within myself, that nothing shall hastily or prematurely proceed from me in this assembly, nothing which is not laboured to the extent of my abilities; and that for what is wanting in genius, in erudition, in fluency, and in every respect in which I feel myself deficient, I shall endeavour to compensate, as much as possible, by care and assiduity. If in these points I shall be enabled to perform my duty, I trust, Gentlemen, that other deficiencies you will be kind enough to excuse; and that the person whom you have honoured with your favour and attention, with your candour and indulgence, you will continue to support.

LECTURE II.

THE DESIGN AND ARRANGEMENT OF THESE LECTUres.

The dignity of the subject, and its suitableness to the design of the institution-That Poetry which proceeds from divine inspiration is not beyond the province of criticismCriticism will enable us to account for the origin of the art, as well as to form a just estimation of its dignity: that the opinion of the divine origin of Poetry was common in Greece- This work purely critical; and, consequently, theological disquisitions will be avoided-The general distribution of the subject into three parts-the nature of the verse, the style, and the arrangement.

SOCRATES, as we read in Plato,* having been frequently admonished in a dream to apply to music, and esteeming himself bound to fulfil a duty which appeared to have been imposed upon him by divine authority, began with composing a hymn to Apollo, and afterwards undertook to translate some of the Fables of Esop into verse. This he did, I apprehend, under the persuasion, that the first-fruits of his poetry (which he esteemed the principal branch of the science of music)+ ought to be consecrated to the immortal gods; and that it was not lawful for him, who was but little versed in those studies, to descend to lighter subjects, which perhaps might in the main be more agreeable to his genius, before he had discharged the obligations of religion. It is my intention, Gentlemen, to follow the example of this great philosopher; and since the University has honoured me with this office of explaining to you the nature and principles of poetry, I mean to enter upon it from that quarter whence he thought himself obliged to commence the study and practice of the

I have determined, therefore, in the first place, to treat of sacred poetry-that species, I mean, which was cultivated by the ancient Hebrews, and which is peculiarly

In Phæd. sub init.

"What then is education?-As far as respects the body, it consists in the gymnastic exercises; as far as respects the mind, it consists in harmony." Plato de Rep. lib. ii.—Author's Note.

appropriated to subjects the most solemn and sublime; that, should my endeavours prove unequal to so great a subject, I may, as it were with favourable auspices, descend to matters of inferior importance. I undertake this office, however, with the most perfect conviction, that not only from a regard to duty it ought to be executed with diligence, but, from the respectability of that body at whose command it is undertaken, it ought to be executed with honour and reputation: nor is it merely to be considered what the intent of the institution and the improvement of the students may require, but what will be consistent with the dignity of this University. For, since the University, when it gave its sanction to this species of discipline by a special decree, recommended the study of poetry particularly because it might conduce to the improvement of the more important sciences, as well sacred as profane, nothing could certainly appear more useful in itself, or more agreeable to the purpose of this institution, and the design of its learned patrons, than to treat of that species of poetry which constitutes so considerable a part of sacred literature, and excels all other poetry, not less in the sublimity of the style, than in the dignity of the subject.

It would not be easy, indeed, to assign a reason, why the writings of Homer, of Pindar, and of Horace, should engross our attention and monopolize our praise, while those of Moses, of David, and Isaiah, pass totally unregarded. Shall we suppose that the subject is not adapted to a seminary in which sacred literature has ever maintained a precedence? Shall we say, that it is foreign to this assembly of promising youth, of whom the greater part have consecrated the best portion of their time and labour to the same department of learning? Or must we conclude, that the writings of those men who have accomplished only as much as human genius and ability could accomplish, should be reduced to method and theory; but that those which boast a much higher origin, and are justly attributed to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, may be considered as indeed illustrious by their native force and beauty, but not as conformable to the principles of science, nor to be circumscribed by any rules of art? It is indeed most true, that sacred poetry, if we contemplate its origin alone, is far superior to both nature and art; but if we would rightly estimate its excellencies, * See the Statute relating to the Poetic Lecture.

