tion

Argument.

cause

The execution of Genius. Ferdusi. Bacon. Newton 2 Excitements of Genius. Great political causes. EmulaThe passion of Love, an exciting. of Genius. The pleasures of Genius. The pains of Genius . The rise of Genius in Egypt. Greece. Rome. Gothic darkness. The revival of Literature in Florence. Its cultivation in England. The descent of Genius. Her address to America.

THE

POWERS OF GENIUS.

Combination of Genius.

[bine,

OBSERVE the man in whom these powers com-
Rous'd and excited by some great design;
Where'er he darts his intellectual ray,
Obstructions vanish, mountains melt away;
The prospect clears, and in the darkest night,
The torch of Genius sheds its searching light.

Her voice of thunder like Prospero's rod,
Bids fairy people tremble at her nod,
She bids them leave the silent depths of sleep,
And with their pinions overshade the deep;
Her forces follow at her magic call,

She guides their footsteps, gives her rules to all.
What she designs her nervous arm performs;

She builds her fabric in the war of storms:
The floods descend--it braves the mighty shock;

It stands supported on the stedfast rock;

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Wonderful Powers of Ferdusi,

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Wide to the wind its massy doors unclose,
And hail the stranger to its safe repose:
Thus stands the oak upon the mountain's brow,
And throws its shelter on the shrubs below;
Thus with his wing the eagle guards his nest,
And rock'd in tempests soothes his young to rest.
What bard is that, whose beard all hoary white,
Waves to the breeze which fans the brow of night?
What bard is that, who from his soul of fire,
Rolls the loud thunder of his epic lyre?
Son of the East! what bard is that declare,
Whose eye rolls wildly in the gloom of care?
---Ferdusi * hail! and hail thy wond'rous strain
Which tells the history of thy native plain.
Hail to thy spirit, which thro' lengthening time
Preserv'd its vigour, and its song sublime,

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* Sir William Jones in his Treatise on Oriental Poetry, affixed to his life of Nadir Shah, mentions this poet and his wonderful work. It is entitled, "Shah Nameh," it is a series of epic poems, a poetical record of the annals of Persia, and is said to contain sixty thousand couplets. Mahmud Gazni, sultan of Zablestan, imposed this task upon Ferdusi, and after he had underwent the toil of thirty years to complete his work, the miserly emperor excited his indignation by his scant and pitiful reward.--In disdain the injured bard retired from his court, and sought the protection of the generous caliph of Bagdat. The merits of this poem

the Asiatic Poet.

Which rous'd and animated with its breath
Scenes which lay buried in the caves of death;

of Ferdusi are said to be very great. In testimony I subjoin the words of Sir William Jones who has read it, and from whose decision few would wish to appeal:---“ As to the great epic poem of Ferdusi, which was composed in the tenth century, it would require a very long treatise to explain all its beauties with a minute exactness. The whole collection of that poet's works is called "SHAHNAMA," and contains the history of Persia, from the earliest times to the invasion of the Arabs, in a series of very noble poems; the longest and most regular of which is an heroic poem, of one great and interesting action, namely, the delivery of Persia by Cyrus, from the oppressions of Afrasiax, king of the Transoxan Tartary, who being assisted by the emperors of India and China, together with all the dæmons, giants, and enchanters of Asia, had carried his conquests very far, and become exceedingly formidable to the Persians. This poem is longer than the Iliad; the characters in it are various and striking; the figures bold and animated, and the diction every where sonorous, yet noble; polished, yet full of fire. A great profusion of learning has been thrown away by some critics, in comparing Homer with the heroic poets who have succeeded him; but it requires very little judgment to see, that no succeeding poet, whatever, can with propriety be compared with Homer. That great father of the Grecian poetry and literature, had a genius too fruitful and comprehensive to let any of the striking parts of Nature escape his observation; and the poets who have followed him have done little more than transcribe his images, and given a new dress to his thoughts. Whatever elegance and