Με απρεπει. Τροπαι ὅ]ι Γαλλικῶν Ηρει φελαγίων κλεινα, Βρεταννικες Ήρωας ως ξείνισσε, λαμπρη Τερπομενες ΕΔΟΑΡΔΟΣ Αυλη. Σεμνονε λέξας φυλον ὁμηλικῶν Καλλές παρθενικών, Αρωγοί. Δικησίε Θεσμον πασιν ὑπερΊερον Σιγηδ' αριστον λεπλόποδες Τοκον ΕΡΡΙΚΕ, 1οι 1ης μειον είχε Αζίκορης Τενείωρ απ' αιης. "Ταύτης γαρ αν ει Μαρλβυρίαι σκιαν Λωλελε,* Λειμώνων]ε· πυκνοι Και Νεαρών ανα παντ' Αθύρμον. Να παισι ταύταις ΠΙΕΡΙΔΩΝ ποθον Λειότεραις χαρίζεσσι μίξας. Οὐ σοι μάτην γαρ αιεν ΟΜΗΡΙΚΑΙ Ουδ' αν ματαίως εασι ενθορε ΔΗΜΟΣΘΕΝΟΥC βροντημα μελισταγής Ου χώρον εισεπιπίεν και Ἡδατε ΚΙΚΕΡΩΝΟΣ Αυδή. Οι Μανοανος Κύκνος δει Μελος Κενας προς Αυρας. Ου Μελέται οσαι Οι FOSTEΡΕΙΟΥ Σζηθεος, εμπλεον Σε ενδ' αρ' ωριο ΚΑΔΕΝΙΟΝ Σελας. Σωσιπολείτε μαλιστ' ΑΘΗΝΗ. * ΝΥΜΡΗΦΕ ALBE XATAMOC ήμων εδε συγ ̓ ενδεης Λαμπρα Ναῳ προτιθεντα ΓΡΑΝΤΗΣ. Μαρίὺς ἹΒΗΡΩΝ και ΛΥΣΙΤΑΝIHC ΓΑΛΛΩΝ 1ραπενίων. Τοι απο ΠΑΛΛΑΔΟΣ Χρεος Θυελλη τῶν γεγυ είν Προς σκιερη θεμις αυτ' ΕΛΑΙΗ. Ου μυσικων σοι Υιες απειρεεις, ΕΤΩΝΑ, φθοίγων. Αρμονιων Λύρης, Αστρωνε Τάξεως, Νομῶντε Κοσμον εν δις συνεχει Μαθησις. ΕΤΩΝΑ χαίροις-Αιεν ελεύθερον Τρεφοις φρονημα. σαις κορυφαις αει Και ΠΑΤΡΙΔΟC Ερος, ηδε ΒΩΜΩΝ. K. A. Ελωνιάτης. Τροστινης εποιεί. Μαιμακτηριώνος πεντε και δεκαίῳ. 15 S. 1808. ART. DCCXLIX. N°. L. What is light reading;-Poetry, a gift. I PUBLISH the following letter, as I received it. I think I can guess at the handwriting; and if my conjecture is right, I must entreat the author to throw away some part of the diffidence expressed in the latter part of the paper. Poeta nascitur non fit. TO THE RUMINATOR. MR. RUMINATor, I AM one of those who prefer rambling effusions, and the natural association of ideas, to formal Essays. To you, therefore, who certainly cannot be blamed for a narrow taste, and seem to love every species of intellectual effort; who do not judge by rule, nor repeat hacknied phrases of mechanical criticism as substitutes for feeling and thought, I trust I may address a frank and unstudied letter with the certainty of a candid reception. Allow me then to say, that among those books which are called light reading, it is the fashion to class many of those productions, which ought to stand in a high rank, both in point of genius and usefulness. They who have climbed up to the chair of criticism, by toil, and an unwearied attention to those departments in literature, which are attainable rather by patient drudgery than by the partial endowments of Nature, will of course use every exertion and artifice to encourage this erroneous fashion. The ignorant great, as well as vulgar, are fond of admiring what they do not understand; and it is necessary that a work should take a scientific form, and be clothed in outward pomposity before it be deemed profound and important. But does it never occur to these wise judges to listen to the lessons of time, and observe what are the productions which have retained within themselves the seeds of life? The works of the mere learned, for the most part, nay the larger part of the labours of science, have been pushed off the stage by their successors, as wave swallows up wave. Their materials have been pulled to pieces, and worked up afresh; and little but their name, (if even, that) remains. And thus it is with artificial writers, even in the Belles Lettres. Simplicity, predominant vigour of genius, and natural eloquence, alone survive the changes of fashion, and lapse of ages. The tricks of composition, the temporary objects of admiration in style, sentiment, or form, become as ridiculous and disgusting in one age, as they were attractive in another. From the Euphuism of Wm. Lilly in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, to the stiff glitter of Lord Bolingbroke in the last reign, all is gone by and forgotten. Look at old Reviews forty years back, and observe the books that they have commended, and the books that they have abused. Of the former a large part are now no longer heard of; many of the latter are among the most popular and admitted works of genius. There is an unsophisticated force of intellect; the power of a vivid fancy, and a warm and tremulous |