THE

PROGRESS of POESY.

A PINDARIC ODE.

Φωνᾶντα συνετοίσιν· ἐς

Δὲ τὸ πᾶν ἑρμηνέων χατίζει.

PINDAR, Olymp. II.

ADVERTISEMENT.

When the Author first published this and the following Ode, he was advised, even by his Friends,

to fubjoin some few explanatory Notes; but had too much refpect for the understanding of his Readers to take that liberty.

Pindar ftyles his own poetry with its mufical accompanyments, Αἰολης μολπή, Αιόλιδες χορδαίς Αἰολίδων πνοαὶ ἀυλῶν, Eolian fong, olian ftrings, the breath of the Æolian flute.

The laughing flowers, that round them blow,

Drink life and fragrance as they flow.

Now the rich stream of mufic winds along

Deep, majestic, smooth, and strong,

Thro' verdant vales, and Ceres' golden reign :

Now rowling down the fteep amain,

Headlong, impetuous, fee it pour :

The rocks, and nodding groves rebellow to the roar.

The subject and fimile, as usual with Pindar, are united. The various fources of poetry, which gives life and luftre to all it touches, are here defcribed; its quiet majeftic progrefs enriching every fubject (otherwise dry and barren) with a pomp of diction and luxuriant harmony of numbers; and its more rapid and irrefiftible course, when fwoln and hurried away by the conflict of tumultuous paffions.