him from this unreftrained admiration, in order to attain fuch an height of which might involve him in numberlef's happinefs." difficulties, and at laft, perhaps, prove his utter ruin, as the vivacity of his temper would not conduce to render kim capable of withstanding the feductions of the world. The tear of affection would often trickle down his cheek, while he attended him, and by the general tenor of his converfation, wifhed to convince him, that virtue was the only path to real pleasure. At length, he thought of an expedient to render pleafure the paffage to virtue, and refolved to put his plan into immediate execution. Dinarchon, therefore, led his fon, as if accidentally, into a gallery of pictures, which had been collected by his ancestors, and to which he had made large additions; and then pointed to one of the performances, in which the genius of the painter had difplayed all its powers, in the defign, and in the colouring. "Look at that piece, my boy, faid the father, obferve the extreme beauty of the female, and how admirably the raptures of the youth are painted, whom he is embracing with extacy, while he is on his knees, before her!"-" Who can wonder at his raptures (returned Eutyches) when he contemplates the divine figure who is bleffing him with fuch an embrace? the mafter piece of Heaven almost feems in his poffeffion. O happy youth! O enviable itate!"-" You speak, indeed (faid the father) as if you envied his fituation-Nay, one would almost be perfuaded that you would purchase fuch a treasure at any expence! But you speak with too enthufiaftic a warmth of a poffeffion which may fo cafily be obtained."" So eafily (quickly cried the fon) fo eafily! Oh! how? where? by whom? If I can accomplish a defign, that must teem with fo much rapture, O tell me the means? Do not hesitate to render your child the moft happy among the fons of the earth." It would not be an arduous talk, my Eutyches (faid the father) but I am afraid, that the impetuofity of your temper, renders you incapable of fuch an undertaking. Great felfdenial, and long delays are neceffary, The news of thefe obftructions rendered Eutyches more eager than ever, The father ftill feemed to deny, and the fon preffed, with redoubled ardour. At length, Dinarchon, apparently overcome by the vehemence of his folicitation, thus addressed his fon: "I can no longer withitand the vehemence, with which you urge your requeft, but will inftruct you, in a myftery, that may teach you the means of acquiring a treafure, at leaft equal to that reprefented in yonder painting. "That picture is copied from an original, preferved in the Temple of Diana at Ephefus. Remember, therefore, Eutyches, to obferve an inviolable fecrecy, and not to deviate in the leaft particular from the injunctions of the mystery, into which I am now going to initiate you. Remember the bes trayer of the fecret, and the non-obferver of the mandate, are always pu nished with death, Confider, there fore, before I proceed, whether your courage will fupport you with firmness, in the trials, which the Goddess will impofe." Dinarchon paufed. Eutyches looked again at the picture, and defired his father to go on, as he was prepared to fuffer any hardships, in fuch a caufe. "The youth, then, refumed Dinarchon, whom you behold there, was a native of Cyprus, and an enthusiastic admirer of women, and fell in love with an ideal object, a beauty, created by the powers of his own imagination. "One day, as he was fitting befide aftream, and contemplating the vifionary form, a deep fleep feized him. In a dream Diana appeared to him, and told him, that if he would retire inftantly to Ephcfus, and keep his chastity inviolated for the fpace four years, and devote his time to the cultivation of his mind, that he might in fome meafure be worthy of fuch a poffeffion, fhe would grant him all his withes. A beauty, faid the Goddefs, as tranfcendent in fhape, and as amply bleffed with mental qualifications, as the female who now engages your attention, fhall be yours. Go then E 2 follow follow my injunctions, and be hapPy!' "After this fpeech the Deity vanifhed, and the youth awoke. The dream made a deep impreffion upon him; and as it was repeated at night, after a little confideration he resolved to comply with the heavenly admonition. "He retired to Ephefus. Secluded himself from female fociety, and purfued his ftudies with unabated ardour. At the expiration of the ftated time, the Goddess again appeared to him, and told him to repair to the fountain, at the fide of which he had before feen her, and that there he fhould meet with the reward of his fortitude and perfe verance. "The youth immediately obeyed, and was put in poffeffion of the prize, for which he had fo long fighed, and which he had gained by his fortitude and