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408

On the Perfonification of Abstract Ideas in Poetry.

reprefented by Ovid in his "Metamorphofes." Ceres, having vowed revenge againft Erifiethon for cutting down a facred tree, fends a meflenger for this ghaftly phantom, who is thus described :'

Famem lapidofo videt in agro, Unguibus & raras vellentem dentibus herbas. Hirtus erat crinis; cava lumina; pallor in

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Thro' her harfh hide her inwards all were fhewn;

The arid bones above her crooked loins

Stood forth; a void the belly's place fupply'd; Pendant her breaft appear'd, and held alone By the bare wick'ry fpine; the wafting flesh Had fwell'd the joints; each knee, a rigid ball,

Each ankle feem'd a monstrous bunch of bone.

It is fcarcely poffible to conceive a more ftriking image of a famished perfon. The hard skin, hanging breafts, crate or basket work of the ribs and fpine, and joints apparently enlarged, are circumitances drawn from the life, and repre

fented with wonderful force. At the fame time, the figure is merely natural. Here are no types or emblems, as, indeed, none were wanted; for fuch a fub. ject could not fail of being its own interpreter. The furrounding scenery is equally real.

Eft locus extremis Scythiæ glacialis in oris, Trifte folum, fterilis, fine fruge, fine arbore

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eftate, and at last, abfolutely to devour himself. There is fomething ludicrous in this idea, which may ferve to fhew the difficulty of preferving ftrict propriety throughout an imaginary scene; yet the agency of Famine cannot be faid to be unfuitable to her nature. This notion of infpiring a quality by touching or breathing on a perfon, may frequently be met with in the best poets to exprefs the action of those fictitious beings. Churchill's Prophecy of Famine" affords no addition to the defcriptive part of the perfonification, except fome strokes of fatirical humour, difgraced by national illiberality. The employment of the imaginary being to utter a prophecy, is agreeable enough to the general notion of a genius, and is rendered more characteristic by the local circumftance of the pretence to fecond fight.

The next figure I fhall prefent is that of SLEEP, as likewife drawn by the elegant and inventive pencil of Ovid. Though he is raifed to the title and dignity of the God Somnus, yet in form and attributes he is a mere drowsy mortal; and the poet's invention is chiefly displayed in the scenery and accompaniments. inhabits a gloomy cavern, into which the rays of the fun never penetrate, but where a kind of perpetual twilight reigns in the foggy air.

He

From hence all thrill and enlivening founds are banished, and a dead filence eternally prevails, broken only by the foft murmurs of the waters of Lethe. Around the entrance grow all kinds of foporiferous herbs. The god himself lies fast asleep on an ebon couch of Iris, who is fent to him with a mefraised high with down. On the approach fage, with much ado he rouses himself. His painful reluctant efforts are very happily expreffed in the following lines:

tarda Deus gravitate jacentes Vix oculos tollens, iterumque iterumque relabens,

Summaque percutiens nutanti pectora mento, Excuffit tandem fibi fe; cubitoque levatus Quid veniat- fcitatur. Met. xi. 616.

The god, his heavy eyes fcarce lifting up,
Once and again funk down; his nodding chin
Struck on his breaft; at length himself he
fhook

Out of himself, and on his elbow rais'd,
Inquir'd his cause of coming.

Ovid acts judicioufly in making the subject of the request to fuch a power as eafy and brief as poffible. It is only that he would fend one of the dreams, which are reprefented as conftantly flitting, like bats, about the cave of Sleep.

When

On the Perfonification of Abstract Ideas in Poetry.

When this business is dispatched, the heavy deity immediately compofes himfelf to flumber again.

-rurfus molli languore folutum
Depofuitque caput, ftratoque recondidit alto.
Ib. 648.

His head again, in languor foft diffolv'd,
He dropt, and funk upon the fwelling couch.
The original perfonification of Sleep
is in Homer, and various poets have
adopted it, and have affigned him a refi-
dence and proper officers or companions.
Aricfto, in his Orlando Furiofo, has done
this with more novelty and judgment
than any other whom I recollect, pofte-
rior to Ovid. He has been particularly
happy in his description of the attendants
on Sleep.

