454 
their definition of “tina from its end; 
though they have been by no means 
agreed, whether that ‘ene be principally 
to inftruct or to pleafe. Racine, and 
ethers, have held, that the primary ob- 
je&t of poetry is inftruction; and in As 
port of this opinion, they have remarkec 
that, in ancient times, poetry was em- 
ployed to perform the office of an an 
aliary to religion and virtue. A modern 
critic, of great refinement in claflical 
tafte, but too deeply imbued with the 
fabtilty of the Warburtonian fchocl, has, 
en the ee taken much pains to 
prove that the firft object in poetry is to 
pileate, aes that this is the only’ kind of 
diterary pompelioe in which ufe is fub- 
erdinate'to pleafure ; and he has hence 
deduced a definition = poetry, confidered 
@s an art, deicribing it to be: “ Such a 
way. or method, of treating a fubjedt, as 
as found moft pleafing and Y delight ul to’ 
us.” If either of thefe definitions be 
adopted, it is evident that they make 
no other difference between poetry and 
profe, than in the degree of power, 
which the former may “be fuppofed to. 
poffefs above the latter, of conveying in- 
firuction, or affording pleafure. Towards 
_ the purpofe of inftru€tion, verfe can con- 
tribute nothing,. except as an aid to the 
memory ; for that of conveving pleafure 
it will ue allowed to poffefs peculiar, 
but certainly not exclufive, advantage. 
A definition of poetry ; eae to that 
of bifhop Hurd, is given by Johnfon. 
“ Poetry is the art a uniting pleafure 
svith truth, by calling imagination to the 
help of reafon.” “ The true poet,’ he 
bade “enables you to feel what you 
remember to have felt Bore, and to feel 
jt with a great increafe of fenfibility 
you recognize a familiar image, but meet 
af again amplifted and expandc d, embel- 
lithed wi ith beauty, and enlarged with 
majefiy.”” This is an admirable deferip- 
tion of the power of fine writing; but - 
applies as truly to works of fancy and 
fentiment in profe as in verfe. 
Thefe writers appear to have ap- 
proached neareit to a true definition of 
poeetry, who have underftood it to be the 
immediate ofispring of a vigorous imagi- 
nation and quick fenfibility, and have 
calied it the language of fancy and Be 
fion. This appears to have been 
idea entertained of ppetry by Plato, ae 
to have furnifhed the chief ground of his 
exclufion of poets from his republic. 
Cicero formed the fame idea of Boca 2 
and ,faid, that ‘ while all other accom- 
piifhments muft be acquired by inftruc- 
The Enquirer 
No. Vi. {July 
tion and precept, the poet derives fuf- 
ficfent refources from himfelf, from the 
native vigour of his mind, aad a certain 
divine impulfe.” This notion is adopted 
among the mpodgrne by Dr. Blair. From 
this idea cf poetry arife the terms poche 
enilufiajn, and poetic infpiration, and the 
application of the title Yates, both to the 
cet and the prophet. Little. credit Asy 
Pees given to the modern poet's in- 
vocation of the Mufes; and we now 
feldom read of Mount Parasia or the 
waters of Hippocrent: : but poets are ftill 
confidered a men inf{pired by the power 
of imagination, and pouring foith the 
the ftrong language of fancy and feeling. 
It, however, by no means neceffarily 
follows, that they muft fpeak and write 
verfes. Inthe rude ftate of nature, be- 
fore the art of verfification was known, 
men felt firong patlions, and exprefied 
them ftrongly. Their language would 
be bold and figurative; it would be ve- 
hement and abrupt : fometimes, under 
the impulfe of the gentle and the tender, 
or the gay and joyous pafitons, it would 
flow in a kind of wiid-and unfettered 
melody ; for under fuch impretfions, me- 
lody is natural to man. Thefe firft ex- 
preiions of pation and fentiment would 
be poetry, but they would not aflume 
the regular form of vérfe. $o artificial 
a production muft have been the refult of 
innumerable efforts, and could not attdia 
any high degree of perfeétion but in a 
period | of great refinement. ‘ No one 
can doubt,”’ fays Quintilian, “that poetry, 
at firf&, fiowed without art; and that it 
was reduced to feet after “the ear had 
difcovered, by freque ‘nt obfervation, the 
regular intervals of melodious founds.” 
if the feveral excellencies of poetry be 
diftinétly examined, it will be found that, 
except meafured harmony, none of thefe 
are excluded from prole. 
We have the authofity of Horace and 
of Johnfon, and a fill higher authority, 
that ef common fenfe, for afferting, 
that truth and-mature are the bafis of all 
literary merit: and it will not be pre- 
tended, that truth and nature are the ex- 
clufive poffeffion of the verfitier. The 
ftores of knowledge and fentiment are 
equally open to the man of fenfe and in- 
formation, of to the man of feeling and 
fancy, whether he exprefles his concep- 
tions in verfe or in profe. He who is 
capable of conceiving a noble, a tender, 
or an ingenious fentiment, may be a fub- 
lime, a pathetic, or a witty writer, 
though he fhould not chorfe te give his 
ideas a metrical. drefs. Milton would 
: have 