labour. "In procefs of time this became a religious mystery. As you are now acquainted with its original, you are inevitably doomed to undergo the tryal. Diveft yourself, therefore, of your love of pleasure, which may prove your ruin. Diveft yourself of your admiration of the fex, which may lead you to deftruction. Remember the refolution of the amorous Cyprian. Be it your care to emulate his fortitude, and the Goddefs will confer on you a fimilar reward." Dinarchon now stopped, and watched the countenance and appearance of his fon, who had liftened to him, with the moft earnest attention. He faw that he was torn by a thousand contending paffions. He walked up and down the galjery. Several times he feemed inclined to fpcak, but could not. The father did not attempt to control him, but let the affections of his heart have full play. At length, Eutyches told his father, that he confented to the hard conditions impofed by the Deity. His departure was immediate, as Dinarchon was fenfible, that deliberation and reflection might easily defeat all his wifhes, and render his favourite plan abortive. Eutyches confoled himself during the journey, with the idea of giving loofe to his pleafures in future, although he was confined by fuch fevere reftrictions at prefent. During the first year, however, the ftruggle between duty and inclination was fevere; and on feveral occafions, his fortitude could hardly fubdue his paffions, a copy of the picture, however, which his father had placed in his study, was his conftant refource, and foon reftored him to his reafon. The next year, his difficulties decreafed. A life of folitude became less irkfome, and the mind unaccustomed to pleafure, before the third year was expired, became indifferent to amufements, fond of literature, and attached to philofophy. The picture was almoft difregarded, and female beauty loft its powers of attraction. Habitual ftudy completed the triumph, before half the laft period was over. Eutyches was now mafter of himself. His paffions were regulated by reafon, and his first inducement to literary purfuits was forgotten. In a converfation, however, one day, Dinarchon mentioned the picture, and his fon inftantly afked when he fhould poffefs the fair reward of his felf-denials and labours. "You have it Now, faid Dinarchon, the account of the Cyprian lover was a fable of my own invention. The figures in the painting are allegorical. They are fuppofed to reprefent HUMAN LIFE, courting the embraces of HAPPINESS, who is filed the daughter of VIRTUE, and MODE RATION, and always loads thofe with favours, who are conducted to her, by her parents. "Happinefs, therefore, now prepares to meet you. Virtue has inftilled her purcft principles into your foul, and Moderation is the directrefs of all your actions. You have already found the advantages of fuch a fociety, and will not, I am fure, defert your new com. panions. Purfue your prefent plans, through life, and you will foon be convinced, that the treasure which you poffefs is more valuable than riches, and more permanent than beauty." AN AN ESSAY ON THE ARTS OF POETRY, PAINTING, AND MUSIC. Hæc ftudia adolefcentiam alunt, fenectutem oblectant. CIC. A French writer has attempted to human mind. If we attend very close prove, that all the fine arts have a relation to one common principle of Imitation. With refpect to Painting, perhaps, he has fucceeded, but furely Poetry and Mufic may claim a nobler origin. The firft language was probably poetical and mufical; and nations, where no fpecies of imitation is encouraged, where fculpture and painting are prohibited by the laws, as is the cafe among fome of the Mahometans, and where dramatic reprefentations are utterly unknown, cultivate poetry, "That gentler foother of our cares," with great fuccefs, and an almost enthufiaftic fervour. This idea of calling mufic, poetry, and painting, arts of imitation, feems to have originated from an affertion of Ariftotle, who tells us, that all poetry confifts in imitation. The opinions ofan eminent writer are frequently adopted by fucceeding generations, when, perhaps, they can affign no better reafon than that a genius has faid it, who is of an order fuperior to the general rank of authors. This fentiment, therefore, with refpect to one of the arts, has been applied to the other two, by almost all who have written on thefe fubjects, whether they treated the subjects in a philofophical, critical, or fcientific point of view. But men fhould learn to think for themselves; and furely if they do, they will inftantly perceive that thefe arts communicate a pleasure to them, which cannot arife from imitation. It is my intention, therefore, to endeavour to prove, that though in fome degree thefe arts may poffefs the power of imitating mankind, yet that their