(vtP.J.J&aMHU **■/& Wa*r- J&fe) ^f.Ji. J3A3- J6. A N ESSAY ON THE ORIGINAL GENIUS AND WRITINGS O F HOMER: •WITH A COMPARATIVE VIEW O F T H E ANCIENT and PRESENT STATE O F T H E T R O A D E. V Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from Research Library, The Getty Research Institute http://archive.org/details/geniuswritingshomOOwood E A N S S A Y O N T H E Original Genius and Writings of HOMER WITH A COMPARATIVE VIEW OF THE ANCIENT AND PRESENT STATE OF THE TROADE. ILLUSTRATED WITH ENGRAVINGS. By the late ROBERT WOOD, Esq.; AUTHOR OF THE DESCRIPTIONS OF PALMYRA AND BALBEC i2>rtt?i-?i a/- £/tA in sp^j. &y tf-ifarv ^/■cfrvi^y /y 'Sf&ar/tr&rszi? LONDON: Printed by H. HUGHS; For T. PAYNE, at the Mews Gate, and P. ELMSLY, in the Strand. MDCCLXXV. ■ T O T H E READER. HAVING, in my Preface to the Ruins of Palmyra, informed the Reader, that one of the objects of our Eaftern voyages was to vifit one of the moft celebra- ted fcenes of ancient ftory, in order to compare their prefent appearance with the early claffical ideas, we had conceived of them ; and particularly, that we propofed to read the Iliad and Odyfiey in the countries, where Achilles fought, where UlyfTes travelled, and where Homer fung ; I considered myfelf in fome fort account- able to the public, and my friends, for the refult of this part of our fcheme : and therefore determined to em- ploy my firft leifure in throwing together fuch obferva- tions, as this inquiry had furnifhed ; confining my flrft ElTay of this kind to what concerns the Greek Poet. But, however ambitious I was to engage in the caufe of Homer, the difficulties I found as to the manner of doing him juftice, greatly embarraffed me. For though our expectations from this object, of our curionty were by no means difappointed, yet I almoft defpaired of a fa- tisfaclory method of conveying to others a tolerable idea of the entertainment, we received from it on the fpot. I muft acknowledge, that thofe difficulties may, with great juftice, be charged to my own account, rather than [ vi ] than to that of my fubjecl: ; for they do no f arife fo much from a fcarcity, as from an exuberance of matter, which crowds upon my choice too abundantly, to admit of that contracted form, in which I think it prudent to make an experiment of public tafte, before I venture upon a work of more labour and extent. A review of Homer's fcene of action leads naturally to the confidera- tion of the times, when he lived ; and the nearer we ap- proach his country and age, the more we find him accu- rate in his pictures of nature, and that every fpecies of his extenfive Imitation furnifhes the greateft treafure of origi- nal truth to be found in any Poet, ancient or modern. Defirous, however, of giving fome idea of what oc- curred to us, as travellers through thofe countries, where Homer had formed his conception of things, I fubmit- ted my thoughts upon this head fome years ago to the judgment of a friend 3 , who, from his peculiar intereftin the fubjeft, his known refpecl: for the public, and his appro- ved tendernefs for me, had a right to that compliment. The fketch, which I communicated to him in the form of a Letter, was fo fortunate as to meet with his approba- tion. But while, in compliance with his wifhes, I was preparing it for the prefs, I had the honour of being call- ed to a flation, which, for fome years, fixed my whole attention upon objects of fo very different a nature, that it became neceffary to lay Homer afide, and referve the further consideration of my fubjecT; for a time of more ieifure. a The late Mr. Dawkins. However, I vii ] However, in the courfe of that active period, the du- ties of my iituation engaged me in an occafional attend- ance upon a nobleman b , who, while he presided at his b The late Earl of Granville. Being directed to wait upon his Lordfhip, a few days before he died, with the preliminary articles of the Treaty of Paris, I found him fo languid, that I propofed poftponing my bufinefs for another time : but he infilled that I fhould (lay, faying, it could not prolong his life, to negledl his duty ; and repeating the following pafiage, out of Sarpedon's fpeech, he dwelled with particular emphafis on the third line, which recalled to his mind the diftinguifhing part, he had taken in public affairs. CI r miirov i « fjLtv yxp •z&oXtfjt.ov TztPi TovS~t (puyovres,. A/ft §)i fJLsXXoifj.ev ctynpw t ccBccvccrco re Eaae&, OTTE KEN ATTOS ENI nPHTOai MAXOIMHN, Oure xb as feAAw^* tx.ct%yv es tai^iocveipa.v' Nop y.y\^a ecpsq'a.a-if SrccvacToto Mvpiai, as by. ecfi quyeiv (SpoTov, a<^' \iira.Kv%a.i'. lofAiv II. xii. 322. Could all our care elude the gloomy grave, Which claims no lefs the fearful than the brave, Eor lull of fame, I fhould not vainly dare In fighting fields, nor urge thy foul to war. But fince, alas ! ignoble age mufl come, Difeafe, and death's inexorable doom ; The life, which others pay, let us bellow, And give to Fame, what we to Nature owe. Pope's Hom. II. xii. 387. His Lordfhip repeated the Iafl word feveral times with a calm and determi- nate refignation : and after a ferious paufe of fome minutes, he defired to hear the Treaty read ; to which he liflened with great attention : and recovered fpLits enough to declare the approbation of a dying Statefman (I ufehis own words) on the moft glorious War, and moil honourable Peace, this nation ever faw. Majefty's [ viii ] Majefty's councils, referved fome moments for literary amufement. His Lord£hip was very partial to this fub- jedt ; and I feldom had the honour of receiving his com- mands on bufinefs, that he did not lead the converfation to Greece and Homer. He defired to fee the Letter here mentioned, and was pleafed to approve my method of treating his favourite Poet. He advifed me to publifh the fubftance of what I had written, changing the epif- tolary ftyle and form into that of a more regular dif- fertation ; and extending the work, from materials of the fame fort (of which I laid a fpecimen before him) in- to a more general Commentary upon Homer. I think, that I am juftified in following only the firft part of this advice : for I confider it not only refpectful to him, for whom I write, but more prudent with re- gard to myfelf, to trufl thefe extracts from my eaftern obfervations to the Reader's indulgence, in their prefent contracted Hate, before I venture farther, even under the fandion of his Lordfiiip's refpe&able opinion. If the manner in which this EfTay is received, encourages me to proceed, I mail, with more confidence, extend and methodife the work, upon the plan his Lord/hip propo- fed ; if not, there is already too much of it. At prefent we mail confine our inquiry to Homer's Mimetic Powers ; for, whether we confider him as Geo- grapher, Traveller, Hiftorian, or Chronologer, whether his Religion and Mythology, his Manners and Cuftoms, or ' [ ix ] or his Language and Learning, are before us ; in thefe feveral views his Imitation alone is the great object, of our attention. We mall admit his ancient title of Phi- lofopher only as he is a Painter c . Nor does it come within our plan to examine his pictures, except fo far, as their truth and originality are concerned. His fanguine admirers may perhaps alledge, that of all poets he ftands leafl in need of this fort of illuftration ; that the accuracy of his defcriptions is too ftriking to want any comment: which, while it explains, alfo damps and extinguifhes the true fpirit and fire of his imagery ; and that his natural and unaffected manner carries with it thofe obvious marks of original invention, which dis- cover (at firft fight, or not at all) that the picture has been faithfully taken from life. Admitting the juftnefs of this encomium in its utmoft extent, it will furely be allowed, that he enters moft in- to the fpirit of the Copy, who is beft acquainted with the Original. If, therefore, we would do the Poet ju- ftice, we