that, at least, no such elegy as the Country Churchyard existed to manifest it; and also, that the elegy may have some mixture of magnificence. But that, in any measure, pauses may be so contrived as to alter the effect, blank verse in the hands of different poets will prove. Accordingly, if, in this measure, the pauses are not sufficiently often at the close of the lines, the more irregular structure of these may take from the calmness and solemnity necessary for elegy, and produce an effect similar to that perceived by Dryden; though his example in adopting this measure has not been followed by subsequent poets in the epic line. Shenstone has observed, that " the "public ear, habituated of late to a quicker measure,

may perhaps consider this as heavy and languid; "but an objection of that kind may gradually lose "its force, if this measure should be allowed to suit "the nature of elegy." Whatever may be the cause, whether custom or its own merits, it now seems generally preferred in elegy.

In order to enforce his argument, Johnson re

presents "gentleness and tenuity" as the character of the elegy. The works of Tibullus are certainly much marked with this character; but I do not know whether this is allowed to be a full description of it. M. de Marmontel observes, there are three sorts of elegy; that of Tibullus, or the tender; that of Propertius, or the impassioned; and that of Ovid, or the graceful and elegant (gracieux). The elegy of Gray is marked with calmness, but not with the qualities that Johnson mentions; which hardly consist with that philosophical dignity, and those solemn and even sublime ideas, which prevail in many parts of it. The same critic, who was not so far struck with Shenstone's argument concerning metre, mentioned above, as to undertake to discuss it, praises nevertheless his notion of the nature of elegy; which he describes to be "the effusion of a " contemplative mind, sometimes plaintive, and "always serious, and therefore superior to the glitter "of false ornaments." This seems a more complete character of it than the other; though, if we judge of

* Life of Shenstone.

elegy by the remains of the ancient elegiac poets; and by Horace's account of it in these lines,

Versibus impariter junctis querimonia primum,
Post etiam inclusa est voti sententia compos,

Couplets unequal were at first confined
To speak in broken verse the mourner's mind;
Prosperity at length, and free content,

In the same numbers gave their raptures vent;

COLMAN.

we shall not think continued seriousness necessary to it. But we have perhaps adhered, more closely than the later ancients, to the primary idea of elegy. We might not, for instance, rank as such the beautiful poem of Tibullus on Sulpicia. At least, any thing of its light and sportive character hardly seems to us to be elegiac, unless we superadd some cause of grief, though equally light and sportive.

It appears, indeed, that poetical lamentation is capable of calling forth the peculiar beauties of each of the three Roman poets. But we now permit elegy to

exceed its original limits so far, that thoughtfullness may, as truly as any thing, be assigned for its character: though, should the derivation of the name, and its original office, bias us to prefer "grief" to it, we may, in some sense, be said not to have passed its limits. For our elegy may be referred to general, if not to particular grief, in melancholy; which produces a thoughtfulness and regularity of style, and is sufficiently fertile of poetical beauty, to deserve a verse separately allotted.

P. 61. 1. 13. The pointed emphasis of this verse accords well with it, whether personal, or general; for I must own, I am no enemy to personal satire, applied with the selection, and of course, infrequency, of good principles. It in that case only habituates us to a forgiving good humour, and prevents the appearance of a Zanga; while on the other hand, an indiscriminate attack of every thing, whether right or wrong, inures us to, and renders us careless of, the censures of the world. Perhaps Horace's style is most suited to general, and Juvenal's to personal, satire. The amputation of criticism, is

desirable for nothing but the unnatural excrescences of literature; and the reasoner may address himself to the reason, and the eloquent declaimer to the feelings, while they co-operate with each other for giving scope to their peculiar powers.

Assistance is afforded to satire by the passions; as we know,

Facit indignatio versum ;

and the satyrist may perhaps rank one step lower for it; but this very assistance which satire owes to human passions, gives it a claim to favour on account of that utility which it can exclusively exercise, though it cannot exclusively create. Nothing can be more founded on nature than satire, according to a test that has been established; for I would ask, if, according to that test, we lose all relish for it with the knowledge of the characters which are its object, how comes it to pass that we at this day prefer the Roman satirists to all others? The news-monger may wish to be more fully acquainted with the persons satirized by Juvenal; but the critic and man