EPISTOLARY WRITING.

Its

IN epiftolary writing we expect ease and familiarity; and much of its charm depends on its introducing us into fome acquaintance with the writer. fundamental requifites are nature and fimplicity, sprightlinefs and wit. The ftyle of letters, like that of conversation, fhould flow easily. It ought to be neat and correct, but no more. Cicero's epiftles are the most valuable collection of letters, extant in any language. They are compofed with purity and elegance, but without the leaft affectation. Several letters of Lord Bolingbroke and of Bishop Atterbury are masterly. In thofe of Pope there is generally too much ftudy; and his letters to ladies in particular are full of affectation. Those of Swift and Arbuthnot are written with eafe and fimplicity. Of a familiar correfpondence, the most accomplished model are the letters of Madam de Sevigne. They are easy, varied, lively and beautiful. The letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montague, are perhaps more agreeable to the epiftolary ftyle, than any in the English language.

FICTITIOUS HISTORY.

THIS fpecies of compofition includes a very

numerous, and in general a very infignificant class of writings, called romances and novels. Of these however the influence is known to be great both on the morals and taste of a nation. Notwithstanding the bad ends to which this mode of writing is applied, it might be employed for very ufeful purpofes. Romances and

novels defcribe human life and manners, and difcover the errors into which we are betrayed by the paffions. Wife men in all ages have used fables and fictions-as vehicles of knowledge; and it is an obfervation of Lord Bacon, that the common affairs of the world are infufficient to fill the mind of man. He muft create worlds of his own, and wander in the regions of imagination.

All nations whatfoever have difcovered a love of fiction, and talents for invention. The Indians, Perfians, and Arabians, abounded in fables and parables. Among the Greeks, we hear of the Ionian and Milesian tales. During the dark ages, fiction affumed an unufual form, from the prevalence of chivalry. Ro

Of

mances arofe, and carried the marvellous to its fummit. Their knights were patterns not only of the most he, roick courage, but of religion, generosity, courtesy and fidelity; and the heroines were no less diftinguished for modefty, delicacy, and dignity of manners. thefe romances, the most perfect model is the Orlando Furiofo. But as magick and enchantment came to be difbelieved and ridiculed, the chivalerian romances were discontinued, and were fucceeded by a new species of fictitious writing.

Of the fecond stage of romance writing, the Cleopatra of Madame Scuderi and the Arcadia of Sir Philip Sydney are good examples. In thefe, however, there was ftill too large a proportion of the marvellous; and the books were too voluminous and tedious. Romance writing appeared therefore in a new form, and dwindled down to the familiar novel. Interefting fituations in real life are the ground work of novel writing. Upon this plan, the .nch inve produced

R

fome works of confiderable merit. Such are the Gil Blas of Le Sage and the Marianne of Marivaux.

In this mode of writing, the English are inferiour to the French; yet in this kind there are fome performances which discover the ftrength of the British genius. No fiction was ever better fupported than the Adventures of Robinson Crufoe. Fielding's novels are highly diftinguished for humour and boldness of character. Richardson, the author of Clariffa, is the most moral of all our novel writers; but he poffeffes the unfortunate talent of fpinning out pieces of amufement into an immeasurable length. The trivial performances which daily appear under the title of lives, adventures, and hiftories, by anonymous authors, are most infipid, and, it must be confeffed, often tend to deprave the morals, and to encourage diffipation and idleness.

NATURE OF POETRY. ITS ORIGIN AND PROGRESS. VERSIFICATION.

WHAT, it may be afked, is poetry? and how

does it differ from profe? Many difputes have been maintained among criticks upon thefe queftions. The effence of poetry is fuppofed by Ariftotle, Plato, and others, to confift in fiction. But this is too limited a defcription. Many think the characteriflick of poetry lies in imitation. But imitation of manners and characers may be carried on in profe as well as in poctry.

Perhaps the beft definition is this, "poetry is the language of paffion, or of enlivened imagination, "formed moft commonly into regular numbers." As

the primary object of a poet is to please and to move, it is to the imagination and the paffions that he addreffes himself. It is by pleafing and moving, that he aims to inftruct and reform.

Poetry is older than profe. In the beginning of fociety there were occafions upon which men met together for feasts and facrifices, when musick, dancing, and fongs were the chief entertainment. The meetings of American tribes are distinguished by mufick and fongs. In fongs they celebrate their religious rites and martial achievements; and in fuch fongs we trace the beginning of poetick compofition.

Man is by nature both a poet and musician. The fame impulfe which produced a poetick ftyle, prompted a certain melody or modulation of found, fuited to the emotions of joy or grief, love or anger. Mufick and poetry are united in song, and mutually affift and exalt each other. The first poets fung their own verfes. Hence the origin of verfification, or the arrangement of words to tune or melody.

Poets and fongs are the first objects that make their appearance in all nations. Apolo, Orpheus and Amphion were the first tamers of mankind among the Greeks. The Gothick nations had their fcalders, or poets. The Celtick tribes had their bards. Poems and fongs are among the antiquities of all countries; and, as the occafions of their being compofed are nearly the fame, fo they remarkably resemble each other in ftyle. They comprize the celebration of gods and heroes, and victories. They abound in fire and enthufiafm; they are wild, irregular, and glowing.

During the infancy of poetry, all its different kinds were mingled in the fame compofition; but in the

progrefs. of fociety, poems affumed their different reg ular forms. Time feparated into claffes the feveral kinds of poetick compofition. The ode and the elegy, the epick poem and the drama, are all reduced to rule, and excercife the acuteness of criticism.

ENGLISH VERSIFICATION.

NATIONS, whofe language and pronuncia

For the differ

tion were mufical, refted their verification chiefly on the quantities of their fyllables; but mere quantity has very little effect in English verse. ence, made between long and fhort fyllables in our manner of pronouncing them, is very inconfiderable.

The only perceptible difference among our fyllables. arifes from that strong percuffion of voice which is termed accent. This accent however does, not always make the fyllable longer, but only gives it more force of found; and it is rather upon a certain order and fucceffion of accented and unaccented fyllables, than upon their quantity, that the melody of our verfe depends.

In the conftitution of our verse there is another effential circumstance. There is the cæfural paufe, which falls near the middle of each line. This pause may fall after the fourth, fifth, fixth, or feventh fyllable; and by this mean uncommon variety and richnefs are added to English verification.

Our English verfe is of Iambick ftructure, composed of a nearly alternate fucceffion of unaccented and accented fyllables. When the paufe falls earlieft, that is, after the fourth fyllable, the brifkeft melody. is.