A Poem; IN TWO CANTOS. BY CHARLES BURTON, LL.B. SECOND EDITION. WITH COPIOUS CRITICAL NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIVE SELECTIONS. Καλὸν ἀκουέμεν ἐστιν ἀοιδοῦ Τοιοῦ δ ̓ οἷος ὁ δ ̓ ἐστι θεοῖς ἐναλίγκιος αὐλὴν. HOM. ODYSS. I. 370, 371. Poetæ quod piè et justè dixerunt, recipit Plato; BESSAR. CAR. IN CAL. PLAT. 1. 1. c. 8. London: SOLD BY LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN; 1823. UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA LIBRARY Entered at Stationers' Hall. ERRATA. Page 18, for "wandering prest," read "wan d'ring and oppress'd." Page 34, for "Terene," read "Terence." Allen CB 753 Preface. THE following Poem, which appeared, at first, ́as an Ode, has been amplified so much beyond it's original form, that to change it's Title has become indispensable. Its design, however, is the same; namely, to descant upon the use and abuse of Poetry. The abstract nature of Poetry is developed; the various sources of it's inspiration are exhibited; and Poets of eminence, in it's different departments, both ancient and modern, foreign and vernacular, are introduced, in the class to which they appear properly to belong. Brief allusions are frequently made to leading biographical circumstances of the lives of the most illustrious; connected with critical animadversions upon their writings. In the classification, the place assigned to each, has been determined by what was deemed the peculiar and prevailing fort of the author, or 313905 MAY 2124 |