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various arts-poetry, music, and painting, were addrest to the imagination; called out the sensibilities and emotions of the mind, acted on the external senses, and taught mankind, to feel with more force, the attractions of beauty; and what, to the cultivated and elegant mind, are yet more powerful, the influences of tenderness, delicacy, and grace, the spiritual allurements of the fair sex. The rude plenty, and gross inordinate repasts, the mighty continuous chine, and entire boar, and the deep potations, of the robust and hardy warriors, gave place to more delicacy and fastidiousness, in the choice of aliments; to a more exquisite refinement, in the pleasures of the table; to an exclusion of excess, with an increase of social enjoyment. At the same time, a variety of causes intervened, to render the arrangements, that lead to a union of the sexes, more troublesome, more tedious, more liable to doubts and jealousies, and more subject to obstacles. While the causes are multiplied, which strew the path of the lover with thorns, and, at the same time, allure him to proceed; which augment desire, while they lengthen out the process 'of courtship; love is rendered a more serious business; it occupies more of the thoughts, the time, and attention, and more frequently seises and engrosses the fancy, the talents, and the industry. It takes the name and semblance of warfare.* It is filled with stratagem and adventure. Women begin to act a stage of life; and the

more distinguished part, on the softer passions, and the attractions of the gentle sex, assume a more decided, a more extensive, and eventful influence, over human conduct.-Love becomes, more and more, the subject of poetry. It engrossss a considerable share of the drama; and furnishes a regular

* Ovid says-Militat omnis amans habet et sua castra cupido.

department

department for the lyric, the pastoral, and elegiac muses.-Commerce, wealth, and luxury, by introducing greater inequality of ranks in society, of consequence, render the union of lovers, less easy to be effected. Prudential motives, and regard to riches, birth, and station, begin to predominate.The marriage bond be comes a more solemn, deliberate, and important engagement. At the same time, the female character and manners undergo a considerable change. That forwardness, which used boldly to avow a feeling, and meet the lover half way, disappears; and in its place arises the modest reserve, conscious of the dignity of female nature, which would be woo'd, and not unsought be won-not obvious nor intrusive, but retir'd.feeling of decorum, the sense of feminine honour, arising from the preservation of chastity, the dissimulation of the tender sentiment, even to the beloved object, the sweet reluctant amorous delay, the flight that allures, the coldness that warms-all these become the characteristics of women; and bring, in their train, the doubts, the delays, the solicitudes, the aspirations, the arts, the learning, the policy, and the warfare of love.

-The

In a more advanced and regulated state of society, the subjects, proper for heroic poetry, may become less frequent, but, in return, new forms of poetry arisethe dramatic, the satyric, the epistolary.--The lyric and elegiac, which in some degree are known, even in the rude ages, are carried to an higher degree of polish and perfection. Men begin to refine on their pleasures; and their minds are expanded to receive intellectual enjoyments. The fine arts are cultivated, as a source of innocent luxury, and elegant voluptuousness, a dignified mean, between the grossly sensual, and purely spiritual. The taste and feelings are not now left, to wander wild, and abandoned to their own efforts.

Learning

Learning and philosophy come to their aid; and the art of criticism is understood; and laws and rules for regular composition are devised. New passions and feelings are developed. New forms and combinations of society arise; that open a much wider field to poetical imagination; and offer a much greater choice and variety of subjects, to the ingenuity of writers.—It is, when amusements and relaxations begin to be invented, and the muses are sought out,* as desirable handmaids, that minister to the pursuits of pleasure; that dramatic poetry, for instance, appears with all its adjuncts of theatric pomp and scenic decoration, which can scarcely be known in ruder times, prior to the introduction of elegant life; not to mention, that this is a species of composition, which requires more study and contrivance, than fall to the share of writers in the infancy of poetry. Satire is the progeny, of a state of society so much advanced, that the various talents, propensities, and characters of men, begin to develope themselves; and are more extensively diversified, by the variety of ranks, pursuits, and occupations; and by a free, peaceable, and general intercourse of man with man. intelligent observer is then predisposed, to remark on them, and finds greater facilities for making the necessary remarks. It is obvious, that all the lighter kinds of poetry, which, to the grave reader, may appear but as an ingenious kind of trifling, as the sonnet, the madrigal, and the epigram, will be produced, by some learning, much leisure, a gay fancy, and a heart at ease; and, of course, have little place, amidst the gloom and roughness of the stern unenlightened heroic ages.-The men of such times, are strangers to deep reflection and

The

* The ancient mysteries form no exception to this remark.

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abstract reasoning. We cannot, therefore, expect, to find among them the poetry, which descends into the secret recesses of the bosom, to analyse the passions, and represent their workings; which gives body to thoughts and actions, and bids them, as well as external objects, and events, become the subjects of poetry, while, instead of dwelling on individual portraits, those who write, begin to aim at the instruction of their species at large, they extend their views, and abstract their contemplations.-They collect, from a more enlarged commerce with life, and experience of humandealings, a comprehensive knowledge of the attributes, and tendencies of human nature, in particular situations. They become acquainted with many of the details of moral science. They acquire general views, and a systematic knowledge, of the incentives, the symptoms, and the expressions of the passions.-They begin, to select, and to combine.-They begin, to exhibit pictures of ideal excellence, as objects of imitation; of imaginary depravity, overcharged by a well-meant exaggeration, as warning examples, of the deformity of vice and criminality. They study the manners, of some particular class, description, or rank of men; and having amassed a sufficient collection of materials of this kind, they endeavour to exhibit the result, in some fictitious personage and action, expressly contrived for the purpose. But, these are reflections, which would lead me wide from the purpose of this essay.To pursue the secret connexion of criticism with morals; to trace the passions, feelings, and manners, prevalent in different aras, states, and stages of society, to their varied and extensive influence, on literary composition, would be a task far exceeding the measure of my abilities, and the bounds of an essay of this nature. More immediately connected, with the subject before us, is the consideration

· VOL. III.

consideration of a surprising phenomenon, which was reserved for the heroic ages, of more modern or Gothic times; I mean, the institution of chivalry.

of

What I have said, with respect to the heroic ages Greece, would apply to similar periods of society, in general; did it not happen, that the modern, or Gothic heroic ages, exhibit a paradox, which certainly departs from all that has hitherto been advanced by me. This admirable and wonder-working institution it was, by which men were restrained from outrage against their neighbours, in times of outrage; and the oppression of the weak, by the strong hand, was stayed; not, by moral precepts, but through the operation of new and instinctive impulses;-not, through the power of reason and reflection, or the regulated dominion of conscience, but, by the force of passions artfully directed, and through the influence of habit. Thus, the rash and inconsiderate courage of those times, the presumptuous pride, the love of war, the love of fame, the love of novelty, the spirit of adventure, all receiving a new direction, afforded a new bulwark against outrage, a guarantee against the violence and atrocities, incident to the barbarous manners, and martial spirit of the times, and to the unsettled state of society. It, then, became a point of honour, to spare the unarmed, the weak, and defenceless; to reverence old age; and to protect the fenale. The feeble were preserved, from the tyranny of the strong, by the new spirit. The man of violence and blood, the oppressor and spoiler, was sure of being assailed in his fortress, by gallant adventurers, roused to the enterprise, merely by the fame of his injustice and cruelty. He was magnified by popular rumour, by legends and traditions, into a giant or enchanter, whose castle was raised by magic, whose dungeons overflowed, with the blood of human victims. It became the entire care and occupation, of a number of the bravest war

riors,

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