fhould approach, as near as poflible, to the time and place, when and where, he wrote. This ap- plies more properly to the OdyfTey ; for, as that Poem is more defcriptive of private and domeftic life, fo its beauties are more local, and its paintings are often of that finiihed kind, which produces refemblance and cha- e See the diftindlion of the EfTay at pa^e 6. a racier ■■[ « ] rafter out of very trivial incidents; and thefe delicate touches, though effentially concerned in making out the likenefs, are fo minute, as to efcape obfervation, if the copy and original be not confronted. May not this, in fome degree, account for that fupe- riority, which the Iliad has affumed over the OdyfTey for many ages ? a fuperiority, which, if I am not mif- taken, muff, ftill gain ground, in proportion to our di- ftance from, and ignorance of, the times, which the Poet defcribes. For, fuppofing their merit equal, that Poem muft longeft furvive, which abounds moft in the great tragic paffions, and partakes lean: of the fluctuat- ing manners of common life. It may, perhaps, be al- ledged on the other hand, that, in d an early competi- tion d Madam Dacier, in her Preface to the OdyfTey, fays, " II eft eonftant, que le jugement de l'Antiquite fur fes deux Poemes eft, que celui de l'lliade eft d'autant plus beau que celui de 1'OdyfTee, que la valeur d'Achille eft fupe- rieure a celle d'Ulyfie ; e'eft ce que Platon nous apprend dans le fecond Hip- pias, 011 Socrate dit a Eudicus, qu'il avoit fouvent ou'i porter ce jugement a fon pere Apemantus." I wifli the Reader would turn to the pafTage, on which this confident appeal to the judgment of Antiquity is founded ; I am perfuad- ed, he will fee, that Madam Dacier has been miftaken in the fingle inftance, which fhe produces of an ancient preference of the Iliad to the OdyfTey ; and that this learned Lady has not fufficiently attended, either to the grave irony, which is the character of this dialogue, or to the fenfe of the particular pafTage to which fhe alludes. Socrates advances no opinion of his own here, nor does he ferioufly refer to the opinion of Apemantus j but, for argument's fake, he flyly fuggefts a topic, which he knows will engage the fophift's vanity, and takes occafion thence to exhibit a humorous caricatura of the pedantic pre- fumption, [ xi ] tion between the two Poems, the judgment of antiquity- was favourable to the Iliad. But I believe, that, what- ever weight fuch a preference ought to have, it can be traced no higher than Longinus, whofe partiality for this Poem (which, however, is but llightly mark- ed) feems founded, partly in his own genius, and, per- haps, a little in that of his age, when the modes of life differed fo much from thofe of the Heroic times. It is fumption, bad tafte, and abfurd reafoning, of that fet of men. Nor is the valour of Achilles under consideration in this ridiculous difpute. The word a^f/vwr, which, in its early signification, frequently alluded to mere ftrength and cou- rage, might indeed have been equivocal, had not all ambiguity been removed, by a thorough explanation, in the fubfequent part of the dialogue, where So- crates afks Hippias, which of the two, Achilles or Ulyfles, he preferred ? and in what the one excels the other ? -mo-n^Qv afxetvco ; xot Ka.ro. n -, Hippias anfwers the firft queftion by faying, that he thinks Achilles the belt (o^oy) of the Grecians ; and the fecond, by obferving, that he excels as much in plainnefs and truth, as UlyfTes does in duplicity and fallhood. The veracity of the heroes of the Iliad and Odyfiey being thus ludicroufiy laid down as the teft of their merit (in which that of the two Poems is abfurdly involved), So- crates proceeds to demonstrate, with much ironical fophiftry, that Achilles has no claim of preference under this title. In fhort, if any conclusion at all could be drawn from a detached paragraph of this dialogue, with regard to thejudg- ment of Antiquity, upon the merit of thofe two Poems, it would be rather unfa- vourable to M. Dacier's opinion, and could only amount to this, that the dog* maticalprefumptionof the Sophists (who had arrogantly affirmed a right of deci- sion in every province of Literature) is expofed, on this occafion, by Plato, for preferring the Iliad to the Odyffey, upon principles of criticifm, equally void of tafte and reafon. I muft alfo obferve, that Ariftotle, Horace, andQuintilian, the great profeffed Critics of antiquity, make no fuch diftinction that I can find ; nor does Virgil (the beft of all critics on Homer, and his molt diftin- guifhing admirer) difcover any partiality of this kind. a 2 not C xu ] not extraordinary, that a critic, of his fire and imagina- tion, fhould prefer a pathetic drama to a moral ftory, and kindle at pictures of paffions, which he had often felt, though indifferent to the reprefentation of manners, he never faw. But I cannot help thinking, that the OdyfTey, confidered in its interefting character, as a pic- ture of life, muft have been moll generally relifhed, by the age and country, to which it was addreffed ; and that, if it has contributed lefs to the Author's fame in later times, it is becaufe the peculiar precifion, and clofenefs of its minute reprefentation, as well in man- ners, as landfcape, muft find fewer modern judges, in proportion to our ignorance of the private characters, fa- miliar occurrences, and domeftic fcenery of the heroic ages : while the Iliad, addreffing itfelf more univerfally to the paffions, in animated pictures of human nature, appeals more forcibly to thofe feelings, which are com- mon to every age and country. I muft confefs I am a little furprifed, there fhould ftill be fo large a field open for obfervation, of this kind; and, particularly, that thofe who have affect- ed to difcover fo perfect, a fyftem of morals and politics in Homer, fhould have bellowed fo little consideration upon the character of the times for which this inftruc- tion was calculated. For, though the Poet's age, and that of his great critic, have never been properly diflin- guifhed by any author, I have yet met with, I will ven- ture [ xiii ] ture to fay, that they differed as much, with regard to their reigning virtues and vices, their ftate of police and degree of civilization, their modes and tafr.es, in fhort, the great bufinefs and leading pleafures of life, as we do in thefe refpedts, from our Gothic anceftors in the days of Chivalry and Romance. I believe the truth is, that Homer's deep political and ethic plan has been carried much farther than he intend- ed : his great merit, as an inftructor of mankind, feems to be that of having tranfmitted to us a faithful tranfcript, or (which is, perhaps, more ufeful) a correct abftrad of human nature, impartially exhibited under the circumftances, which belonged to his period of fo- ciety, as far as his experience and obfervation went. Nor mould we think lefs refpectfully of the important moral leflbns which may be collected from the Iliad, and ftill more from the Odyffey : for elegant imitation has ftrange powers of interefting us in certain views of Na- ture. Thefe we confider but tranfiently, till the Poet, or Painter, awake our attention, and fend us back to life with a new curiofity, which we owe entirely to the copies which they lay before us. In a judicious collec- tion of thofe pleafing and inftructive fketches of manners, where the artift is happy in his choice, the arrangement, and the truth of his characters have this advantage over real life, that they are fufceptible of a more deliberate examination [ XlV ] examination and clofe comparifon, than the fleeting and difperfed originals will admit. Should the fate of the experiment, I am now mak- ing, convince me of a common error, of which I have too much reafon to be apprehenfive, viz. that of miftak- ing a fondnefs of my fubjedr. for a knowledge of it, I again promife to ftand