poet with great juftice describes a fummer evening in Scotland. Serene and mild the genial evening comes, The fetting fun, with parting ray uprear'd Yet ftill the lengthen'd day, As if averfe to leave the pleafing scene, But verging eastward, gilds the orient fky } More fair, more bright, To glad with morning beams. Of fuch a scene the inhabitants of warmer regions can have no idea. As we cannot form an adequate notion of the plagues of flies, and grafhoppers, and lice, that fucceffively deftroyed the Egyptians; fo neither can they form an idea of the enchanting delights of a fummer evening in Britain. Let us then be contented with our lot, nor envy the fituation of others, but improve to the utmost of our power the advantages we ourselves poffefs; for, were we to fhift places with any other people, we should perhaps find we had loft much more than we had gained by the change. • From Loch Lomond a poem, altered. D. Anderson An Efay on the Genius and Character of Horace, as exhibited in his Odes. Sed quae Tibur aquae fertile praefluunt, Et fpiffae nemorum comae, Fingent Æolio carmine nobilem. Ode 3. lib. iv. But him, the freams which warbling flow And fhady groves, his haunts fhall know, THE ode is a very ancient fpecies of poetry: it was used in very remote times, to accompany mufic at high feftivals and dramatic exhibitions. Such was the intention of the pfalms of David, Pindar's odes, those of Sophocles and Euripides, many of Horace's, and several of our most celebrated modern odes. These compofitions being rehearsed in this manner before crouded audiences, it was to be expected that the poet would exert his genius to make the verfification harmonious and elegant; the fentiments beautifully fpirited and ftriking, and in every respect as finished as poffible. Accordingly many of these poems are found to be of the most exquifite kind, as well for elegance and beauty, as boldnefs and majefty of genius, though the fofter qualities are certainly to be preferred. It is more fuitable to the epic poem to fire with high ideas, or delight with wonderful; where the mind, by a series of events, is gradually interested in the theme, and prepared to foar with the author in his highest flights. But in fuch a fhort compofition as an ode, we are best pleased with an unaffected and elegant defcription of fome of the pathetic or gay occurrences of life, in which the author or his friends are particularly interested. The imagination feels itself overstrained, VOL. II. M when obliged all at once to view great or dreadful transactions, but always willingly repofes itself on calm and exhilarating fcenes. In these respects Horace is very happy; he does not love to dwell in the lofty regions of poetry; he does not afpire to the higheft top of Parnaffus, but chooses rather to revel in its flowery vales, and diverfified meads; he knew almost above any writer where his ftrength lay, and never attempts a theme to which he is not prompted by the natural bias of his genius. Every thing flows fo eafily from him, and with fo little effort, that one never thinks he writes but to please himself; fame he may purfue, and a defire to please others, but he never feems to do fo. All is the offspring of nature and choice. Horace has prefented us with a more numerous collec tion of feparate complete pieces than any other writer. Of 122 odes, there is not one without fome fingular beauty peculiar to its author; however common, trifling, or familiar the fubject may be, he is always fure to intereft. He is never infipid, weak or nervelefs; the genius of Horace is never afleep; open but his book at random, and you will be fure to find fufficient scope for admiration, either in the exquifite beauty of his fentiments, or the extreme elegance and propriety of his language. There is a clear and claffical fire which never deferts him; he does not raife his readers to high flights at the hazard of being involved in mifty clouds; he does not often lead them to bold and daring tracts, where there is any danger of meeting with what is rugged or unpleafant: He loves to breathe a pure air; ever pleased and cheerful, his readers never open his works but with delight, and never shut them without fatisfaction. What we most admire in this poet, is the unreserved difplay he gives of his own character, which, upon the whole, is very modeft and amiable; fo unaffectedly open is he in mentioning his follies, his faults, and his foibles, that we are rather pleased than disgusted, when he arrogates to himself thofe excellencies which he really poffeffes. It is the part of a mean and artful diffembler, to affect to prejudice us against his writings; whereas we all know human nature too well, to fuppose for a moment, that the author is fincere in his profeffions: feldom do we fee a genius of real dignity and worth, but who difdains fuch fhallow devices; I, for my part, when I fee an author practifing artifices of this nature, in order to prepoffefs the reader in favour of his modefty, am very apt to take his word for it, and suspect that he really poffeffes the ignoble mind which he afcribes to himself. How much more refpectable is that character, who, confcious of his own talents and virtues, will maintain them with dignity and steadinefs; who will affume that nobleness of mind which he feels is his due? According to the fpirited precept of our author, Sume fuperbiam quæfitam meritis. With confcious pride, O mufe divine, Horace, however, in fact, does not often put in practice his own maxim, he only, with an agreeable ease, displays himself nakedly to our view; and who is there of any fenfibility, if their thoughts were completely developed, that would not be found oftener to bestow upon themfelves compliments of approbation? As to the well known odes, Exegi monumentum; Non ufitata nec tenui ferar; Sublimi feriam fidera vertice, and fome other paffages, where the author, with great feeming gravity, exalts his own character; in thefe, there are fo much sportiveness and good humour, that we never imagine him altogether ferious; he feems rather good naturedly to divert his readers, by raifing the laugh against himself. Thofe, therefore, who charge Horace with want of modefty, do not appear to me to have : done him juftice; this poet, above all others, is particularly anxious not to prefume on a subject above his abilities He fhrinks from the thunder of the Pindaric verfe; he often tells us that the levities of love are his proper fphere, and not the mighty deeds of heroes; he checks his mufe for adventuring to fing the praises of Cæfar and Mecenas, left he fhould fully them through a defect of genius. In that ode, well known for its fublimity and spirit, Juftum et tenacem præpofiti virum, he thus concludes : Quo mufa tendis? Define pervicar But whither would the mufe afpire? Such themes, nor fuit the sportive lyre, The councils of the Gods, immortal themes, profane. And in the 1ft ode of the fecond Book. Sed ne relictis mufa procax jocis, But thou, my mufe, to whom belong With me beneath fome love fequefter'd fhade. But though this unaffuming writer, on these, and many other occafions, disclaims all pretenfions to strength of genius, and though it is plain that his difpofition leans more to themes of a pleasant and temperate kind, yet frequently do we fee him attempt a higher ftrain, and that, with an animation, which, for its union with delicacy, can feldom be equalled; of which many examples may be given. In the laft quoted ode, when |