1810.) Lyceum of Ancient Literature. —No, L00P 
reason why it may not be made to afford 
as much pleasure as any other of that 
description. But in order to succeed, 
the poet must discard all the common- 
place topics which have filled every 
eclogne from the days of Theocritus to 
the present time. The general appear- 
ances ef nature; indeed, are the same as 
formerly; but her ample volume still 
presents a sufhcient yariety for the exer= 
tion of genius. Rocks, mountains, woods, 
aod rivers, still form the principal fea- 
tures of a landscape; but superior cul- 
tivation, and a thousand improvements 
upon nature herself, unknown to the 
ancients, would furnishan endless succes- 
sion of images. Variety, indeed, must be 
the principal object: what might be ori- 
ginal and pleasing in an idyllium of (ion 
or Moschus, becomes, by threadbare re- 
petition, disgusting or insipid. But the 
great difficulty will be in the delineation 
of characters; in preservingia nice dis- 
tinction between vulgarity on the one 
hand, and too much appearance of re- 
finement on the other.’ If the poet can. 
not, consistently with truth or probability, 
give to modern characters and incidents 
the purity, innocence, and gimplicity, oF 
the early ages, his shepherds may be 
plain and unaffected without being dull 
Or insipid. He may give them sense 
and reflection, sprightliness and ease, 
with those feelings that are common to 
allmen who are not ina state of actual 
depravity. If he cannot describe them 
as challenging one another to sing, or 
rehearsing alternate verses, he may vive 
them topics more analogous to the pre- 
Sent state of society, and yet equally na- 
tural and pleasing. For as Dr. Blair 
Judiciously asks, ‘ Why may not pass 
toral poetry take a wider ranve? Hu- 
man nature and human passions are much 
the same in every rank of hfe; aad 
wherever these passions operate on ob- 
Jects that are within the rural sphere, 
they may be a proper subject for pas- 
tural. One would indeed chuse to re- 
move from this. sort of composition the 
Operations of violent and direful passions, 
and to present only such as are consistent 
with innocence, simplicity, and virtue. 
But under this limitation there will still 
be abundant scope for a careful ohserver 
of nature to exert his genius. ‘ ‘he va-. 
rious adventures which give occasion to 
those engaged in country life’ to display 
their dispusition and temper; the scenes 
f domestic felicity or disquiet; the at- 
tachments of frieuds and brothers; the 
‘Fivalships and, compctitions cf lovers; 
poetical attempts; for it w 
439 
the unexpected successes or misfortunes 
of families, might give occasion to many 
a pleasing aud tender incidents and 
were more of the narrative and senti=’ 
mental intermixed with the descriptive 
in this kind of poetry, it would become 
much more interesting than it now gene-= 
rally is to the bulk of readers.”* Phus 
diversified and improved, it would bee 
come in time the most pleasing of ail 
ould come 
nearer to nature than most others. The 
Idylls of Gesner are a proof that a mo- 
dern pastoral, founded upon some pathe- 
tic story, enriched with sentiment, and 
embeilished by a style elegant without 
being too refined, may not only be endu- 
red, but even read with delight, 
BION AND MOSCHUS, 
It is an additional proof that pastorals 
were not cultivated till at a very late 
period, when almost every Other species 
of poetry had been successfully tried, 
that we have no account, orat least have 
not the works, of any poet who, in the 
earlier ages, had directed his attention 
exclusively to them. Bion, Moschus, 
and Theocritus, allof them wrote during 
the reigns, and the two latter were patre- 
nized by the Ptolemies, of Keypt. 
Of Bion, our very scanty notice must 
be gleaned from the poeins of Moschus, 
his disciple and successor. He is Sup- 
posed to have been bern at Smyrna, 
‘from the compliment. which. Moschus 
pays to the river Meles, that bathed its 
walls, as having witnessed the birth of two 
such poets as Homer and Bion, and-after- 
wards being doomed to lament their loss.t 
We are not informed in what part of the 
world he lived, though it is conjectured 
na, . 
that he resided chiefly in Sicily, or ip 
ihat part of Italy called Magna Grecia. 
But from his epitaph.it may he presumed 
that he died in Sicily. From the same 
authority we collect that he expired ‘by 
poison, not yoluntarily or accidentally 
taken, but at the command of some 
great man whors he had offendect. What 
this offence was is not explained: and is 
now, of course, heyond the reach of con 
jecture. Moschus only exclaims, in gee 
neral terms, against the wretch who could 
prepare the bitter draught; and wonders 
that the envenomed potion, by touching 
the hullowed lps of his master, was nog 
* Blair’s Rhee. vol. 3. 120. 
Tt. .D27d) to 
&dyGe 
Ter) MEAG véoy GAy@e, 
—_ 
tat, Mla vay Aapural Divleguy, 
transformed 