In questo albergo il grave Sonno giace;
L'Ozio da un canto, corpulento, e graffo;
Dall' altro la Pigrizia in terra fiede,

409

Ariofto in the perfonification of MOLLESSE in his Lutrin. This is a being compounded of laziness and luxury, for whom I know not an adequate English Her abode is fuitably fixed in the dormitory of an abbey. Her attendants are very happily conceived and characterifed.

name.

Les plaifirs nonchalans folatrent alentour.
L'un paitrit dans un coin l'embonpoint de
L'autre broie en riant le vermillon des moines;
Chanoines;
La volupté la fert avec des yeux devots,
Et toujours le fommeil lui verfe 'des pavots.

Lutr. ch. ii. 100.

Boileau, that he puts too long a speech It has, I think, been justly objected to into the mouth of this languid perfonage; but he could not refift a favourable occafion for fome ingenious adulation of Louis XIV. The conclufion, however, though clofely copied from Ovid, is per

Che non puo andare, e mal fi regge in piede: fectly beautiful:

Lo fmemorato Oblio fta fu la porta;
Non lafcia entrar, ne riconofce alcuno :
Non afcolta imbafciata, ne riporta,
E parimente tien cacciato ogn'una.
Il Silenzio va intorno, e fa la fcorta:
Ha le fcarpe di feltro, e'l mantel bruno;
Ed a quanti ne incontra di lontano,
Che non debbian venir cenna con mano.
Orl. Fur. xiv. 93.
Here drowsy Sleep has fix'd his noifelefs
throne,

Here Indolence reclines with limbs o'ergrown
Thro' fluggish eafe; and Sloth, whofe trem-
bling feet

Refufe their aid, and fink beneath her. weight.

Before the portal dull Oblivion goes,

He fuffers none to pafs, for none he knows.
Silence maintains the watch and walks the

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It is a truly characteristical stroke in Ariofto, that when the command is delivered to Sleep, he makes no reply, but intimates with a nod that it shall be performed.

The very learned and elegant Profeffor Heyne, in an Excurfus to the fifth book of Virgil, has enumerated various ways in which the poets reprefent Somnus as caufing fleep. Virgil makes him fprinkle the temples of Palinurus with a branch wet with Lethean dew, Some ingenioufly defcribe him as lulling to repofe by the fanning of his wings; and one gives him a horn out of which he pours fleep.

Boileau has imitated both Qvid and

-La Molleffe oppreffée

Dans fa bouche a ce mot fent fa langue glacée,
Et laffe de parler, fuccombant fous l'effort,
Soupire, étend le bras, ferme l'œil, & s'en-

dort.

In Thomson's allegorical poem, " The Castle of Indolence," fimilar conceptions to thofe of the writers above-mentioned are dreffed up in the most exquifite beauties of defcription and verfification. But it is neceffary to felect parts of a well-known piece, the whole of which is so admirable. I. A.

[To be continued.]

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

B

SIR,

Y your leave, Mr. Editor, I will correct

an error of Mr. HOUSMAN, in the laft paper he has favoured us with in your valuable Mifcellany. Speaking of Litchfield, he fays, "This town is remarkable for having given birth to two eminent men, viz. the late Dr. Johnson, and Mr. Garrick the comedian." The latter was born at the Angel-inn at Hereford, in the year 1716, and was fon of Captain Peter G. (a French refugee) who was quartered there with a troop of horse. It is true he received the firit rudiments of his education at the free-fchool at Litchfield (which he afterwards completed at Róchefter), where Dr. Johnfon and he were fellow-ftudents. By the infertion of these few words, you will not only restore to Hereford the honour the juftly claims, but alfo confer a favour on your obedient ferHEREFORDIENSIS.