corrected, and to fpare at leaft the Public, if not myfelf, any further trouble on this head; hoping that my partiality to thofe romantic fcenes of he- roic action will meet with fome indulgence, efpecially from thofe, who can imagine, and therefore, I hope, ex- cufe, that fpecies of enthunafm, which belongs to fuch a journey, performed in fuch fociety, where Homer be- ing my guide, and Bouverie and Dawkins my fellow- travellers, the beauties of the nrft of Poets were enjoyed in the company of the beft of friends. However wild and unreafonable thefe feelings may appear to judgments of a more fober caft, I muft ftill confefs a return of their influence, whenever I indulge in a grateful review of thofe happy days, which we paffed together, examining the Iliad on the Scamandrian plain, and tracing UlyfTes, Menelaus, and Telemachus, through the various fcenes of their adventures, with the OdyfTey in our hands. Had I been fo fortunate as to have enjoyed their af- fiftance, in arranging and preparing for the Public, the fubftance of our many friendly converfations on this fub- je<3, t ™ ] je&, I mould be lefs anxious about the fate of the follow- ing work. But whatever my fuccefs may be in an attempt to contribute to the amufement of a vacant hour, I am happy to think, that though I mould fail to anfwer the expectations of public curiofity, I am fure to fatisfy the demands of private friendfhip ; and that, adling as the only furvivor and truftee for the literary concerns of my late fellow-travellers, I am, to the beft of my judg- ment, carrying into execution the purpofe of men, for whofe memory I fhall ever retain the greateft venera- tion. And though I may do injuftice to the honeft feel- ings, which urge me to this pious taik, by mixing an air of compliment in an adt of duty, yet I muft not difown a private, perhaps an idle confolation, which, if it be vanity to indulge, it would be ingratitude to fupprefs, viz. that as long as my imperfect defcriptions fhall preferve from oblivion the prefent ftate of the Troade, and the remains of Balbeck and Palmyra, fo long will it be known that DAWKINSandBOUVERIE were my friends. ROBERT WOOD. Directions to the BINDER. XI O M E R's Head, to front the Title Page. Map of Troy, to front R r 2, or p. 207. The ruined bridge, to front p. 324. The ancient bridge below Bornabafchi, to front p. 326. The ruins near Troja Nova, to front p. 341. 'Xunrr A H E J± B OF A N ESS ON THE ORIGINAL GENIUS O F HOMER. ORDER AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE SUBJECT. THOUGH the account we have given the Reader of that particular object of our eaftern tour, which furniftied the fubjecl: of this effay, may not have entirely reconciled him to our views ; yet, I hope, the following fragment of ancient hiftory will foften the imputation of Angularity, or affectation, to which, I fear, our undertaking may, in fome meafure ; be expofed : B as 2 ON THE ORIGINAL as it will, at lead, lhew, that we were not the firft who thought of going to Troy to read Homer. When ^Efchines the orator was banifhed from Athens to Rhodes, by his victorious rival in eloquence, w r e are told, that one of the amufe- ments of his exile was an excurfion to Troy, accompanied by his friend Cymon, in order to examine that celebrated fpot, with the Iliad in his hand. We alio learn, that a very romantic piece of gallantry, in which his fellow-traveller rafhly engaged on the banks of Scamander, in violation of the laws both of decency and hos- pitality, interrupted the execution of this fcheme; and perhaps by theie means deprived us of a valuable piece of criticifm on the geography of that poem. The Reader, who wifhes to fee this tale prettily embellifhed, muft look for it in Fon- taine : in the mean time, I mail refer him to the annexed note a for this curious hiftory, and the authority, upon which it is founded. His a Without vouching for the authenticity of thofe letters of JEfch'i- nes, in which this ftory is contained, I fhall take from them the fol- lowing abftracl: of it. It was an annual cuflom at Troy, that the girls, GENIUS OF HOMER. 3 His attempt, however unfuccefsful, fuggefts this oblervation in our favour, viz. that about the moft refined period of Greek letters, when Homer was beft underftood, and moft relifhed, an Athenian of diftinguifhed tafte, who was his great admirer, had formed fuch expectations from reading the Iliad on the Scamandrian plain, that he undertook a voyage to Troy exprefsly with that view. Whatever the object, of our plan was, the Reader is only interefted in the fruits which it girls, who were to be married that year, mould, on a certain day, bathe in the Scamander, and confecrate their virginity to the god of that river. iEfchines and Cymon were admitted, as ftrangers, to fee this ceremony, at a proper diftance. When Callirhoe*, a beautiful young lady of a good family, went into the river, and pronounced the words ufed on thatoc- cafion, viz. "Scamander, take my virgin flower j" Cymon, who had concealed himfelf among the bullies, dreffed like a river god, ftepped forth, and anfwered, " The god Scamander accepts your prefent, and K( prefers you to all your companions," and retired with her. A few days after, when the new-married couples aflifted at the feiUval of Venus, the travellers alfo attended upon that occafion ; and Callirhoe difcovering Cymon, innocently pointed him out to her friend as the god Scamander, to whom file had confecrated her virginity. The affair was by thefe means difcovered, and iEfchines and his friend were obliged to make their efcape. B 2 may 4 ON THE ORIGINAL may have produced ; and of this he will be bed: enabled to form his own judgment, by compar- ing our Survey of the Troade, with the account which he finds of it in the Iliad. If at the fame time he will take the pains of extracting from that Poem a mere journal of the fiege of Troy, dripped of all poetical embellishments, he will find, that, notwithstanding the great fhare, which fancy has had in the compofition, it con- tains in general a confident narrative of military events, connected, and fupported, by that due coincidence of the circumflances of time, and place, which Hiftory requires. But as his accuracy is by no means confined to the principal fcene of his action, I beg leave, before we come to the examination of our map of Troy, to take a view of that exaclnefs, which runs through his defcriptions of every kind. If, upon the whole, the obfervations which I mail offer on this head have any weight, I think they will fupport this conclufion ; viz. That however queftionable Homer's fuperiority may be, in fome GENIUS OF HOMER. 5 fome refpe£r.s, as a perfect model for compofition, in the great province of Imitation he is the moft original of all Poets, and the moft conftant and faithful copier after Nature. I was the more confirmed in this judgment, the more I referred myfelf back to the ftate of fociety and manners of that early period. I therefore examined the materials of the Iliad and OdyfTey, not only where they were collected, but, as nearly as poffible, in the fame order, in the fame light, and under the fame point of view, in which I imagine they prefented themfelves to the Poet's choice 5 making it the chief obj eel: of my enquiry to inveftigate the feveral circumftances, and va- rious relations of this kind, which may be fup- pofed to have influenced his conception of things. Though, from what has been already faid, the Reader will not expeel: ftricl method in this fpecimen; yet, for the fake of perfpicuity, it may not be amifs to lay before him the general order, which I propofe to obferve in treating my fubje£L I (hall 6 ON THE ORIGINAL I fhall begin by offering a few conjectures with regard to Homer's Country. In the next place I fhall take into confi deration his Travels. Thefe I fhall chiefly deduce from his Navigation and Geography ; the firft will lead to