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representations of the good Alcinous, and his wifeparticularly, the amiable benevolence, and soft compassion, of the latter, mixed with female artifice, and the spirit of intrigue, are beautiful pictures.-The youthful spirit, and generous indignation, of Pollux stepping forward to chastise the brutal insults of the savage Amycus.

And the noble disregard of life, and determined gallantry, with which Peleus offers himself, to certain destruction, in the fatal combat, are glowing pictures, equal to any thing in Homer.-I shall conclude this part of my essay, with the observation of Pope"The characters of Virgil are far from striking us, in "this open manner; they lie, in a great degree, hidden "and undistinguished, and where they are marked most ་་ evidently, affect us not in proportion to those of "Homer. His characters of valour are much alike; “even that of Turnus seems no way peculiar, but as it " is in a different degree; and we see nothing, that dif"ferences the courage of Mnestheus from that of Ser"gestus, Cloanthus, and the rest.”

In majesty of style, and dignity of manner, Virgil stands unequalled, among poets ancient and modern. In greatness of conception, grandeur, pomp of images, and sublimity of sentiment, Apollonius is by no means inferior to him.--The gods, looking down from Heaven, in admiration of the ship Argo, and her heroic crew-the majestic spectre of Glaucus, rising from the deep-the appearance of Cybele, on mount Dindymusthe character of Hercules-the combat of Amycus and Pollux-the dreadful passage of the Argonauts, through the justling rocks-the incantations of Jason, followed by the awful presence of Brimo Hecatè -the description of the labours of Jason, of the fiery bulls, and the armed men springing up from the furrows-the dreadful appearance of the serpent, that guarded the wonderful

fleece,

fleece, and the tremendous sound of his hissing--the appearance of Thetis, and her sister nymphs, to extricate the vessel from the rocks-the fearful darkness, that overwhelmed the Argonauts, and Apollo shining forth in glory, to disperse it-the adventures of the Argonauts in Lybia-the destruction of Talus.-These may be selected, as some of the most sublime and majestic passages, in the Argonautics, in point of conception, imagery, and description. It is to be questioned, whether the Eneid furnishes an equal number of great and original passages.--Among the noble passages in Virgil, we may note the magnificent description of a storm, in the first book, and the appearance of Neptune, to quell the fury of the winds-the very beautiful passage, in the same book, which represents Eneas, and his companion, proceeding to Carthage, shrouded in a mist, cannot boast the merit of originality, since it is manifestly imitated, from the passage of Apollonius, where Jason is conducted, in like manner, to the capital of the Colchians*—the tragical death of Laöcoon, and his children-the awful picture of all the hostile deities, actively employed in the destruction of Troy--the description of Pyrrhus, the death of Priam, and the flight of Eneas-of Achamenides, yet, perhaps, in his picture of the miserable plight, of that unhappy man, the poet had in view the sufferings of Phineus in the Argonautics.

In point of sublimity and grandeur, the whole sixth book may be singled out, as exhibiting the strongest proofs of Virgil's excellence, in that department-the appearance and demeanour of the Sibyl-the descent of

neas to the infernal realms-the description of the nether regions the abodes of the wicked, and the pious.- -The greatest part of the seventh book is un

* The original idea is suggested by Homer.

commonly

commonly sublime-the direful apparition of the fury Alecto, her darting her snake into the bosom of Amata, her inflaming the soul of Turnus, has ever been considered, as one of the noblest efforts of the genius of Virgil.It is mentioned as such by Juvenal, when, speaking of Virgil, he says-Si Virgilio tolerabile deesset hospitium caderent omnes a crinibus Hydri-surda nil gemeret grave Buccina-qualis Rutulam confundat Erinnys. If Virgil had wanted the luxuries and indulgencies of life, his poetical spirit would have failed.That is a passage of resplendent and glorious sublimity, in which Alecta is represented as taking her station, and maddening the general mind, with the Tartarean sound of her infernal horn, Tartarea tromba, as the Italian poet calls

