Verdant myrtle's branchy pride, Shall my thirsty blade entwine : And with godlike DIOMED. Myrtle shall our brows entwine, While the Muse your fame shall tell; 'Twas at Pallas' sacred shrine, At your feet the tyrant fell. Then in Athens all was peace, People valiant, firm and free !12 boughs, fell furiously upon the tyrant." Hence perhaps arose the custom, that whoever sung any convivial song in company, always held a branch of myrtle in his hand. See PLUTARCH 1, Symp. Quest. 1. Author's Note. Our COLLINS in particular has attributed this poem to ALCEUs, in the following beautiful lines : "What new Alcæus, fancy blest, "Shall sing the sword, in myrtles drest, "At Wisdom's shrine a while its flame concealing, "Till she her brightest lightnings round revealing, "It leap'd in glory forth, and dealt her prompted wound.” Ode to Liberty. 12 The above imitation, all but the third stanza, is taken from a paraphrase of this poem, said to be the production of Sir W. JONES. The following is a more literal translation by Mr. CUMBERLAND: "He is not dead, our best belov'd "But with Troy's conquerors remov'd "Bind then the myrtle's mystic bough, "And wave your swords around, "The patriot pair shall be, Observer, No. 9. T. If after the memorable Ides of March, any one of the Tyrannicides had delivered to the populace such a poem as this, had introduced it to the Suburra, to the assemblies of the Forum, or had put it into the mouths of the common people, the dominion of the Cæsars and its adherents would have been totally extinguished: and I am firmly persuaded, that one stanza of this simple ballad of Harmodius would have been more effectual than all the Philippics of Cicero. There are some other species of poetry, which with us generally appear in an easy and familiar style, but formerly assumed sometimes a graver and more important character. Such is the elegy; I do not speak of the light and amorous elegy of the moderns, but that ancient, serious, sacred, and didactic elegy, the preceptress of morals, the lawgiver of nations, the oracle of virtue. Not to enter into a detail of authors, of whose works we are not in possession, and of whose merits we consequently can form no adequate judgement, it will be sufficient to instance Solon, the most venerable character of antiquity, the wisest of legislators, and withal a poet of no mean reputation. When any thing difficult or perplexing occurred in the administration of public affairs, we are informed that he had recourse to poetry. Were the laws to be maintained or enforced upon any particular emergency; was the indolence or licentiousness of the citizens to be reproved; were their minds to be stimulated to the love of liberty, he immediately attacked them with some poetical production, bold, animated, and severe, in the highest tone of censorial gravity, and yet in no respect deficient in elegance: 13 13 See PLUTARCH & DIOG. LAERT. Life of Solon. "Before the awful peal the lightning flies, And gathering clouds impending storms presage; The people's madness whets the tyrant's rage." It is a well-known fact, that Athens was altogether indebted for the recovery of Salamis to the verses of Solon; even contrary to their own inclination and intention. After they had, from repeated overthrows, fallen into the deepest despair, insomuch that it was made a capital offence, even to propose the renewal of the war, or the reclaiming of the island, such was the influence of that single poem, which begins-" Let us march to Salamis," that as if pronounced by a prophet, instinct with divine enthusiasm, the people, propelled by a kind of celestial inspiration, flew immediately to arms, became clamorous for war, and sought the field of battle with such incredible ardour, that by the violence of their onset, after a great slaughter of the enemy, they achieved a most decisive victory. We have also some remains of the celebrated Tyrtæus, who -"manly souls to martial deeds By verse excited." The whole scope and subject of his compositions, is the celebration of valour and patriotism, and the immortal glory of those, who bravely fell in battle :-composi tions, which could impart some degree of courage even to the timid and unmanly; by which, indeed, he elevated the minds of the Lacedemonians, which had been long debilitated and depressed, to the certain hope of victory. The fact is well known, and had it not been. corroborated by the testimony of so many authors, it would doubtless have been thought by some incredible; though I confess it appears to me no less supported by the reason of things than by the authority of the historian. It is impossible that men should act otherwise than with the most heroic ardour, the most undaunted resolution, who sung to the martial pipe, when arranged in military order, marching to the onset, or perhaps actually engaged, such strains as these: Our country's voice invites the brave Curs'd be the coward or the slave, Who shuns the fight, who fears to die! Full fraught with patriotic fire, And scarce restrains th' impatient ire. Lo the hostile crouds advance! In awful pomp we meet our foes. Unaw'd by fear, untaught to yield, We boldly tread th' ensanguin'd plain : And scorn to quit the martial field, Though drench'd in blood, though heap'd with slain. For though stern death assail the brave, His virtues endless life shall claim; Not entirely to omit the lighter kinds of poetry, many will think that we allow them full enough, when we suppose their utility to consist in the entertainment which they afford. Nor is this, gentlemen, altogether to be despised, if it be considered that this entertainment, this levity itself, affords relaxation to the mind when wearied with the laborious investigation of truth; that it unbends the understanding, after intense application; restores it when debilitated; and refreshes it, even by an inter change and variety of study. In this we are countenanced by the example and authority of the greatest men of Greece, by that of Solon, Plato and Aristotle; among the Romans, by that of Scipio and Lælius, Julius and Augustus Cæsar, Varro and Brutus, who filled up the intervals of their more important engagements, their severer studies, with the agreeableness and hilarity of this poetical talent. Nature indeed seems in this most wisely to have consulted for us, who, while she impels us to the knowledge of truth, which is frequently remote, and only to be prosecuted with indefatigable industry, has provided also these pleasing recreations, as a refuge to the mind, in which it might occasionally shelter itself, and find an agreeable relief from languor and anxiety. But there is yet a further advantage to be derived from these studies, which ought not to be neglected; for beside possessing in reserve a certain solace of your labours, from the same repository you will also be supplied with many of the brightest ornaments of literature. The first object is, indeed, to perceive and comprehend clearly the reasons, principles, and relations of things; the next is to be able to explain your conceptions not only with perspicuity, but with a degree of elegance. For in this respect we are all of us in some measure fastidious: we are seldom contented with a jejune and naked exposition even of the most serious subjects; some of the seasonings of art, some ornaments of style, some splendor of diction, are of necessity to be adopted; even some regard is due to the harmony of numbers, and to the gratification of the ear. In all these respects, though I grant that the language of poetry differs very widely from that of all other kinds of composition, yet he, who has bestowed some time and attention on the perusal and imitation of the poets, will, I am persuaded, |