fome obfervations on his Winds, as the fecond will introduce a review of that part of Mr. Pope's Translation, which re- lates to this matter : and each of thefe articles will give me an opportunity of vindicating Ho- mer from fome unmerited Imputations of Inac- curacy. I fhall alfo enter into an examination of his Religion, Mythology, Manners, and Customs $ and, having confidered him as an Historian and Chronologer, fhall take a view of his Language and Learning : and fhall conclude with his pretenfions as a Philosopher ; confining myfelf however, in what I fhall offer under thefe different heads, to what is connected with my fubjecl:, and may ferve to throw light upon his Original Ge- nius. HOME R's GENIUS OFHOMER. HOMER's COUNTRY. THE opinion of the Ancients in refpecl: to that old fubje£t of controverfy, the Place of Homer's Birth and Education, though it co- incides, in a great meafure, with my judgment on that head, is not fo much the objedT: of this inquiry, as it is to learn, if poffible, from the Poet himfelf, where his fancy began to open to the wide field of matter, which he fo happily collected and arranged in that wonderful epic form, that ftill continues to hold the firft rank among compofitions of genius. What occurs to me, in favour of the moft received opinion, that he was an Afiatic, probably an Ionian or iEolian % and perhaps of Chios or Smyrna, is as follows. a When we confider in how narrow a compafs thofe contiguous countries lie, I believe we mall think it a little too nice to determine that Homer belonged to the latter upon the authority of his language, and fome cuftoms which appear rEolian. If 8 ON THE ORIGINAL If we furvey his Map of the world with at- tention, I think we may difcover, that his firft impreflions of the external face of Nature were made in a country eaft of Greece, at leaft as far as we may be allowed to form a judgment from his defcribing fome places under a perfpe£r.ive, to which fuch a point of view is necefiary : as for example, when he places the Locrians be- yond Eubcea. This piece of geography, though very intelligible at Smyrna or Chios, would ap- pear ftrange at Athens or Argos. His defcription of the fituation of the Echi- nades, beyond Sea, oppofite to Elis b , has fome- thing equivocal in it, which is cleared up, if we fuppofe it addrefled to the inhabitants of the Afiatic fide of the Archipelago. But if, with Mr. Pope , we underftand the words beyond Sea b TVep/p cixcg, Hhtios avrx. II. ii. 626. c " And thole who view fair Elis o'er the Seas " From the bleft Wands of th' Echinades." II. ii. 759. Madam Dacier has adopted the Conftrudtion for which I contend, without the leaft idea of applying it to the purpofe for which I quote the paffage. Her words are, " Ceux de Dulichium et des autres " Echinades, de ces Ifles facrees qui font a l'extremite de la mer vis " a vis de la cote d'Elide." to GENIUS OF HOMER, 9 to relate to Elis, I think we adopt an unna- tural conftru&ion to come at a forced mean- ing; for the old Greek Hiftorians tell us, that thofe iflands are fo clofe upon the coaft of Elis, that in their time many of them had been join- ed to it by means of the Achelous, which ftill continues to connect them with the continent, by the rubbifh, which that river depofits at its mouth, as I have had an opportunity of ob- ferving. I think I can difcover another inftance of this kind in the fifteenth book of the Odyfley, where Eumseus, the faithful fervant of UlyfTes, is defcribed, entertaining his difguifed mafter with a recital of the adventures of his youth. He opens his ftory with a defcription of the ifland of Syros, his native land, and places it beyond or above Ortygia. Now, if we confi- der that Ithaca was the fcene of this conference between UlyfTes and Eumseus, it will appear, that the fituation of Syros is very inaccurately laid down } for, in reality, this ifland, fo far C from io ON THE ORIGINAL from being placed beyond, or farther from, Ithaca thanOrtygia is, mould have been defcri- bed as nearer to it. An ingenious friend thinks that Kafiv7re§Qsp may relate to the latitude ; and that Homer meant to defcribe Syrus, as north of Ortygia : but I cannot help thinking that the application of high to northern latitudes is much later than Homer. As therefore the fame defcription would have been perfectly agreeable to truth, had it been made in Ionia, is it not reafonable to fuppofe, that the Poet received his early impreffions of the fituation of Syros in that part of the world, and had upon this occafion forgotten to adapt his ideas to the fpot, to which the fcene is fhifted? If my conjecture is thus far admitted, I beg leave to proceed to a further ufe of it, in at- tempting to throw fome light on this obfcure expreflion, ofa Tgovou qsTuoiq. It is important to that part of the Poet's character now under confider- ation, to have his fenfe of thefe words refto- red, GENIUS OF HOMER. n red, if poffible; for they have been urged as an argument of his grofs ignorance of Geography, by thofe, who think they relate to the latitude of Syros, and that this defcription places that ifland under the Tropic. Without entering into that labyrinth d of learning, d Mr. Pope and Madam Dacier's notes will point out to thofe, who have further curiofity on this head, fome of the different explanations which have added perplexity to this paffage. Od. xv. 440. " There curious eyes infcrib'd with ivonder trace '•' The Sun's diurnal, and his annual race. " The words in Homer (fays Mr. Pope) are rporoLt yiKioio, or foils con- " verjiones. M. Perrault infults the Poet as ignorant of Geography, " forplacing Syros under the Tropic ; an error (fays he) which Com- " mentators in vain have laboured to defend, by having recourfe toaSun- " dial of Pherecydes on which the motions of the Sun (the Tporai qshioto) " were defigned. The laft defence would indeed be ridiculous, fince " Pherecydes flourifhed three hundred years after the time of Homer: " No one (replies Monfieur Boileau) was ever at any difficulty about " the fenfe of this paffage ; Euftathius proves that Tps7rs ing the mere characterizing circumftances of the objecl: which he defcribes, leaves us fully im* prefled with truth and reality ; his Tranflator, over-ftudious of embellimment, wanders into in- confiftence in fearch of it : nay, fometimes into fudden 86 ON THE ORIGINAL fudden contradiction $ as when the fame pic- ture of the fea is, in one line, " The foaming flood ; and in that immediately following " The level furface of the deep." Much of this is, no doubt, owing to that un- happy reftraint of Englifh rhyme, which fo un- worthily engroffes his thoughts, that he not only frequently lofes fight of his author, but is fometimes even diverted from a juft fenfe of his beauties, and betrayed into an un- faithful translation, of what he perfectly well underftood. Of this diftra&ed attention we find a ridiculous effecl: in that paflage of the Iliad, which exprefTes Hector's eagernefs to re- trieve the honour of his brother Paris, who had propofed to decide the war by fingle combat with Menelaus. The fpirit of the original is as juftly conceived in Mr. Pope's Note, as it is un- happily mifreprefented in his Tranflation $ and both GENIUS OF HOMER. 