vant,

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410

On the Tie of Relationship.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

Ν

SIR,

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IN your Magazine for April laft, in the account of the lives and writings of eminent foreign literati, you have obferved, that Archenholz's "Picture of England" is "highly complimentary to the genius and manners of Great Britain.' It certainly is fo; but though the work is not wholly deftitute of merit, it contains many mistakes in point of fact, which might easily be pointed out, and which are calculated to mislead foreigners. About fix years ago, a "View of England, towards the Clofe of the Eighteenth Century," was published, in two volumes, by Dr. Wendeborn. That work is not fo complimentary to the English, as the publication of Archenholz; but it is abundantly more accurate, and contains much more valuable information. Dr. Wendeborn was twenty years minifter of the German chapel on Ludgate-hill; and his work is the refult of much study, obfervation, and reflection.

J. T.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

T has frequently been obferved, that

ill together as relations. If this remark be true (and that it is, experience too of ten teaches us), it will furely be worth while to investigate the caufe of the complaint; for, upon the face of things, it fhould appear, as if no people ought to live fo well together. Frequent intercourfe has generally been held effential to friendship, and, it may fairly be prefumed, that no people have fuch opportunities of feeing each other, as relations; but frequency of intercourfe, though it be neceffary to cement friendship, is no abfolute proof of its existence; any more than ftrong profeffions are, of the exiftence of fincere regard. Similarity of fentiment will naturally draw men together, and excite attachment; but there may be many circumftances, befides fimilarity of fentiment, which will promote the union of men, without fecuring their attachment. Attention to the decencies and proprieties of life; refpect, mixed with reverence for the opinions, and, fometimes, even for the prejudices of mankind, which few are courageous enough wholly to defpife, will often bring relations together in appearance, when, in reality, there is but little genuine efteem. Indeed both policy and morality fhould point out to then the neceffity of attaching themfelves

firmly to one another; but, unfortunate. ly, both policy and morality will fometimes lofe their hold upon the mind, when oppofed to prejudice and paffion, Morality teaches us "to do unto others, as we would they fhould do unto us:" and policy fhews us, how ferviceable it is to our interefts to cultivate the esteem of thofe amongit whom we are placed. In fact, to him who has obferved how often the most valuable ends are brought about in life, by the moft fubordinate agents, it will be fuperfluous to urge this remark. Neceffity, or mutual want, appears to have been the foundation of molt of the public and private relations of fociety; upon which was afterwards gradually raised a fuperftructure, of fentiment, cooperation, and attachment, conftituting the fineft pleafures of life. Men finding how weak and infecure they were in their individual capacities; and how incomPetent to their own happiness;—first formed themfelves into the more natural and obvious focieties of families, bound together by the varying ties of confanguinity, and common intereft ;-next, into the more refined ones, of states, and political bodies. It is not, therefore, without a just knowledge of our nature, I con

down intereft as the principal fpring of human actions: for, if we look into the caufes of action, as far as they are difcernible by us, we fhall generally find intereft to be the foundation on which they act. But felf-intereft may be of various defcriptions; and, in fome cafes, fo refined, and delicate, that it is no difgrace for an honest man to acknowledge himself influenced by it. There is fuch a thing, as the intereft which a man takes in the good opinion of the world, as well as the intereft he takes in his pecuniary concerns. And hence it may poffibly arife, that the opulent, and great, who have reached the top branches of fociety, and have little left to wish for, may sometimes be more indifferent to the ties of relationship, at least in its remote parts, than the dependant members of the community, to whom the good opinion of mankind is indifpenfably requifite to fuccefs in their undertakings. Among the opulent, and luxurious, money creates a kind of factitious independence. It confers almoft every thing that industry and talents can beftow. They who poffefs it in any eminent degree, feel how little they want fupport, compared with the reft of fociety: and this fenfation alone will have a tendency to produce indif

ference

On the Tie of Relationship.-Punctuation..

