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there fubfifted fome remains of literature and poetry. The LECT language which prevailed in that country was a mixture of Latin and Gallic, called the Roman or Romance Language; and their ftories being written in that language, hence it is faid the name of Romance, which we now apply to all fictitious Compofition.

THE earlieft of thofe Romances is that which goes under the name of Turpin, the archbishop of Rheims, written in the 11th century. The subject is, the Atchievements of Charlemagne and his peers, or Paladins, in driving the Saracens out of France and part of Spain; the fame fubject which Ariofto has taken for his celebrated poem of Orlando Furiofo, which is truly a Chivalry Romance, as extravagant as any of the reft, but partly heroic, and partly comic, embellished with the highest-graces of poetry. The Romance of Turpin was followed by Amadis de Gaul, and many more of the fame ftamp. The Crufades both furnished new matter, and increased the spirit for fuch Writings; the Chriftians against the Saracens made the common ground-work of them; and from the 11th to the 16th century, they continued to bewitch all Europe. In Spain, where the tafte for this fort of writing had been moft greedily caught, the ingenious Cervantes, in the beginning of the last century, contributed greatly to explode it; and the abolition of tournaments, the prohibition of fingle combat, the difbelief of magic and enchantments, and the change in general of manners throughout Europe, began to give a new turn to fictitious Compofition.

THEN appeared the Aftræa of D'urfè, the Grand Cyrus, the Clelia and Cleopatra of Mad. Scuderi, the Arcadia of Sir Philip Rr 2 Sidney,

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ECT. Sidney, and other grave and ftately Compofitions in the fame ftyle. These may be confidered as forming the second stage of Romance Writing. The heroifm and the gallantry, the moral and virtuous turn of the chivalry romance, were still preserved; but the dragons, the necromancers, and the enchanted caftles, were banished, and fome fmall refemblance to human nature was introduced. Still, however, there was too much of the marvellous in them to please an age which now afpired to refinement. The characters were difcerned to be ftrained; the style to be swoln; the adventures incredible: the books themfelves were voluminous and tedious.

: HENCE, this fort of Compofition foon affumed a third form, and from magnificent Heroic Romance, dwindled down to the Familiar Novel. These novels, both in France and England, during the age of Lewis XIV. and King Charles II. were in general of a trifling nature, without the appearance of moral tendency, or useful inftruction. Since that time, however, fomewhat better has been attempted, and a degree.of, reformation introduced into the spirit of Novel. Writing. Imitations of life and character have been made their principal object. Relations have been professed to be given of the behaviour of persons in particular interesting situations, such as may actually occur in life; by means of which, what is laudable or defective in character and in conduct, may be pointed out, and placed in an ufeful light. Upon this plan, the French have produced fome` compofitions of confiderable merit. Gil Blas, by Le Sage, is a book full of good fenfe, and inftructive knowledge of the world. The works of Marivaux, efpecially his Marianne, discover great refinement of thought, great peneration into hu¬

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nian nature, and paint, with a very delicate pencil, fome of the LECT niceft fhades and features in the distinction of characters. The Nouvelle Heloife of Rouffeau is a production of a very fingular kind; in many of the events which are related, improbable and unnatural; in fome of the details tedious, and for fome of the scenes which are described justly blameable; but withal, for the power of eloquence, for tenderness of fentiment, for ardour of paffion, entitled to rank among the highest productions of Fictitious History.

In this kind of Writing we are, it must be confeffed, in Great Britain, inferior to the French. We neither relate fo agreeably, nor draw characters with so much delicacy; yet we are not without fome performances which discover the strength of the British genius. No fiction, in any language, was ever better fupported than the Adventures of Robinson Crufoe. While it is carried on with that appearance of truth and fimplicity, which takes a strong hold of the imagination of all Readers, it fuggests, at the fame time, very useful instruction; by showing how much the native powers of man may be exerted for furmounting the difficulties of any external fituation. Mr. Fielding's Novels are highly distinguished for their humour; a humour which, if not of the most refined and delicate kind, is original, and peculiar to himfelf. The characters which he draws are lively and natural, and marked with the ftrokes of a bold pencil. The general fcope of his ftories is favourable to humanity and goodness of heart; and in Tom Jones,, his greatest work, the artful conduct of the fable, and the subserviency of all the incidents to the winding up of the whole, deserve much praife. The most mo ral of all our novel Writers is Richardfon, the Author of Cla riffay

LECT. riffa, a Writer of excellent intentions, and of

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very confiderable capacity and genius; did he not poffefs the unfortunate talent of fpinning out pieces of amufement into an immeafurable length. The trivial performances which daily appear in public under the title of Lives, Adventures, and Hiftories, by anonymous Authors, if they be often innocent, yet are moft commonly infipid; and, though in the general it ought to be admitted that Characteristical Novels, formed upon Nature and upon Life, with-out extravagance, and without licentioufnefs, might furnish an agreeable and useful entertainment to the mind; yet according as these Writings have been, for the most part, conducted, it must also be confeffed, that they oftener tend to diffipation and idlenefs, than to any good purpose. Let us now therefore make our retreat from these regions of fiction.

LECTURE XXXVIII.

NATURE OF POETRY-ITS ORIGIN AND

PROGRESS-VERSIFICATION.

I

XXXVIII.

HAVE now finished my obfervations on the different kinds L E C T. of Writing in Profe. What remains is, to treat of Poetical Compofition. Before entering on the confideration of any of its particular kinds, I defign this Lecture as an Introduction to the fubject of Poetry in general; wherein I fhall treat of its nature, give an account of its rife and origin, and make fome observations on Verfification, or Poetical Numbers.

OUR firft enquiry muft be, what is Poetry? and wherein does it differ from profe? The answer to this queftion is not so easy as might at first be imagined; and Critics have differed and difputed much, concerning the proper definition of Poetry. Some have made its effence to confift in fiction, and support their opinion by the authority of Ariftotle and Plato. But this is certainly too limited a definition; for though fiction may have