The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-12-13

betwesnthe 6ra and iaa os thrfe poems. II hfs
the advantage over them all, in the csaraaer &
msjety of the chief perfon2gc. WITH t'1ma
one hardly becomes Acquainted; he is nc. rorc
of hero than the name of his hip. Isneas ne
yer nterefs but on hiswaY tohe!l: his cy,lty to
Pslinurns (eScept the ilhje .Eibiho oancri5,0 in
the onlytrat:of heart in. his ch1ratter.. The
| rapacitv. tn. felih unfee!ipg, the low Cunning
fyiTins-slegss,le him from tina, moral rank,
| which is efIeniiai TO fympathy. Snphocles felt
this deficiencyot Homer; and in a fiue fcene
OF his Philotte.es. has contracted the hncere aud
generous Neoptoleti,os with the in!idioHs and
GRITTY OdyItus. Mahoc is fuch Neop' OLE
mos IN middle age: he fhtercfs Al once and all
alone, by his affections, his reiources, his diff
l'calties, and his virtues.
I The lyle is equal, as in I.conidas, not vari-
Gus. as in Th,aha; u IS Correct not daring it;
is moA flccefsfu in ne dclcriptive pa1ages,
| the metaphors are few; the cpthrtS are inlaid
with ,vel aptneis. The Language is rather
trailing. ike that Of Spenfer, than condenfed
like that Of Milton: tits fomewhat deficient in
rap;dty, yi.our and. fplendonr, and would glin
By the iprrtion of 'nore ipitations, ipliiits, s.
burfs of diction. The osatory too fhnud be
fuller ofthought, Argument. and maxim. The
poet has pnrfned to excefs the prafe of ipyenti-
ON and originality; he has difdainet traufpan-
'tatous from the works of his predseeT,,rs, tho
'raiio wrought fU beautiful a patchwork with
'hreds.. IT is liz literature as in the world, he
ranks highet who fpepds mott: no matter whe-
Their he borrows, owns what he bellows
Plagiiriim is even fanrce of reputation for
the wel'-read critics have in all ages taken plea.
lure to 'ndltt;e the qvbsuee of ftocp paiiages, &
| therefore edit and announce mott willingly the
purloiner.
HID Mr.. SoutheY got this. poem done into
Welih by Mr.. O%ep, or ,fome other zealot of
Myvian Archaeology |; and he 70 pnbliihed it
with Latin Interpretation and then given us
the original as a ,mere yertion from Tome old
hard (; envy would ,av- been cheated aud Curl
ofty aroafed, aud Maloc would fop1n have far
patied the Europeanity of repuia alton the pre-
tended works of Oflian. In its prefeht fncere
| torn 1t Will win lets eafy way OF fame; out it
VIII not have TO make returning nep.
II is eafier to blame than to- prailt cai,k.
er-ke to niAbie Mt the larrel-Ieaf, than TO water
ITS WARMTH iato higher luftre, bit our Limits for
! o'd the detailing of tbofe icattering paiaees in
which we.wiIhed'for Authorization. Asawh6Ie,
the cenfure OF Madoc is difficult one mutt
| make grievance of the leveinefs of manner of
the extent of narration, and of the ablence of
| the wonderful, in order to provide the hottie
converter with topics OF inveetive., Againf
fuch cayls, the philofophic criticiin of Hobbies
| mas iuggeited the appropriate reo!y. g There
are fome Gays he) who are not pleafed with fic-
| ton unlels If behold: :. not only to exceed the
work, but ALTO the po!Ebility of Hature. They
would have -in,penetrahie aralours, inchanted
caitles, invulnerahle bodies, iron men, flying
| hories, and a thouiand Other fuch things. which
are eaii'v feigned by them that dare. / dilIeDt
! from thote who think that'the beauty of po-
EN- coniiiteth III the exorbitancy of the i6fion.
For as truth is the bound of hitoricaI, 10 the re-
l1emb'ahce of truth is the utmof Limit of poeti.
cal liberty. In old time among the heathens,
iuch ftrange hetions and metamorphofes were
not 10 remote from the articles of their faith, as
| they are now from ours, and were therefore no.
70 unp'eafint. Beyond the actual works of ma
ture. poet may now go; but beyond the con-
ctived poilbility of nature never.''
| To all the other epopeas contributed on this
Princio'e, fdch as the Henriad, the Araucana,
the Piarlaa, Mr.. Southey's is far fiperior.
Since the appearance of Mi'ton's Parable Loft,
no perion has Quilted the Engiiih pres equal in
! merit to Madoc. It is a great and ddrat,le sc
! ceition TO our literature, fit Object ofna,ional
pride, aad of European gratu!atioh. q .'.f 49,
4