ference of mind, if mutual want be, as is already obfervell, the foundation of mutual accommodation. In thofe claffes of fociety where great opulence, and great luxury prevail, relations, not having many inducements to conciliate affection, will generally fee lefs of each other, than in the middle rank of life: and this circumftance may reasonably be expected to generate indifference of attachment, if friendfhip arife from frequent intercourfe. For, although an unvaried intercourfe may fometimes produce fatiety and difguft among friends; yet an habitual abfence will be equally apt to occafion coldness of efteem, fince it is only in the middle point of conduct, that we may justly look for warm affections. “ Virtus eft medium vitiorum, et utrinque reductum." Individuals in the middle department of life, are generally aware, that if they part with thofe connexions, which nature or choice has given them, they may find it no eafy matter to procure others: the opulent can perceive, that they no fooner lofe one fet of friends, than they find another ready to fucceed them. Great difparity of fortune is another principal cause of coldness between relations. There may be difparity of fortune, where there is no abfolute want: for rich, and poor, are only relative terms, as we learn from Bishop Watfon. Under thefe circumfrances, it not unfrequently happens, that while the richer party require too much, the poor concede too little. Hence jealoufies, and fecret prejudices fpring up. Comparisons are made between relations, and strangers, unfavourable to the former. For whilt relations are but too apt to receive as matter of right, what is intended, and indeed cught to be confidered, as matter of favour; ftrangers, by the affiduity of their attentions, and the warmth of their acknowledgments, endeavour, at leaft outwardly, to exprefs a juft fenfe of obligation. In fhort, fir, it will not, I flatter myself, be going too far, to affert, that fome of the greatest errors in human conduct arife from our not difcriminating nicely the fhades of duty which fubfilt between the two extremes, of actions of abfolute neceffity, and, actions of abfolute choice. It must be obvious to every thinking perfon, that many duties occur in our intercourfe with fociety, in which, though we are phyfically free, yet we are morally bound: cafes, with refpect to which, though the municipal laws of our country are filent, yet the laws of reafon, and the fenfe of mankind, Speak plainly. Of this defcription, are

411

the duties which relations mutually owe
to one anonher. I fubmit these hints,
Mr. Editor, to your judgment, upon a
fubject both interefting, and practical.
Interefting, because there is no man, but
what has fome fhare in the obligations of
confanguinity; practical, because it re-
gards offices which require daily to be
put in practice. Every man has fome
duties to pay to his relations; or fome
fervices to receive from them. If we
take the advantages of fociety, we muft
conform to the difadvantages of it; if
difadvantages they can be called. If we
expect that relations should serve us, we
must be ready, in return, to serve them.
From thefe fentiments of benevolence to-
wards friends, and relations, arises that
rational, and beautiful fyftem of Chriftian
philanthropy, fubordination, and focial af-
fection, which, beginning with those who
are more immediately connected with us
by the ties of blood, extends itself gra-
dually to thofe who are more diftantly
connected with us, by the ties of country,
or government; and ultimately reaches to
all who participate in the fame common
nature. Private virtues are the best fe-
curity for public duties. A bad man in
the relations of private life, can scarcely
be expected to be ftrictly virtuous in his
public capacity: there is no feparating
the two characters. For, the apoftle
beautifully, and conclufively argues, "If
man love not his brother whom he hath
feen, how can he love God whom he hath
not feen?" If he forget the duties he
owes to his kindred, which are immedi-
ate, and natural, how fhall he remember
thofe he owes to his country, which are
abstracted, and artificial? But, after all,
let every man, with becoming gratitude
to his friends, learn to place his chief
hopes of fuccefs in life, on his own good
conduct, and his own induftry.
"Faber
quifque fortuna propria," fays my Lord
Bacon, from Plautus; and, I believe,
with great truth. Relations, or friends,
may afford the plan, but our own exer-
tions mult fupply the foundation on which
to build the fuperftructure of our fortune.
I am, fir, &c. &c.

June 2, 1798.

ARISTIPPUS.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.
SIR,

A

Sit is a curious ftudy to trace the different gradations by which literature has arrived at its prefent height; and as the epoch of the introduction of points and ftops is not the leaft important,

412

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Early Pointing.-Scots and Irifh early Literature.