87 both together produce the following contradic- tory medley ; " Hector flays not to reply to his brother, but runs away with the challenge im- mediately, with fteps majeftically flow." When thefe difcordant pictures of the fame objecl: are thus clofely confronted, the falling off is fo ftriking, that we muft, in candour, fuppofe it the work of different hands haftily revifed. It is impoffible to account, in any other way, for fbme of the inaccuracies of the map of Troy prefixed to the Englifh tranflation. So capital an error as that of difcharging the Scamander into the JEgean fea, inftead of the Hellefpont, is a ftriking fpecimen of the carelefs and fuper- ficial manner in which this matter has been treated. Yet this miftake, material as it is, does not feem to miflead the Tranflator in other refpects : for he is as inconfiftent with his own incorre£r. map, as both he and his map are with the real fituation of the ground 5 and, by not having afcertained any invariable and fixed idea of the fcene of action, either true or falfe, he has 88 ON THE ORIGINAL has led his author into a labyrinth of contradic- tion, out of which no imaginable difpolition of the fcene can extricate him. Thus, when he fuppofes that the Greeks had not pafTed the river before the beginning of the fixth book, it is a necefiary confequence of fuch a fuppofition, that they were, till then, at fome miles diftance from Troy. But this is inconfiftent with that beautiful digreflion of the third book, where Priam and Helen fee the Grecian leaders fo diftin&ly from the walls of that city, as to di- ftinguifh the perfons and figures of the leaders from the walls of Troy. In ihort, this map would not deferve the few lines, which we beftow upon it, were it not for the refpe&able name of Pope, who, no doubt, trufted this inferior part of his work to unfkilful or negligent hands. I was at a lofs to account for fo much obvious inaccuracy, collected into fo fmall a compafs, till I difcovered, befides the miftakes of the draughtfman, a certain method and regularity of error, which could belong to the GENIUS OF HOMER. 89 the Engraver alone, who, by a piece of negli- gence, not lefs unpardonable in the artift than fatal to Geography and Homer, has given a map, which reverfes the drawing from which it was engraved, and of courfe changes the refpec- tive fituation of all the parts, from right to left, and from left to right ; fo that the Sigeum ftands where the Rhceteum mould be, and the Sca- mander runs on that fide of Troy which belongs to the Simois. How fo material an overfight mould have re- mained hitherto unnoticed, or how Mr. Pope could contrive to explain his own reverfed map b , is not to our prefent purpofe. To fay more on this head, is needlefs ; to have faid thus much, on the only chart which has hitherto attempted to illuftrate the principal fcene of the acliion of the Iliad, was unavoidable. It has been already obferved, that while places diftant from Ionia are marked more diftin&ly, & See Pope's Letters with regard to this map. 1 N as 9 o ON THE ORIGINAL as objects of curiofity, the fame attention has not been paid to thofe in the Poet's neighbour- hood. Though we find him thoroughly ac- quainted with the fcenery round Troy, thefe ob- jects are introduced lefs upon their own ac- count, than as circumftances connected with the action. This I take to be a principal reafon, why the corre&nefs of his map of the Troade, opening thus gradually with the flory, has hi- therto efcaped particular obfervation ; and has been taken for granted, upon flight examina- tion. It is fcarce to be expected, that a Tranfla- tor of Mr. Pope's tafte could, in the midft of the poetical beauties of the Iliad, fubmit to a dull patient attention to its mere topographical accuracy c * But c Mr Pope was afiifted in this part of his work by Mr. Broom, who fupplied moft of the- notes collected from former Expofitors of Homer, to which he added fonie obfervations of his own. Mr. Pope adopted the whole, and under his daily revifal every fheet was correct- ed. If Mr. Broom really went through the voluminous Commenta- ries of Euftathius, as is hinted in the introduction to the notes, he mull have done it very fuperfkially; and has added very little to what had GENIUS OF HOMER. 91 But I fhall not trouble the Reader farther on this head, it being my object, not to condemn the Tranflation, but to juftify the Original; where we do not difcover, even in the boldeft flights of fancy, that carelefs contradiction of had been fo judicioufly done by Madam Dacier, at the fame time not acknowledging how much he was indebted to that very learned lady. As to Euftathius, not to repeat what has been fo often- faid in favour of that treafure of Greek learning, from which almoft every later il- luftration of Homer has been gleaned, I mail onlyobfervemy difappoint- ment in finding fo little in him for my particular purpofe. Though a Bifhop, and one who is faid to have written in defence of the church, he makes no ufe of the fcriptures in his Commentaries. I take it for granted, that he did riot understand Latin, or at lead that he had not read Virgil j as he makes no ufe of him. Though an inhabitant of Greece, he trufls for Homer's geography to Strabo, without any additional pbfervations of his own in refped: to places in his very neighbourhood. Nor do I find that he vifited Troy, though he lived fo near it : nor does he remark the changes, or agreement between either the language or manners of Homer, and thofe of his own age, which we fhould naturally expect from one fo well qualified and fituated for forming a judgment of both. When I add to all this, that his Commentaries, in my opi- nion, contain the dulleir, and mofr. infipid, as well as the mod inge- nious and judicious remarks on Homer, I cannot help fufpedting, that he was rather the compiler than the author of thofe criticifms ; and that his principal merit is that of having preferved from oblivion fome curious obfervations of writers, whofe works have perifhed fince his time. N 2 circum- 92 ON THE ORIGINAL circumftances, which Hiftory, Poetry, and Ro- mance equally difclaim. But in vain do we attempt to fupport Ho- mer's character as a Geographer, unlefs we can refcue him from fome fevere imputa- tions of inaccuracy on this head, which have gained too much credit by remaining fo long unanfwered. The accufation of this fort, which feems to have made the greateft impreffion, relates to the diftance he places the ifle of Pha- ros from Egypt. It is incumbent on me to attempt the Poet's vindication againft a charge, which has fo materially affected his geographi- cal reputation, that he has, in this inftance, been abandoned even by fome of his belt friends. DESCRIP- GENIUS OF HOMER, 93 D E S C R I P T I O.N of PHAROS and ALEXANDRIA. r "]r*HE lines which have given occafion to fo -*- much cenfure, are thofe in the fourth book of the Odyfley, where Menelaus, relating to Telemachus his adventures, defcribes Pharos as fituated a day's fail from Egypt a . Thofe who faw that this ifland was not eight ftadia, or an Englifh mile from Alexandria, made ftrong objections to the accuracy of this defcrjption. a N>J<7Cf S7TSITX Tl( Sqi 7T0XVKK'Ji;U SVt TOVTCi Atyvxra Tp07rXpoiQe, Q>xpcv & i KM^irityflv, Tcatrov ccvevtf, 6XpCV 7>JV WfiQV 0L?<.7\Ct qocllOl T£V- tWOVtx Tpa tcis tK-KTov. Strabo. 1. 17. p. 1 140. feen GENIUS OF HOMER. 95 feen in the annexed note d . It is not from books, but from the face of the countries which «* " JEgyptum plerique volunt Nili fluminis invedtu paulati'm efi'e aggeftam. Proinde illam Ephorus appellat Toraixoxugov ; Herodotus ** STrtKTVjTov yvp, & Jcopov Ts 7roTxp.y; Philofophus T8 totxpv gc&tat emoffi ttxi " skxtov xnexth kxitqi vxvs 7rxwux6pix Qeaax, Mr xvifxu hxtx npvixvxv *' 7tv£ovto(, 7rpoPir«' egi zxtvov Ipx^x tut EupiTidx, Pj kxi H'XKpxTY,; rx $PITANA ixori^t. The true reading is, 'Q.i ZwxpxT^c |ujv CyrcTifycji (ppvyxvx. C c 2 monftrated 196 ON THE ORIGINAL monftrated a total want of affinity between the Roman and Phrygian language, concludes, that it is incredible that one of thofe nations mould be defcended from the other ; becaufe, fays he, there never was an inftance of a colony, that did not retain, if not the whole, at leaft fome traces of the language of the mother country. This remark is certainly juft ; but how little applicable to the prefent cafe, is unnecefTary to obferve, if the pafTages I have produced from Homer have convinced, the Reader, that ^neas was not a Phrygian. The argument, which he draws from that well-eftablifhed facl, viz. That the favourite Gods of Troy were not wor- {hipped at Rome, is more to the purpofe, and, I think, unanfwerable. That iEneas and his defcendants reigned over the Trojans, after the Greeks had de- ftroyed the Capital of their country, is a facl: for which we have Homer's authority ; and the manner in which this is expreffed in the Iliad, would incline us to fuppofe, that the Poet GENIUS OF HOMER. 