The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-30 00:00:00

THE PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE AND

LITERATURE.

(THIRD ARTICLE.)

IT is a
.fact not •to be discredited, that men of
genius, "whose names fill literature and flood
with 'a • golden light," have appeared in separatel
epochs simultaneously upon the .world's stage'
Philesopliars:have investigated the cause of thi
Phenomenon, and bequeathed to mankind the re
suit of their researches, the wisdom of which
not for .us to question, although it requires n
small degree of credulity to receive it. - Re
tlectiona of Poetry and Painting,''' by the Abbe dui
BOs,. various reasons are assigned why genius
is thus influenced,, and the effects which., air
eliniate, and other natural'phenoinena produce ar.
said •to operate powerfully . in. producing thi
singular intellectual development.. Be this as i
may,. the fact is palpable. We see the. effeci
though:we may, not be able, aposteriori,; to trace its'
causation. . .

This very circumstance , gave rise to the - Four
Ages' marked 'out by the learned, in which the
Arts and Sciences remarkably flourished; such
as the Grecian Age ; the Roman Age ; the Age of
Popp Julius IL and .Leo X. ; .and , that of, Louis
XV. and Queen. Anne.. :The writers of the two
first, ages are termed.-the ancients those of the
two last ages, the moderns;;. - Much unprofitable
controversy has arisen as to whether the ancients
or moderns possessed the higher degree of getiitia.
France especially has been agitated 'with,•thiS
debate; whilst mankind have not been made -the
wiser. - However, whilst we honestly. yield the
palm to the genius' of the ancients we nuist, at
the same timo'affirm, that the moderns possess
not a few superior advantages. In the refinements.]
of Art and the' progress of knowledge they cer-
tainly excel, as WOl as in the perfection of political
history., the variety of. their poetry, and the
arrangements of dramatic performances. "'Among
the ancients, (as has been well observed) we
find higher conceptions, greater simplicity; more
original fancy. Amongthe moderns, sometimes more ;
art and correctness, but feebler exertions of genius."
Still; it must be conceded, that amongst the Me
derns stand minds in noway inferior to. any that
the Grecian 'or Roman ages . ever .Produced. We
take ,but ShakaPeare and and 'challenge the
World to produce intellects superior in point Of poeti-
cal fervour and
,brilliant genius ! True, the moderns
have had privileges of which the ancients-were de-
prived. The latter had. to-travel in search of wis-
dom to Oriental climes.' They had to become ac-
quainted with, the principal sages contemporary
with themselves, 'who were-renowned for their phi-
losophical acumen, as Well as the 'splendor _of their
erudition. Hefice • innuenise labour—considerable
time andmoney hal necessarily to he devoted in order
to- attain the desired ends,. Few, therefore, compara-
lively Speaking. could pursue knowledge, much legs
attain to any degree of eminence, in the republic Of
letters=-although- rewards, in the shape of public
plaudits, were held out as incentives to genius-and
as the recompense of literary industry.' Heredotus
read his history to enraptured Multitudes asseni.-
1; bled • at the Olympic games,. and was crowned in
presence of them all. Alluding to,this fad, as re-
II corded by Lucian, a French Writer observes :—" It
1, was a glorious,day, and the most affecting delight
to Rerodolus; "when all Greece, assembled at the
Olympic. games, declared Whilst they , heard :him
iread his 'history, that they thought the muses
spoke by his . mouth ; Which occasioned the nine
books of hiS Work being called by. the name of the
inure muses. And the case was the same with the
orators and poets who spoke their orations and read
their poems in-public. How great a spur to glory
!must the applauses have been which Were
,received
before- the 'eyes, and with the ACCla4iations of
I; almost all the nation? Surely, z anvthing was cal-
ciliated to stimulate genius, and proatice, a laudable
emulation in the breasts' of her . children the
''honours conferred: by. Greece would
,be effectual
;And such they proved..: „Even princes did not,:dik
dais to aspire after the imperishable laurels whiCh
she awarded to merit • The galaxy of Grecian lite-
rature is studded with stars of the first magnitude.
Through the gloom of past ages they radiate the
present,, and the dark future -wilt yet be brightened
,withtheir beams.. After )loner, the father Of poetry,
who, according 'to the " Parian 'marbleS,'floitriShed
907 years B. d., Greoce prodtieed Tyrtwits, Anacreon,
,Pindar; Socrates, 'Herodottis., the father of history,
!Euripides; Plato, Aristotle, DemostheneS,.Polybiusi
Pltitareh, And a host of other worthies. So highly
was literature hoponred in-. Greece, that. when-the
Athenian'army had.' been defeated .in Sicily, and
the prisoners sentenced- to death, Such of them as
' could recite any.verses Of Euripides; frbm venera)
tion for, that post; who belonged to: Athens, had
perfect freedom immediately affOrded 'thein. And
again) when Ciinoti,"after a"' triumphant campaign;
returned to. Athens: and brought with' him as .a
relic, the bbnes of Thesens,the,,people propoSed
prize fdr ,the best -tragic poem to commemorate-the
event. It was warmly contended Tor. Sophooles;
who was then young, presented his virgin poem,
and wrested - the prize from -his • competitor,
:7Eschylus, who was at this time the " lion " oklie
theatre, Judges chosen
.bY.lot, decreed' him' the
honour; and he. was triumphantly crowned amid
the deafening' plaudits of the vast assembly at the
Olyniptts. The' faMe of the Victor' continued with
his life, and increased with hiS years ; iziid, it last,
when his sons'deSired a judgment against him, as
being supeiwinnated,, instead of a defence,. the
venerable- old man recited piece .he had just
written,in the Presque() of the judges; and at once
gained his
.object

