1796.} 
_fhackled—and ‘the writer, who mea- 
fures out his language into certain regular 
and returning portions, which have been 
found agreeable to the ear, and are 
capable, like mufic, of aiding the imi- 
tation of human emotions. "Phe firft, 
as far as this diftinétion goes, aims at 
little more than the natural ufe of 
language, that of conveying ideas.— The 
fecond adds to this purpofe, that of giv- 
ing pleafure by its found. Now, ital- 
moft neceffarily foliows, that the latter of 
thefe, fetting out with an execution of 
art fae the badiot pleafing, will alfo, ina 
great degree, accommodate his matter 
and ftyle to the fame intention ; and, as 
far as his talents reach, all thofe beauties 
which arife from the exercife of fancy, 
and a certain elevation of fentiment and 
expreflion, may be expected from him: 
whereas the profe-writer may rather 
be prefumed to have the mforn mation or 
initru@tion of his reader chiedy in view, 
at leaft, till he has declared a farther 
intention, by making ufe of fome other 
artifice of language and compofition.— 
Here is, then, apparently, as folid a foun- 
dation for a generical diftinétion in terms, 
as commonly. obtams (for, in faét, there 
are few genera which, Rriétly con- 
frdéred, do not run into each other); and 
by the contrary defignations of foesry and 
pr role, including under the firft, all com- 
- pofitions in were, a general idea of dif- 
ference is marked, {uffciently exaét for 
common ufe. If we with farther to dif- 
criminate, we can doit, by the common 
ufe of language, with fufficient precifion. 
Thus, by the term, mere vcr/ifer (or, as 
Pope ftyles it, the man of rhymes} every 
one underftands the unfortunate pre- 
tender to poetry, whofe powers are li. 
muted to the knack of counting out a cer- 
tain number of feet to each line, and, 
perhaps, tacking a rhyme to the ena 
‘On the other hand, the term gene poet, 
while it implies the faculty of foe 
meafured harmony, alfo implies much 
more—the force and loftinefs of concep- 
tion—the fplendour and variety of il- 
luftration, that are fo effential to the no- 
blenefs and effect of poetic compofition. 
Ja like manner, the different qualities of 
profe are readily difcriminated by proper 
adjunéts. Rhetorical profe, poetic profe, 
plain profe, and profe run mad, are all 
well underftood by perfons converiant 
with literarure, nor does any contufion 
arife; but, on the contrary, it is avoided, 
by keeping to the leading arrangement 
ef all writing, under the two claifes of. 
a betsy and Profé, 
On the Charaéterifiics of Poetry. 
533 
‘Were the difficulties farted by the En- 
quirer, admitted in their full extent, it 
would be impoffible to ule the words 
poet and poctry at all; for it they refer 
only to ftyle and fubjeét, it is certain 
that every conceivable tha de of ee 
In thefe points, exifis between the com 
piler. of a Newfpaper advertifement, one 
the inventor of the fublimeft piece of 
fiction, decorated with all the brilliance 
of metaphorical language. As tothe op- 
pofition he faggetts between pocf and 
philofopber, it will apply but in very. few 
inftances. Under which fhall the biftorian 
be clatled, who may be as dry as Rapin or 
Tindal, eee a grain ot Philofophy; 
or as eloquent as Tacitus and Hume, with 
a full portion of it? . If Pope were nota 
poet by his ver te, he would often be a phi- 
lofopher by his fenfe; theugh I acknow-— 
ae his philofophical character is in 
general fubordinate to his poetical one. 
I profefs myfelr to be one of thofe who 
would make the diftinétion betwee 
poetry and profe as clear and diftn@ as 
potlible ; and therefore, 1 do not feel in- 
clined to decorate with the name of poet, 
one, who through indolence, or incapa- 
city, excufes himfelf from ‘employing: 
Ww hat is undoubtedly a very pleafinz and 
impreilive part of poetical compofition, 
and has been a. favourite of all nations, 
favage and civilized—the art of verf- 
fication. No reafon cai: be afigned for 
the omiflion of fo graceful a decoration, 
Where it is manifeftly {uited to the nature 
and purpofe of the piece, except a reafon 
which ought to have no weight with the 
reader—the eafe of the writer. I lock 
upon, therefore, as fpurious and. defec- 
tive, all fuch attempts to ally the high 
poetical ftyle with profe, as we have feen 
from Macpherfon, and the modern Ger- 
mans and theirimitators. The half-mea- 
fured periods and artificial ordonnance 
which they fubftitute to real verfe give 
only, to my perceptions, laboured Gad 
monotonous ftitfnefs; while a confciouf- 
nels of wanting the charaéteriftic of 
poetry, tempts the writers to compenfate 
the deficiency by extravagance and bom- 
baft ;—a fault alfo common among the 
writers of that {pecies of verfe, which is 
{carcely able to maintain a diftinétion from 
pfofe—lnglish blank verfe. As to po- 
etical tranflations in profe, fuch as thofe 
of the Hebrew {criptures, as long as it is 
acknowledged, that the originals were 
Written in pee it is of little confe- 
quence under what head, thefe ‘wrong 
fides of tapeftry’’ are placed. Their 
merit and value are of fo peculiar a kind, 
that 