197 Poet lived to fee the great grandchildren of JEneas. This is a circumftance of fuch perfect indifference either to the general plan, or any particular embellifhment, of his Poem, that he had not the leaft temptation to depart from the common received opinion on this head. Be- fides, to deceive in fuch a cafe would have been as difficult, as it was ufelefs ; for when Homer produced the Iliad, this event was neither a matter of antiquity or obfcurity, but notorious, either as true or falfe, to his contemporaries. He lived in the neighbourhood of Troy, and addreffed himfelf to competent judges of the fa£t. We cannot fuppofe, that he would fa wantonly proftitute his veracity, as to expofe unmeaning fallhood to the obvious conviction of every Reader of his own age and country. Nor do we find, that this account of the Trojan fucceffion was controverted, till the. Romans thought fit to derive their origin from Troy 5 a matter in which we know the vanity of that nation was much concerned. Yet the fupport 198 ON THE ORIGINAL fupport of this pretenfion refts entirely on Ro- man authority, which is not only liable to juft fufpicion, as having an intereft in the fadt. it would eftabliih; but, if we lay afide that confi- deration, it amounts to no degree of evidence ; for the people who deduce a remote origin, upon the authority of their own annals alone, are entitled to no more credit, than the perfon, who mould pretend to relate the circumftances of his birth, and give a journal of his infancy, merely from his own recollection. But however freely we may treat this ima- ginary voyage now, it would have been impru- dent to have exprefled doubts upon fo tender a point, at Rome, in the reign of Auguftus : and this general prejudice in favour of the fub- jecl: fufficiently recommended it to the Poet's choice. The more we enter into the ftate of things, when he wrote, the pofture of the Ro- man affairs, the reigning opinions, civil and re- ligious, both of the Prince and People, and the precife relation in which the Poet flood, as well with GENIUS OF HOMER. 199 with regard to the whole, as to fome individu- als, the more we mail think him peculiarly happy in that choice. Indeed, to thofe who do not enter into thofe particulars, many of the beauties of the ^Eneid are loft, for the Roman Poet abounds in pertinent and ele- gant allufion to his own times, always introdu- ced with ftricl: propriety, and conducted with great judgment. Whatever Homer might have had of this fort, for readers of his own age, is buried in oblivion with the circumftances of his life. And, conlidering the different genius of the Poets, and of the ages when they lived, we ought not to expecl: from Homer, and the Heroic times, (could we know them better), any fhare of that artful and refined compliment, which is the particular excellence of the mod polifhed writer of the Auguftan age. The Greek Poet, lefs courtly, therefore more natu- ral, whofe philofophy acknowledged no feci:, and whofe politics knew no party, ever aims at original refemblance in his pictures, with an im- partiality, 200 ON THE ORIGINAL partiality, which his patriotifm did not biafs, and to which, perhaps, his moral gave way. For in the great variety of the Iliad and Odyf- fey, I fee no complimentary preference to his countrymen, and not one perfect character fet up as a model for imitation. Now, mould it be alledged, that he has followed Truth and Nature, both as to facls and characters, too clofely, for what has been fince laid down as the ultimate objecl: of the Epic plan, viz. the in- ftru&ion and reformation of mankind, furely this is much in his favour as an Hiftorian. But, though Virgil found the voyage of his Hero fufficiently eftablifhed in^ the minds of a people creduloufly predifpofed towards this favourite objecl: of national prejudice ; he appears to have been very cautious of endan- gering its credit, by departing from any of the prevailing popular traditions, which related to that event. And though the obfcurity and contradiction, in which the incidents of this fuppofed migration were involved, gave him fcope GENIUS OF HOMER. 201 fcope in the choice of his materials, he made a very (paring ufe of it 5 for he feldom ventures to introduce an extraordinary circumftance, that we cannot trace to fome previous autho- rity j and he gives fome things a place in his poem, for which we can fee no temptation, but their contributing to fupport the truth of his fubjecl:. The divine miflion of his Hero offers a rea- dy folution of many of the objections to his eftabliihment in Italy ; and is made refponfible for all the abfurdity and injuftice, with which his enemies fo naturally charge that undertak- ing. Auguriis agimur Divum is the fhort ac- count he gives of the defertion of his own coun- try j and much the fame apology is made to Latinus for the invafion of his. This language is adapted with great propriety to the grand purpofe of the Poet, who infinuating to a vain and fuperftitious people a favourable idea of a late change of government, artfully conciliates reverence and refpecl: to the common origin and D d connected 202 ON THE ORIGINAL connected interefts of their civil and religious conftitution ; and with this view the pious du- ties of Faith, Refignation, and Obedience, are highly finifhed in the character of his predef- ined Hero. But though the eftablifhed religion and pub- lic annals of Rome feemed to have tolerably well fecured the credit of a facl:, which the Emperor's e vanity was eager to encourage, and popular prejudice not lefs zealous to fup- port j yet Virgil did not care to truft impar- tial pofterity with Homer's fhort account of this matter, and difcovers the moft genuine com- pliment to the Greek Poet's hiftorical charac- ter, in a fly evaflon of its authority $ for he adopts the paflage from the Iliad, and by changing a fyllable in one word, he converts the ftrongeft voucher againft the voyage of e This vanity was ftrongly marked in Julius Casfar, who is made to fay of himfelf, by Suetonius, " A Venere Julii, cujus gentis fa- ** milia eft noftra." § 6. iEneas, GEKIUS OF HOMER. 203 i^Eneas, into a prophetic teftimony in its fa^ vour f . f (riANTfaw for TPfif A;oc Aiyto%ao Qvyxrspes, MNHSAIA0', ogoi 0V0 Ihiov v^ov. II. B. 484, &c. " Pandite nunc Helicona, Dea?, cantufque movete : " Qui bello exciti reges ; quae quemque fecutas " Complerit campos acies ; quibus Itala jam turn " Floruerit terra alma viris ; quibus arferit armis. " Et meminijlis enim, Diva?, & memorare poteftis : " Ad nos vix tenuis famae perlabitur aura." JEn. vii. 641, &c. Here GENIUS OF HOMER. 263 If therefore we take the Poet's account of things, we difcover nothing in it that implies the ufe of Writing. This will appear more clearly from a fhort ftate of the kind of knowledge which from his works we may reafonably pre- fume that he pofleffed. Without Letters, it may be faid, there could be no effectual method, either of afcertaining or promulgating the fenfe of law ; but this corre- fponds exactly with the wretched ftate of go- vernment, which we have deicribed under the article of Manners. We are indeed told, that Lycurgus would not write his laws, becaufe minds properly edu- cated, and taught what is right, ihould not be reftrained. But can we fuppofe, that the Au- thor of the Spartan conftitution could have reafoned in this manner? The laws of Za- Here Virgil omits his '*• Non, mihi ii lingua? centum fint oraque centum, ** Ferrea vox — " which he introduces, Georg. ii. 42. 