. „
. The growth of a nation has been fitly compared
to that of an individual. It eitperlerieeS first,' the
weakness of infancy, then the .buoyancy of youth
afterwards, 'the maturity of manhood ; and
the decrepitude of kge.. The. lights that shone .so
powerfully in Greece • became partially obscured.
arid the 'favourites 9f.the Muses left the lamp of
Science. to decay on their own altars, in :order
to_, enkindle it •- on those of a foreign na-
tion; _by whose arms' they had' finally
been subdued into serfdom. 'After the
f&atiof 'Perseus, thelast 'King of Maceilon, over a
thousand gifted sons 'of Greece, were: driven into
Italy by cdnirtiend 'of their: conquerors, . amongst
whom was The ci-slebrated Polybius, author of the
" Universal History" in .twelve bOoks, four of which
VVerilinlycoMplete; With Demosthenes expired the
eloquence and the, liberty of Greece, once the glory
Of the world ! His , voice aroused the feelings of
the Athenians, and inspired them with a thirst
for Liberty, and the echo of that Voice Alas` not yet
died. away ! • , .•

The Romans at this time were altogether rude,
and unskilled in the arts. Martial renown was
all they could boast of until the conquest of Greece
brought, learning tb their shores. This praise
Irat` been honestly conceded to the , Greeks by
Horace, Who "says, (we use Francis' Transla-
tion) :

" When conquered Greece brought in her
.captive arts,
She triumphed o'er her savage conquerors' hearts :
Taught, oar rough verse its numbers to 'refine, •
And our rude style with
.eleganee to shine," • • ,
Indeed Virgil, in the .iEneid, does 'uot hesitate to
speak slightingly' Of the arts; and in the most
elevated strain of. language to. show that they do
not adorn the majesty of a Ttoinan subject. Just
at the dose of 8001i,V.1. he says •
.
,f Others more soft shall carve the breathing brass ;
Nay, living looks, T think,' from Marble draw;
Plead causes bther ;, .with, a. wand describe
The heavenly roads, iind.traoe the riSing:stars.
Roman,- remember thou to'rule the World
Be theae'thy: arts, to ftx the lay's of peace,
To spare the 'suppliant, and confoind flits proud."
•
And Tully in Rlces this Candid acknOwledgrneut in the
Jur Book of hiS history:--" It iy true Greece has