Reftoration of Homer's works: to their just character, myftick fenfe. They did indeed often defend Homer, but then they allegorized away their Gods by doing fo.. What the world took for fubftantial objects of adoration, diffolv'd before its eyes into a figurative meaning, a moral truth, or a piece of learning which might equally correfpond to any religion; and the learned at laft had left themselves nothing to worship, when they came to find an object in Christianity. The difpute of faith being over, ancient learning reaffum'd its dignity, and Homer obtain'd his proper place in the esteem of mankind. His books are now no longer the fcheme of a living religion, but become the regifter of one of former times. They are not now receiv'd for a rule of life, but valued for thofe juft obfervations which are difpers'd through them. They are no longer pronounc'd from oracles, but quoted ftill by authors for their learning. Thofe remarks which the Philofophers made upon them, have their weight with us; those beauties which the Poets dwell'd upon, their admiration: And even after the abatement of what was extravagant in his run of praife, he remains confeffedly a mighty genius not tranfcended by any which have fince arifen; a Prince, as well as a Father, of Poetry. T remains in this hiftorical effay, to regulate our prefent opinion of Homer by a view of his learning, compar'd with that of his age. For this A view of the learning of Homer's time. end end he may firft be confider'd as a poet, that character which was his profeffedly; and fecondly as one endow'd with other fciences, which must be spoken of, not as in themselves, but as in fubferviency to his main defign. Thus he will be feen on his right foot of perfection in one view, and with the juft allowances which fhould be made on the other: While we pafs through the feveral heads of fcience, the state of thofe times in which he writ will fhew us both the impediments he rofe under,, and the reafons why feveral things in him which have been objected to, either could not, or fhould not be otherwife than they are. In Poetry. As for the ftate of Poetry, it was at a low pitch in the age of Homer. There is mention of Orpheus, Linus, and Mufaus, venerable names in antiquity, and eminently celebrated in fable for the wonderful power of their fongs and mufick. The learned Fabricius, in his Bibliotheca Graca, has reckon'd about feventy who are faid to have written before Homer: but their works were not preferv'd, and can be only confider'd, (if they were really excellent) as the happiness of their own generation. What fort of Poets Homer faw in his own time, may be gather'd from his defcription of a Demodocus and Phemius, whom he has introduc'd to celebrate his profeffion. The imperfect 'rifings of the art lay then among the extempore fingers of ftories at banquets, who were half fingers, half muficians. Nor was the name of Poet then in being, or once us'd throughout Homer's works. From this poor ftate of Poetry, he has taken a handle to ufher it into the world with the boldeft ftroke of praise which has ever been given it. It is in the eighth Od, 1st and Od, 8th ̧ Odyssey, Odyffey, where Ulyffes puts Demodocus upon a trial of fkill. Demodocus having diverted the guests with fome actions of the Trojan war; "bAll this (fays Ulyffes) you have fung very elegantly, as if you had either "been prefent, or heard it reported; but pafs now "to a fubject I fhall give you, fing the management "of Ulyffes in the wooden horfe, juft as it happen'd, " and I will acknowledge the Gods have taught you "your fongs." This the finger being infpir'd from heaven begins immediately, and Ulyffes by weeping at the recital confeffes the truth of it. We fee here a narration which could only pass upon an age extreamly ignorant in the nature of Poetry, where that claim of infpiration is given to it which it has never fince laid down, and (which is more) a power of prophefying at pleasure afcrib'd to it. Thus much therefore we gather from himself, concerning the most ancient ftate of Poetry in Greece; that no one was honour'd with the name of Poet, before Him whom it has especially belong'd to ever after. And if we farther appeal to the consent of authors, we find he has other titles for being call'd the firft. Jofephus obferves, That the Greeks have not contefted, but he was the moft ancient, whofe books they had in writing. dAriftotle fays, He was the "firft who brought all the parts of a poem into one piece," to which he adds, "with true judgment," to give him a praise includ ing both the invention and perfection. And Horacè feems to think, that he invented the very measure which is call'd Heroick from the subjects on which he employ'd it; Res gefta regumque, ducumque, & fortia bella, Whatever was ferious or magnificent made a part of his fubject: War and peace were the comprehenfive divifion in which he confider'd the world; and the plans of his poems were founded on the most activefcenes of each, the adventures of a fiege, and the accidents of a voyage. For thefe, his fpirit was equally active and various, lofty in expreffion, clear in narration, natural in defcription, rapid in action, abun-dant in figures. If ever he appears lefs than himself, it is from the time he writ in; and if he runs into errors, it is from an excefs, rather than a defect of genius. Thus he rofe over the poetical world, thining out like a fun all at once; which if it fometimes make too faint an appearance, 'tis to be afcrib'd only to the neceffity of the feason that keeps it at a diftance; and if he is fometimes too violent, we confefs at the fame time that we owe all things to his heat. Theology. As for his Theology, we fee the Heathen fyftem entirely follow'd. This was all he could then have to work upon, and where he fails of truth for want of revelation, he at least fhews his knowledge in his own reli, gion by the traditions he delivers. But we are now upon a point to be farther handled, because the greateft controverfy concerning the merit of Homer depends upon it. Let us confider then, that there was an age in Greece, when natural reafon only discover'd there must be something fuperior to us, and tradition had affix'd the notion to a number of Deities. At this time Homer rofe with the finest turn imaginable for Poetry, who defigning to inftruct mankind in the manner for which he was most adapted, writ poems wherein he made ufe of the miniftry of the Gods to give the highest air of furprize and veneration to his writings. He found the religion of mankind wrapt up in fables; it was thought then the eafieft way to convey morals to the people, who were allur'd to at tention tention by pleasure, and aw'd with the opinion of a hidden mystery. Nor was it his business when he undertook the province of a Poet (no of a mere Philofopher) to be the first who fhould difcard that which furnishes Poetry with its moft beautiful appearance:: and efpecially, fince the age he liv'd in, by difcovering its tafte, had not only given him authority, but even put him under the neceffity of preferving it. What ever therefore he might think of his Gods,, he took them as he found them: he brought them into action according to the notions which were then entertain'd, and in fome stories as they were then believ'd; unless we imagine that he invented every thing he delivers. Yet there are feveral rays of truth ftreaming through all this darkness, in those fentiments he entertains concerning the Gods; and feveral allegories lightly veil'd over, from whence the learned drew new knowledges, each according to his power of penetra tion and fancy. But that we may the better comprehend him in all the parts of this general view, let us extract from him a scheme of his religion. He has a Jupiter, a father of Gods and men, whom he makes fupream, and to whom he applies feveral attributes, as wifdom, juftice, knowledge, power, c. which are effentially inherent to the idea of a God. He has given him two veffels, out of which he diftributes natural good or evil for the life of man; he places the Gods in council round him; he makes & Prayers pass to and fro before him; and mankind adore him with facrifice. But all this grand appearance wherein Poetry paid a deference to reafon, is dafh'd and mingled with the imperfection of our nature; not only with the applying our paffions to the fupreme being (for men have always been treated |