8c j^neid vi. 625. laucus 264 ON THE ORIGINAL laucus were not committed to writing. It is true, that the laws of Solon were engraved ei- ther in ftone or upon wood, like the Deca^- logue, and thole of the twelve tables. But there feems to have been but one copy of them: and that was for fome time depofited in the Acropolis, but was afterwards removed to the Prytaneum for the more eafy infpecliion of the people. While Writing was confined to en- graving upon wood, brafs, or marble, the art could not well be in very general ufe. Agree- ments and contracts, both public and private, were made before witnefles. The conditions of the treaty between the Grecians and Trojans were authenticated only by a folemn verbal convention, to which both armies were witnef- fes. The tenure and purchafe of the Cave at Macpelah, which Abraham bought for himfelf and his heirs for ever, at the price of four hun- dred fhekels of filver, were afcertained in the prefence of Ephron, and the fons of Heth. Commerce GENIUS OF HOMER. 265 Commerce confifted in little more than an exchange of fuperfluities in kind m j coins were unknown 5 gold, filver, brafs, and iron, were all ufed as marks of riches, but with little know- ledge either of their relative value, or of the feparate ufes to which they were afterwards applied in a more advanced ftate of the me- chanical arts. When Proteus takes an account of the num- bers of his fea-calves, the manner in which he performs that operation is exprefled by a Greek verb n , to which there is nothing in our Ian- guage literally equivalent. When therefore I fay that he fived them, I take the liberty of coining a word, which, correfponding precifely with the old Greek term, will convey to the Enalifh reader an allufion to the origin of Anth- er © metic ; for the Greek word, not ufed, that I can find, by any writer after Homer, feems to point out the firft fimple method of Enumera- m See Iliad 7. V. 471. where brafs, iron, fkins, oxen, and flaves, are exchanged for wine. n 7T£IXWCI(.- .:•..- ::.:;:_:'.:; : :" ;:::v.;:~'. ?_: :; ..... :: ..: ;-:.:• H . ::■.:•. ::::;.:.:.. 7 . - • : :ar.. . :" ...'>::•.'. : '. :■:::;. :•. :- e& out lines and boundaries : and the and : . ! . . . : : . . . : North America. They are delineated npon fldns, and the bark of and maps of this ton might peobablj be knov Homer, But tbeic are no proof of Science. * In reipeci to Afbonotc ■ - ruin tkat Honaex was not acouain : - . . met, in the beginning .:. z 268 ON THE ORIGINAL When Ulyfles launches his fhip, we find him employ the lever and the inclined plane for that purpofe ; but are we therefore to fuppofe, that he knew the mechanical powers ? or (hall we not rather conclude, from his building that (hip with a brazen hatchet, that the ufeful arts were ftill very imperfect in his time ? As to the Arts of Elegance, the rank, in which they ftand in Homer, (perhaps the fame in which they occur in the natural order of dis- covery) feems to be this : That Poetry had the precedence, the Iliad and OdyiTey Sufficiently demonftrate ; but, be- fides that teftimony, we know from the beft ac- counts of barbarous and favage nations, that the moft fuccefsful efforts of genius in rude fo- ciety are of this kind. If Homer's Mufic could be Separated from of the fourth Iliad, is plainly a ftar; which Virgil copies. See Rua?us Georg. i. v. 365. Venus was known to Homer and Hefiod, and could not efcape their obfervation in the moft ignorant times •, but not as a Planet. his GENIUS OF HOMER. 269 his Poetry, which was always fung, and I believe generally accompanied with an inftru- ment, it would claim the fecond place : but the extraordinary effects, which are recorded of this art in the earlieft accounts of it, belonged to the united powers of Mufic and Poetry. Indeed all inftru&ion, civil and religious, was wrapt up in Melody and Verfe r ; and the Prieft, who was a Lawgiver, was alfo a Poet and Mu- fician. This is agreeable to that rude ftate of fociety, which we have defcribed, when civili- zation was addreffed more to the paflions than the underftanding, and men were to be firft tamed, in order to their being taught. Next come the arts of Defign; and firft, Sculpture. Statues are mentioned in Homer, but without any of that admiration of the art, or compliment to the fkill of the artift, which we expecl: from a perfon imprefled with the beauties of this kind. The fhield of Achilles, 1 See Ariftotle's Politics for finging and writing. has 270 ON THE ORIGINAL has indeed given occafion for people talking ve- ry highly of the Poet's knowledge, not only in Sculpture, but in Painting : and it has been at- tempted to be proved, that it exhibits a full idea of the Art. Thofe who have curiofity to fee how far the ancients were carried (as well as the moderns) by indulging a tafte for alle- gory, may confult Euftathius for the wild con- jectures of Damo the learned daughter of Py- thagoras, and of Heraclides Ponticus on this fhield. But it was referved for this age to dis- cover in it a full and exa£t. idea of Painting in all its parts ; that is to fay, in the invention, the compofition, and the exprefhon; that it is executed according to the rules of perfpe£tive, and obferves the three unities, viz. one prin- cipal action, one inftant of time, and one point of view. Monfieur Boivin's idea, which fuggefted this piece of criticifm, is ingenious 5 and if we do not carry it further than he intended, affords a compleat anfwer to thofe who objected that it GENIUS 0,F HOMER. 271 it was impoflible to engrave the fubje&s, which are defcribed in this beautiful epifode within fb narrow a compafs, as that of a Ihield. But, without entering into any obfervations on this diflertation, I muft deny that Painting, as an art, was known to Homer, if we may judge from his works. It may appear extraordinary, conlidering the prefent clofe connection be- tween the lifter arts of Poetry and Painting, that the firft fhould have acquired the higheft perfection which it has yet attained, before the laft had a beginning. Yet I fee nothing in the Iliad or Odyffey like the ufe of the pencil and colours in producing refemblance ; no hint of the Clair Obfcur, or the art of railing an object on a flat furface, and approaching it to the eye by the management of light and lhade. Nor can I find a word in the Iliad or OdylTey to exprefs any thing like fuch an art. I know it is generally underftood, that the fame word s fignilied originally both to write and to paint. That 272 ON THE ORIGINAL That it had both thefe meanings in later times is true ; but the Poet always applies this word to exprefs incifion made by a fharp weapon or inftrument ; and it would be eafy to mew, from a variety of Jewifh as well as Grecian authori- ties, that the firft Writing praclifed by either of thofe nations was engraved, and not painted. The fame may be faid of Architecture, which, though it owes more to Homer's coun- try, if he was an Ionian, than to any other, feems not to have been known in his time as an art \ I do not mean to fay that ornamented convenience or even magnificence of a certain kind was not yet introduced into buildings; the contrary is evident from many paflages in the Poet : but we fee no marks of that fymmetry and proportion which afterwards diftinguifhed the architecture of Greece from that of Egypt, in the Iliad and Odyffey j the Greek orders were not yet invented ; and Priam's palace, " Rais'd on arch'd columns of ftupendous fame." t Sardis, the capital of Crcefus, confifted of a parcel of thatched houfes. Herod. L. 5. C. 101. is GENIUS OF HOMER. 