild dignity of the hero, 
foftencd by the tendereft feelings, and 
affected by the gloomiett prefages. 
“¢ What differtation, what courfe of ar- 
gument, however firmly founded, or 
however fkilfully arranged, is calculated 
to have fo powerful an influence upon the 
mind? Juftly, indeed, did Horace fay, 
of the great father of verfe, that he is a 
man | 
Qui quid fit pulchrum, quid turpe quid utile 
quid non 
Planius ac melius Chryfippo & Crantorr dicit. 
“When Virgil places,asit were, before 
our eyes, Laufus rufhing forward to pro- 
tect his father, who, wounded and ex- 
haufted, is finking before his powerful 
foe; when we fee the youth, fearlefs of 
danger, prefenting his body as a fhield 
againft the threatened ftroke, and nobly 
facrificing his own life in defence of his 
parent, we applaud the generous deed, 
and at once perceive the beauty of filial 
affeGtion. And are not our feelings 
ftrung to an unifon with the emotions of 
friendthip, by a perufal of the interefting 
Fpifode of Nifus and Euryalus ; we all 
know that the tender paflion gives it- 
felf vent in fong, and that the firft aim 
of the ‘* unfledged poet,” is by foothing. 
lays ta touch the heart of his miftrefs. 
“© Tn’ fhort, if we examine poetry 
throughout all its fpecies, we fhall find 
that its direét tendency is, to influence 
the feelings. Even when. Lucretius 
undertakes the arduous tafk of render- 
ing the difeutlions of philofophy mterett- 
ing tothe public mind, he accomplithes 
his purpofe, he captivates the attention, 
by the skilful intci!perfion of deferip- 