cornuque recurvo Tartaream intendit vocem.- -Yet, Virgil is here indebted, for his idea of the dreadful and appalling sound of the infernal trump; and, particularly, for the beautiful and tender circumstance, of the mother clasping her infant to her bosom; to the noble description given by Apollonius, of the serpent which guarded the fleece, and of the consternation diffused by the horrid noise of his hissing (see Argonautics, B. IV. V. 127.*)-et trepida matres presserunt ad ubera natos.-The combat of Hercules and Cacus, in the eighth book, is particularly sublime; and the character of Evander, dignified in poverty, and rising superior to wealth and power, is nobly supported-Res inopes Evandrus habebat-aude, hospes, contemnere opes, et te quoque dignum finge deo.-The unaffected majesty, and rustic state, of

Heyne remarks, with some justice, on a comparison of the two passages that there is more probability in the description of Virgil, and that such an appalling sound is more justly ascribed to the horn of the fury, than to the hiss of the serpent.

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the venerable chieftain, are truly fine and beautiful.The remaining four books of the Eneid are, in my mind, much inferior to those which precede them, and present few passages, which deserve to be arranged under the head of distinguished greatness and sublimity.

With the character of majesty in the poetry of Vir gil, there is something most amiable and graceful, a mild and composed spirit, a sedate dignity, and noble simplicity. His poetical ornaments are of the most exquisite kind, and are introduced, with peculiar grace and propriety, while nothing is forced, nothing affected. How apt and natural are his sentiments! how happily does he avoid the extremes of the meagre and deficient, the plethoric and redundant! How have Statius, Valerius Flaccus, and Claudian failed, in their attempts to emulate Virgil! in his march to this eminence of propriety and perfection-this delicacy of manner, and refinement of taste; Virgil was inspired and guided, by the example and practice of the correct and elaborate poets of the Alexandrine school-the praise, and merit, of the Roman poet, did not so much consist in the powers of original invention, as in the faculty of selecting and transferring to his own use, with all the facility and sagacity of genius, the inventions of others.-The Alexandrine poets, Callimachus, Apollonius, Aratus, Nisander, and Theocritus, must be considered, as the parents, who originated the genius and spirit of a more exquisite poetical style and manner, which exhibit a high finishing, polish, and neatness, in admirable grace, and perfection of ornament, united with the utmost simplicity and purity, the happy result of emulation, learning, and elegant society, in an opulent and refined court, calling forth the choicest exertions of superior talent. Thus, they happily succeeded, in tempering the swelling pomp of the tragic writers, with the mag

nificent

nificent simplicity, and noble negligence of Homer, so, as to mingle solemnity with elegance, and dignity with beauty.

Virgil's management of the fine episode of Dido, illustrates his manner of imitation. The beauty of the, episode in Apollonius, had taught the Roman poet how the passion of love might be treated of, with effect, and ornament; but Virgil (it is said) has in some respects far surpast his predecessor-and this he has accomplished, as Heyne remarks, by two means-partly, by transfusing from the tragic writers into his poem, the gravity and atrocity, which they ascribed to the passion of love*—— partly, by venturing to turn aside from the simplicity, and plainness of manners, attributable to the heroic ages, and passing to a more elaborate and cultivated form of society, which was susceptible of more of the decorums of conduct, the delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of passion. Such is the praise of the good Professor. If his latter position is founded in fact, it may be questioned, whether his praise is just.—-May it not be said, that the poet is guilty of a moral anachronism, a violation of costume, who departs from the manners appropriate to the age in which his actors are placed, by historical destination, or the hypothesis of the fable, and ascribes to persons, who are supposed to live, in heroic ages, a greater refinement of sentiment, feeling of decorum, and dignity of manners, than belong to the times? -In fact, the very subject of the Professor's praise may be objected to Virgil; and he is, perhaps, censurable, for a disregard of costumè, by ascribing to the personages of an age, the customs and manners of which are described and ascertained by Homer ; and may

be con

* In the fables of Phedra, Thyestes, Egistheus, Medea, Deianira.

sidered,

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