that is, if we wish to understand its power in exciting the human affections, we must have recourse to both; for we must consider what those affections are, and by what means they are to be excited. Moreover, as in all other branches of science, so in poetry, art or theory consists in a certain knowledge derived from the careful observation of nature, and confirmed by practice and experience; for, men of learning having remarked in things what was graceful, what was fit, what was conducive to the attainment of certain ends, they digested such discoveries as had been casually made, and reduced them to an established order or method: whence it is evident, that art deduces its origin from the works of genius, not that genius has been formed or directed by art; and that it is properly applied in illustrating the works of even those writers, who were either ignorant of its rules, or inattentive to them. Since, then, it is the purpose of sacred poetry to form the human mind to the constant habit of true virtue and piety, and to excite the more ardent affections of the soul, in order to direct them to their proper end; whoever has a clear insight into the instruments, the machinery as it were, by which this end is effected, will certainly contribute not a little to the improvement of the critical art. Now, although it be scarcely possible to penetrate to the fountains of this celestial Nile, yet it may surely be allowed us to pursue the meanders of the stream, to mark the flux and reflux of its waters, and even to conduct a few rivulets into the adjacent plains.

The sacred poetry is undoubtedly entitled to the first rank in this school, since from it we are to learn both the origin of the art, and how to estimate its excellence. The commencement of other arts, however rude and imperfect, and though employed only on light and trivial matters, is an inquiry generally productive of satisfaction and delight. Here we may contemplate poetry in its very beginning—not so much the offspring of human genius, as an emanation from heaven; not gradually increasing by small accessions, but from its birth possessing a certain maturity both of beauty and strength;* not administering to trifling passions,

Our author either affects the orator too much in this passage, or too carelessly follows those Jews and Christians who attribute all the Hebrew writings to the finger of God himself. He seems to forget, that, before the rites of Moses, the Moabites celebrated the victories of their king in a very elegant poem, which Moses himself has preserved, and that there were other historical poems even more ancient than the prophetic blessing of Jacob. To these our

and offering its delicious incense at the shrine of vanity, but the priestess of divine truth, the internunciate between earth and heaven. For this was the first and peculiar office of poetry-on the one hand to commend to the Almighty the prayers and thanksgivings of his creatures, and to celebrate his praises; and on the other, to display to mankind the mysteries of the divine will, and the predictions of future events the best and noblest of all employments. It is to this observation, indeed, that I would particularly point your attention; for it is plain from the general tenour of the sacred volume, that the indications of future events have been, almost without exception, revealed in numbers and in verse; and that the same Spirit was accustomed to impart, by its own energy, at once the presentiment of things, and to clothe it in all the magnificence, in all the elegance of poetry, that the sublimity of the style might consist with sentiments so infinitely surpassing all human conception. When considered, therefore, in this point of view, what is there of all which the most devoted admirers of poetry have ever written or fabricated in its commendation, that does not fall greatly short of the truth itself? what of all the insinuations which its bitterest adversaries have objected against it, which is not refuted by simply contemplating the nature and design of the Hebrew poetry? Let those who affect to despise the Muses cease to attempt, for the vices of a few who may abuse the best of things, to bring into disrepute a most laudable talent. Let them cease to speak of that art as light or trifling in itself, to accuse it as profane or impious; that art which has been conceded to man by the favour of his Creator, and for the most sacred purposes; that art consecrated by the authority of God himself, and by his example in his most august ministrations.

author seems not sufficiently to have attended in this place, though he has made some very just remarks on this subject in a succeeding Lecture. I am of opinion, indeed, that the Hebrew poetry originated in the choirs of dancers, (not always, however, of a religious kind), when the gestures of the dancer accorded with the music. To this I think the frequent parallelisms of the verses may be referred, of which no man has treated more satisfactorily than our author, Lect. 19. If indeed Moses was not the institutor of a practice totally new to the Hebrews, I mean the accommodation of poetry to music and dancing, it follows that poetry existed long before his time, rustic and uncultivated at first no doubt, but afterwards more perfect and refined. Nor is it probable that the first essays in poetry were made in the time of Moses, which may be called the golden age of the Hebrew language, and in which we meet with poetry too perfect to have been produced in the infancy of the art.-M.