principal effect is produced by fome innate faculty of fenfation which is feated in the deepest recenfes of the human mind. The original of poetry was, perhaps, only a ftrong and forcible way of expreffing the various paffions of the ly to the effufions of joy, love, and admiration, or to their oppofites, grief, hate, and anger, we fhall perceive in them fomething nearly allied to ca dence and measure. In ancient times, when the vehemence of the orators was poured forth in panegyric or cenfure, there was a kind of rhythm, nearly as regular and as melodious as that of poetry, in their fentences. To joy, then, we may attribute the origin of hymns of praife; and to these hymns the drama of Greece was in debted for its birth. To love, may be affigned the rife of the ode. The modern love-fong, indeed, "-Sequitur patrem non paffibus æquis," and confifts in the idle tattle of darts and wounds. Of a far different nature, moft probably, were the productions of the ancient lyric poets. They were fimple, tender, and natural: their endearments were unaffected, and their complaints were gentle. The rage of paffion which is attributed to Dido, and the impetuofity which Sappho felt and has defcribed in her celebrated ode, were produced by thofe reftraints which the refinements of fociety introduced. Grief for the death of friends and relatives, occafioned the dirge, at first fhort, and confifting of a few pathetic fentiments, of which fome of the Greek anthologic epitaphs may be confidered as fpecimens. Thefe, in process of time, were lengthened, and when fictitious ornaments began to fupply the place of real affliction, the elegy was written. Moral poetry, which was paffionate and fevere when vice firft began to prevail in the world, was the effufions of refentment: the refentment of the wife and virtuous attacked the corruptor of mankind. But verfe can only reprove, it cannot change the difpofitions of mankind. Improvement, therefore, very foon became the motive, rather than than correction, and thefe poems were filled with precepts of morality and exhortations to virtue. Hence, likewife, arofe epic poetry, which expreffes indignation of mankind against bad characters, as much as it does their admiration of courage and goodnefs. The examples of kings and heroes were introduced as illuftrations of fome moral truth to the fubordinate ranks of men; and their hiftories ferved to fhew that misfortunes always purfue vicious principles, and advantages always attend virtuous conduct. As vice is deteftable, and as the ftrongest antipathy muft fubfift between the good and the bad, hate was the fource of fatire; a fpecies of poetry, which the ancients called Iambic*. Such have been the fountains, from which the various kinds of poetry have fprung; and from the fame, perhaps, have flowed the different kinds of mufic. Genuine poetry is furely then a vehement paflion expreffed in forcible words, measured with exactnefs, and pronounced in a common voice, in juft cadence, and with proper accents; fuch is the famous ode of Sappho. Pure and original mufic, likewife, affecting to the heart, as well as foothing to the car, would be produced if the fame ode were expreffed in a mufical voice, with fuitable founds, fung in due time and meafure, in a fimple and pleafing melody. But thefe are not imitations of nature, but nature itself. The ancients affigned different modes to the different fubjects of poetry. Thefe modes, indeed, originally; belonged peculiarly to thofe nations from which they derived their names. In modern mufic, the number of thefe modes is increased, and when they are fkilfully interwoven, and changed as the fentiment changes, they can undoubtedly exprefs all the variations of the voice, and give additional beauty to the accents of a poet. According to the definitions which we have given of native poetry, that it is the language of the paffions, expreffed in exact meafure, with strong accents, and fignificant words, and of true mufic, that it is only poetry, delivered in a fucceffion of harmonious founds, fo difpofed as to pleafe the ear, we muft confider the music of the ancient Greeks. We shall not here enlarge on the amazing effects that are attributed to it, by the graveft hiftorians and philofophers; but remark that its clofe union with poetry, as it was wholly paffionate and defcriptive, always increased its influence. Great part of its miraculous powers may be attributed, likewife, to the ignorance of the hearers, who, as they had heard but little other mufic, were incompetent judges. Novelty made them commend, what an improved tafte would, perhaps, have rejected. They obeyed the impulfe of furprife, the power of which was ftrength. ened by national prejudice.. In our definition of poetry, likewife, we have confidered, principally, the