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II.

ESSAY

O N

BALLAD S

AND

PASTORAL SONGS.

THER

be confidered as the

HE ballad may native fpecies of poetry of this country. It very exactly anfwers the idea formerly given of original poetry, being the rude uncultivated verfe in which the popular tale of the times was recorded.

As

As our ancestors partook of the fierce warlike character of the northern nations, the subjects of their poetry would chiefly confist of the martial exploits of their heroes, and the military events of national history, deeply tinctured with that paffion for the marvellous, and that fuperftitious credulity, which always attend a ftate of ignorance and barbarifm. Many of the antient ballads have been tranfmitted to the prefent times, and in them the character of the nation displays itself in ftriking colours. The boastful history of her victories, the prowess of her favourite kings and captains, and the wonderful adventures of the legendary faint and knight errant, are the topics of the rough rhyme and unadorned narration which was ever the delight of the vulgar, and is now an object of curiofity to the antiquarian and man of taste. As it is not my design to collect pieces of this fort, which is already done in a very elegant

elegant manner by Dr. Percy, in his Reliques of antient English poetry, I fhall proceed to confider the ballad more as an artificial than a natural fpecies of compofition.

WHEN language became refined, and poetical taste elevated, by an acquaintance with the Greek and Latin authors, the fubjects of the Epic Mufe were no longer dreft in the homely garb of the popular ballad, but affumed the borrowed ornament and stately air of heroic poetry; and every poetical attempt in the fublime and beautiful caft was an imitation of the claffic models. The native poetry of the country was referved merely for the humorous and burlefque; and the term ballad was brought by cuftom to fignify a comic story, told in low familiar language, and accompanied with a droll trivial tune. It was much used by the wits of the time

as

as a vehicle for laughable ridicule, and mirthful fatire; and a great variety of the most pleasing specimens of this kind of writing is to be found in the ballads of the witty æra of English genius, which I take to be comprehended between the beginning of Charles the Second's reign, and the times of Swift and Prior. Since that period the genius of the age has chiefly been characterized by the correct, elegant, and tender; and a real or affected tafte for beautiful fimplicity has almoft univerfally prevailed. This has produced feveral imitations of the antient ballad as a ferious compofition, turned however in its general fubject from the ftory of martial adventure to the pathetic tale of the peaceful village. It is a juft tafte, founded upon real obfervation of nature, which enjoins fimplicity of expreffion in every attempt to engage the sympathetic emotions; we have many delightful examples of its fuccefs, and I

hope

hope in this collection to prove by fome powerful appeals to the heart, how sweetly the antient ballad, judiciously imitated, is adapted to this purpose. A delicate sense of propriety, and nice judgment are required to conduct the plan of fimplicity in fuch a manner as to retain all its beauties without finking into infipidity or difguftful vulgarity. In general, we fhould aim at it rather by dropping all ornament and glitter, than by putting on an affected rufticity, and making use of antiquated expreffions. We should be particularly careful that fimplicity reigns in the thoughts as well as the language, a very effential piece of uniformity, which yet fome writers of eminence have not always obferved. If the piece be narrative, fuch circumstances of the ftory as tell it in the most striking manner are to be held out to view, and their effect is not to be interrupted by fimile or metaphor, or any of the artificial prettineffes of language

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