Poetry, in its very nature, poffeffes an energy fuperior to profe-in thought and language it must scorn the safety of the middle path, and find one more elevated, or perish in the attempt! If it be dramatic (as I have elsewhere remarked*) the characters must have a degree of extravagance in language and fentiment much beyond common nature. The dreffes of the actors, and their painted faces, are equally neceffary, for without all these exaggerations upon the fobriety of nature, we should be too feebly touched to be affected.

In epic poetry the characters must be like the figures in hiftorical painting: the men fhould be either young and ftrong, or old and feeble. The middleaged man, if absolutely neceffary for the story, must of course be introduced; but at the time of life when youth is loft, and

* In the Thirty Letters.

کی

and old-age not attained, the character is unpicturefque and unaffecting. It is fo in common portraits: none have a worse effect than those of middle age.

Perhaps it may be urged against the truth of the maxim I would establish; that there are in music, many movements in moderate time; that there are many landscapes of fimple nature, and many characters in dramatic, and other poetry, which are excellent, although of that middle clafs which I feem to reprobate. 444

I can only answer, that there is nothing beyond the power of genius; and it is never fo evident, as in producing effect where circumstances are unfavourable.

Perhaps it is the consciousness of this difficulty being vanquished, that adds to the pleasure we receive from fuch inftances, and raifes our feelings fo far above mediocrity, that the fenfation is as much

much elevated as if produced by, violence. For one musician who can make a fimple tune like Carey, there are five hundred who can compofe a noisy symphony like Stamitz. There is no fubject fo easy for a landscape-painter as a warm evening-it requires but little skill to imitate Claude, it is the firft effort of the fmatterer in landscape-painting; but no one ventures upon Ruysdale's green banks, roads, and puddles of water. There will be a thoufand fuccessful imitators of Raffaele before another Hogarth will arife. Our present historical painters are much nearer their prototype, than any of the burlesque caricature defigners are to their great original. Pitt, in his Translation of the Æneid, is a very fuccefsful imitator of Pope-but who dares venture to tell a tale like Prior?

The

CALLING

The Villa,

upon a citizen of my acquaintance on a Saturday, I found him and his family juft fetting off for his villa in the country. Having nothing particular to hinder me, I accepted a hearty invitation to make one of the party; and as the ladies condefcended to submit to a worse accommodation than ufual, I fqueezed into the well-filled carriage, which very foberly brought us to the place of our deftination.

A citizen's box by the road fide is fo perfectly known, and has been so often painted in its dufty colours, that I have no new touches to add-It was one of the thousands that are in the vicinity of London, with nothing to diftinguish it from its neighbours.

1

In the evening, as we were taking repeated turns on the small space of the garden which permitted it, I believe my friend perceived an involuntary smile of contempt playing about my face, which he confidered as a reproach on his tasteto which he made this reply.

"A Londoner's country-house has been the subject of much ridicule, and given occafion to fome excellent papers in periodical publications, from the Spectator, down to our own times. I have laughed heartily at the wit and humour it has produced-but we ftill are in the same state-and ought to be fo."

I acknowledged that my fmile was occafioned by recollecting thofe humorous descriptions to, which he alluded; that admitting the propriety of having a villa; yet, I saw no reason why it must always poffefs fome points for ridicule—