works of the ancient poets. A man really joyful, when he writes cannot be faid to imitate joy, any more than the bard, who compofes in any deep affliction, can be faid to imitate affiction. The lyric poems of Alceus, Alcman and Bacchylides, the hymns of Callimachus, and the elegy on Bion by Mofchus, are all beautiful pieces of poetry; yet who fhall be fo hardy as to term Alceus an imitator of love, Callimachus an imitator of awe and religious admiration, or Mofchus an imitator of grief for the lofs of his friend? The Scholion on the expulfion of Pififtratida from Athens, by Harmodius, and Ariftogiton is ftill extant, but the author of it can never be ftyled an imitator of patriotifm; and if the mufic were extant, and we could hear it, with the unadulterated ears of an Athenian, we should readily allow that it was no imitative production. Again, a fable in verfe, is no more an imitation, than a fable in profe. Shall we call poetical narration imitative, becaufe it defcribes the manners, and rer lates the actions of men? If we do, every art, and every history must bear the fame appellation. What has been faid of poetry, may be Examples may be found in Catullus, and the Epodes of Horace, as well as in Archilochus, whofe manner and Ryle the latter imitated. be applied to mufic, which is poetry to advantage dreffed; and even to painting, many kinds of which are poems to the eye, as all poems, merely defcriptive, are pictures to the ear. Thus we fhall confider them all, as fpeaking the language of paffion, not refined by unnatural forms, or the corruptions of falfe taste. Pictures, which reprefent the human figure and countenance, are indeed ftrictly imitative, but let it be remembered, that thofe paintings, which place before our eyes fome paffion, ftrike deeper, on the affections. But then, their powerful effect arifes, not from any imitation, but from fympathy, that grand mover of the affections of mankind, that innate faculty of fenfation, feated in the deepest receffes of the human mind, to which the arts of poetry, mufic, and painting are indebted for their powerful effects. In oppofition to our arguments, it may, perhaps, be alledged, that defcriptive poetry and defcriptive mufic are, THE like the paintings of the human form, ftrictly imitations; but let it be confi dered that words and founds form no refemblance of visible objects; and imitation implies refemblance. We, there fore, think that the parts of these three arts, which are merely defcriptive, act by a kind of fubftitution; that is, they raife in our minds affections or fentiments, analogous to those which arife in us, when the refpective objects are prefented to our fenfes, in nature. But on thefe fubjects, a fyflematic feries of differtations might be written. Let me, therefore, conclude this crude effay. If our arguments are founded in truth, and our affertions have juftice for their bafis, it will appear that the nobleft effects which poetry, mufic, or painting can produce, are expreffive of the paffions, and operate on the mind, by fympathy; while the fubordinate parts are defcriptions of natural objects, and affect us by fubftitution. LIFE OF ARIOSTO was defcended from an ancient family, that had flourished in high eftimation for a long courfe of years at Bologna. The house of the Ariofti, however, removed to Ferrara, on the marriage of Lippa Ariofto, with Obizzo III. Marquis of Efte. Among other branches of this name was Nicolo, who filled feveral important pofts, under the Dukes of Ferrara, and was fent on feveral embaffies to the Pope, the Emperor, and the King of France. He was at length appointed Governor of Rheggio, and then married Daria de Malagazzi, a lady of wealth and family, by whom he had five fons and as many daughters, of whom Ludovico, the fubject of thefe memoirs, was the eldest, and gave very early prefages of a fuperior genius. His progrefs in the Latin language exceeded that of almost all his contemporaries, and while he was in his rudiments, he compofed a tragedy on the ftory of Pyramus and Thibe, which was acted by his brothers and fifters. ARIOSTO. His father Nicola, however, poffeffed Ovid, Petrarch, and Taffo had fa thers caft in the fame mold, and the conduct of all thefe great poets was the fame. The natural bent of their ges nius led them all to the cultivation of poetry, and every other acquirement was efteemed only as far as it was conducive to the grand object of their wishes. Nicolo, by the interference of a near relation, at length permitted his fon to obey that ftrong propensity to literature, which had created an early aver fion for the law, and had inftigated him privately to perufe, and even tranflate, feveral of the French and Spanish romances. Ludovico was now at liberty, and under the tuition of Gregorio de Spo |