I beg leave to oppofe fome facts to the account which the compilers of the Encyclop. Britannica" give under the article punctuation. Their words are as follow: In the 15th century (16th, I fuppofe, they mean), we obferve their firft appearance. We find, from the books of this age, that they were not all produced at the fame time; those we meet with then in ufe, being only the comma, the parenthefis, the interrogation, and the full point; to prove this, we need but look into "Bale's Acts of English Votaries," black letter, printed in 1550; indeed, in the dedication of this book, we difcover a colon, but, as this is the only one of the kind throughout the work, it is plain this stop was not established at this time, and fo warily put in by the printer."

In "Hackluyt's Voyages," printed in 1599, we fee the firft inftance of a femicolon.

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine

SIR,

WON

ONDERFUL tales have been told concerning the literary illumination of the Scots and the Irish at a very remote period in the dark ages of the history of modern Europe. The Irish pretend that their ifle was the feat of learning and civility, at a time when ignorance and barbarifm prevailed in every neighbouring country. The Scots have not yet ceased to fet up fimilar pretenfions in favour of their ancient Hebudian feminary of Jona. In Germany, in France, even in Italy, the pretenfions of both Scots and Irish are, in part, allowed; the Germans have not been afhamed to refer their first acquaintance with the principles of christianity to the preaching of a Scottish apoftle; monafteries have been erected abroad, in favour of the Scots and Irish, as monuments of that light which these insular regions are believed to have once fent forth, to enlighten the world.

Now, fir, I can eafily fuppofe they were not all introduced at the fame time; fo far we agree. But, that the colon was And yet, when historical research, quaintroduced many years before 1550, will lified to diftinguish between adequate evibe proved by Novi Teftamenti poftrema dence and that which is unfatisfactory, aditio, per Erafmum," &c. anno 1527; reviews the records of those diftant times, which is now before me, and where it the discovers no diftinct vestiges of the frequently occurs; as alfo in another boafted illumination of Ireland and the book, "Pub. Ovidii Nafonis Metamor- Hebudian Iles. Works of art, treasures phofeon," anno 1543. Nay, fir, in fome of learning, arrangements of science, fuch cafes, I hold it to be more early in ufe as might unequivocally demonstrate the than the comma, as I have a miffal, from existence of fuch an ancient illumination, its appearance printed in England, and are looked for in vain. Though a Giblong before the books aforementioned; bon have been betrayed to adopt the but I cannot be affured as to its age, as it fables of a Boece; though a Johnfon wants a title page, and I do not perceive could not view the ruins of Jona without a fingle comma in it it is printed with having his feelings impreffed with a rered and black ink, the colon is frequently ligious awe, and exalted by a fervent enufed, and is made in a diamond-like form. thufiafm; though a Vallancey have not As for the femicolon, I must allow that difdained to patronize the Milefian age of in the fenfe it is now used, I do not find Irish history, yet must candour almost it in any of these books, but in the Tefta- concur implicitly with fcepticism, in rement, and Ovid, it is used as an abbre-jecting all thofe as mere vague and general viation; as in namq; neq; quicunq; &c. probabilities which are found to want in the fame fenfe I find it ufed in "Jo- the fupport of close and particular eviannis Calvini Commentaria Integra in acta dence. Apoftolorum," 1563; “D. Erafmi Rotorodami Opus," &c. anno 1554, and in Ovid a very free ufe is made of this abbreviating femicolon, in almost every line, in fuch words as thefe, where the laft fyllable begins with a q, as conditaq; intybaq; fummiffoq; &c. but in the fenfe it is now ufed, I do not even find it in "Fox's Acts and Monuments," black letter, 1641.

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Amidst thefe difficulties, I am inclined to flatter myself, that I have been fufficiently fortunate to difcover from what fource have arifen these too extravagant accounts of the early learning of the Scots and Irish, which have been fo widely propagated, without being perfectly just.

If the influence of the chriftianity of the dark ages can be accounted to have been at all akin to knowledge or civility, then muft we grant the Scots and the Irish to have poffeffed at least this one advantage of an enlightened people, at a time when the Anglo-Saxons of Germany and

Britain

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