Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1805-02-04
FOR THs PORTLAND GAZETTE
g.)s pilgrim. mo. XXI.


ONE Of my favor;te periodical authors ha
,yesy pretty exclamation, extracted from /;
hook of ltrlc notoriete ard after coniidsrstsl,
,.,or of recollection could fad nothing more
appropriate for motto.
ps.eAut Hii. qs aulenes nciifa dircruat J
Perrin tlofe vino have faid good hings before
}. In peruiiag volume VIC 10 nor perhaps re
ccive more pleafare from the lifcoyery of origin
zty Of fen,lment,or novety of aei,ription, thar
opcrging the paiTtges, in which the writer ha
copied or i2tatcd his predeeeiIors. The fats
action re a.,iag from the perceptions ri lucf
relc nolance is Ike that OF enexnetted'y meet
my an acquaintance and wins tier the image
be psa(ant or unpleafant, the idea Is OF courls
NOR teerly impreftd by reiterstion.
But from the p,agiary who prelents us only :
faithful trautcripr ofthou hts, which, however
Honorable TO Tie ingenui Of the h5it uief
haveby ,ransniiIlon thro' the ineegant language
os the vulgar lott their original reipectarity
or who converts, uncredted, the fractures of
no5er mind to his own uie, we turn with equA
weariaefs and difdaio. Even melody of veris
anaiomc inferior beauties of fylc have not pre-
jeryed mott Of the paitorals of lope, though
fuper OF to any Contemporary in thar fptcies o
wiring from the cenlure OF being only tediou
paraphralc Of Virgil Tie fubtie tpr:t CT TIE
gleat Roman bard evaporated in paIing into thS
frisid atmofphere of an Englifh versitlcatlcn
He, TO whom for nearly century our language
has produced no rivals, con !elicd, thai III HI:
juvenile productions, - Pure deicFiption hello
,h- place Of fenie," and if we except the Wind
sor forett and the Me.aah, his eciogues woul<
vitae, rather than improve the SAttc OF al iaeS
perienced poet
II By the conC.n, Of the tribunals Of literature
the heroic poets have been permitted to eaplo)
iathc commencement Of their works tranjla
rioo nearly literal of the frlt lines OF the Iii d
AMI this privilege none has esIe6ted, or deipif
I'd. but t.lat mighty genius, who flung
Of mans irR difobedi,nct. aud the fruit
OF that 4 rddden tree, whofe mortal talte
Brought death into the I'd, and al Gun woe.
Nor is there much greater diyerlity oblerva
bic in conducting the machinery, than com
monty appears'at rhe introduction. In the lie
jeripton of actors, fupero. to nortals, Hone
mott iucceiliycly but, to Ultimate with COZ
je6anefs The fuperi?rity of Homer in this refpet
ne mutt conGder the various excellence OF hi
sompetors.
VirgiliS the only one, who has Underwriting
adhered to the heather mythology; but his god
are introduced with much LET'S loenihty The,
are mortals welding with difficulty ceiettia
sr,us. I aho whei- Jeruiaem is certainly tn
f,ccnd in intereft, whatever be ought his mer
hin another view, has enlivened the uniformit
of epic action with magicans and inehanters
and poorly compeniates for this violation o
Jropriety by leagung them with the Mahome
tan powers ihe imagination OF Ariofo Is f4i'
by the learned 70 Be till leis obedient to the re
iisamts of probability, and the erratic excur
hons Of the winged courier Of his hero are hap
ply indicative OF the irregularities OF his mule
The MIXTURE of pagan faDe and chritian met
aphifics deforms the Lutiad Of Camoens, whof
name diuffcs a ioIitary funbeam, through In
Ia k void Of the literary hiftory Of po.tu-a. Ii
conducting this mott difficult part OF his wor
fhould we wonCer that Milton mutt be adde
ro,bis catalogue Bur he funk i'll efAYins BOZ
der flight, than ever yet was reached, and failed
where mortal never can iucceed. We readil
acknowledge him 70 be fecoad only, if not eque
to Homer, while we COMETS his unhappineis il
! attempting the delcription of Jehovah, al,ilong
his eagle fgh,ed fancy was blinded by the eor
Sications of divine ehulgence, " dark with ex
eriive brightness" although his capacious min,
was unable to graip the iacemprriieniibliiy o
HIM, who
With TIC majedy of darknei: round
Circles bis throne.