2 7 j is of the Tranflator's building, whofe ideas upon this occafion are borrowed from the magnificence of later ages. In fhort, we do not even find the technical terms of this art in Homer. Sculpture, fo far as it had the hu- man figure for its object, arrived fooneft at per- fection in Greece j and from the tendency of Grecian education towards athletic and manly exercifes, had the advantage of elegant and graceful form. Architecture not being the imitation of any model of Nature, could not be fo foon eftablifhed, for want of fome univer- fal fettled principles : its moll perfect ftyle was therefore late. Homer has been highly extolled for his knowledge of Medicine and Anatomy, parti- cularly the latter ; and his infight into the ftru&ure of the human body has been confi- dered as fo nice, that he has been imagined by fome to have wounded his Heroes' with too much fcience u . This has been confirmed by u See Pope's Eflay on Homer. N n thofe 274 ON THE ORIGINAL thofe of the profeffion, who, finding the Poet correct and learned in his anatomical terms, have not hefitated to pronounce him knowing in their art. But had they confidered, that thofe were not terms of art in the Poet's days 5 that he had no other words to exprefs the parts of the hu- man body, than thofe, which have been fince confecrated to a particular profeffion j and if, at the fame time they had obferved, that all his anatomical knowledge does not exceed the reach of that curiofity, with which he feems to have furveyed and examined every objecl: in nature, that fell within his obfervation, they would have fuppreffed that inconfiderate admi- ration, which has been laviihed on his fcience ; and have paid it, where it is due, to his juft conception and happy expreffion as a Painter. In the fame manner, the words t^okou r>eXoto have, I think, milled thofe, who, collecting from that expreffion the Poet's aftronomical Science, draw from it conclufions with regard to GENIUS OF HOMER. 275 to the time, when he lived. The Tropics, fay they, were firft known to Thales j but they are mentioned by Homer : therefore the Poet was pofterior to the Philofopher. I have already attempted to reflore Homer's fenfe of this expreffion ; and if, agreeable to the explanation which I have given of the paffage, we tranflate thefe words the converfions or turnings, inftead of the tropics of the fun 5 that is, if we take a fynonymous word from com- mon life, inftead of that which, though it be- longed to common life in the Poet's time, has been fince adopted by fcience, we fhall come nearer to the fimplicity of his meaning ; and we fhall find that the exprellion implies no more aftronomical fcience, than falls to the fhare of every peafant, who obferves that the fun turns from us in winter, and towards us in rummer. When I learn from Plutarch, that Alexan- der admired Achilles, and envied him fuch a Poet as Homer to ling his praifes, I can eafily give credit to a circumftance fo much in charac- ter. But when I confider the great improve- N n 2 ments 2 7 6 ON THE ORIGINAL ments in the art of war between the time of Homer and the fon of Philip, and yet am told, that the latter confulted the Iliad for military knowledge, I cannot help imputing it to his own affectation, or his Preceptor's pedantry. For Homer's battles, like thofe of Bourguignon and other painters of that clafs, exhibit a few diftincl: figures in the fore ground 5 all the reft is unintelligible confufion. From this fhort view of what I conceive to have been the compafs of Homer's knowledge, I (hall venture to offer my opinion, as matter of conjecture, (to more I do not pretend, with- out a further inveftigation of this fubjecl:) that the art of Writing, though probably known to Greece when the Poet lived, was very little prac- tifed there j that all knowledge at that time was preferved by memory, and with that view committed to verfe, till an alphabet introduced the ufe of profe in composition. Nor do I propofe this entirely without au- thority. x Euftathius is of this opinion, as well x See Iliad vi. 168. and viu 175. as GENIUS OF HOMER. 277 as Didymus, or whoever was the author of the lefs Scholia. Add to thefe the teftimony of y Jofephus, who, though not without his na- tional prejudices, was a moft refpe£table judge of this queftion. He cannot fail of having great weight with thofe, who will be at the trouble to take a candid and difpaffionate view of his anfwer to Apion. In this treatife he takes notice of the variety of calamities, which had deftroyed the records of the Grecians, and introduced great changes in life and fociety, upon which rival pretentions to antiquity were founded, each tribe and ftate claiming feniority. He proceeds to obferve, in refpecl: to their late and imperfect knowledge of letters, that they, who carried that claim higheft, went no far- ther back than the Phenicians, and Cad- mus z , from whom they are fuppofed to have received the ufe of the Alphabet. At the y Contra Apion. lib. i. 8 Jackfon, V. 3. p. 133. in contradi&ion to Euftathius,. Plutarch* ^lian, and others. fame 278 ON THE ORIGINAL fame time he exprefsly declares, that they could not produce a fingle memorial in writing of fo old a date, neither in their religious or civil records ; and he adds, that the works of Homer, the oldeft known production of Greece, were not preferved in writing, but were fung, and retained by memory. If then, with Jofe- phus, we fuppofe that Homer left no written copy of his works, the account we find of them in ancient writers becomes more probable. It is generally fuppofed that Lycurgus brought them from Ionia into Greece, where they were known before only by fcraps and detached pieces. Diogenes Laertius attributes the merit of this performance to Solon : Cicero gives it to Pififtratus ; and Plato to Hipparchus : and they may poffibly have been all concerned in it. But there would have been no occaiion for each of thefe perfons to have fought fo di- ligently for the parts of thefe poems, and to have arranged them fo carefully, if there had been GENIUS OF HOMER. 279 been a compleat copy. If therefore the Spar- tan Lawgiver, and the other perfonages com- mitted to writing, and introduced into Greece, what had been before only fung by the Rhap- fodifts of Ionia, juft as fome curious fragments of ancient poetry have been lately collected in the northern parts of this ifland, their reduc- tion to order in Greece was a work of tafte and judgment : and thofe great names which we have mentioned might claim the fame me- rit in regard to Homer, that the ingenious Editor of Fingal is entitled to from Offian. What we have offered on this head may feem injurious to the Poet, as it certainly robs him of a refpe&able part of his character, which has been long acknowledged, and con- tradicts that favourite opinion of his learning, which his admirers, ancient and modern, have taken fo much pains to propagate. But let us, on the other hand, inquire whether he might not derive fome advantages from this illiterate ftate of things, to compenfate that lofs. Perhaps 280 ON THE ORIGINAL Perhaps one of the greateft was that of his having but one language to exprefs all he knew. Nor was the particular period of that language, which fell to his lot, lefs advantageous to him. For if we examine the rife and progrefs of lan- guage, with a view to its application and ufe, we lhall find that the feveral ftaaes of its ad- vancement are not equally favourable to every difplay of genius ; and that the ufeful Artifl and the Philofopher will find their account in certain improvements, which rather impede than forward the Poet's views. His bufinefs is en- tirely with Nature ; and the language, which belongs to imperfect arts, fimple manners, and unlettered fociety, beft fuits his purpofe. If then Homer found the Greek language confiderably advanced, without the afliftance of writing, its improvements (to which, no doubt, he contributed largely) being entirely addrefled to the ear, in a climate, where con- ception is quick, and the organs of fpeech ca- pable of nice articulation, it was of courfe formed GENIUS OF HOMER. 281 formed to mufic and poetry, then clofely li- nked. When the fenfe was catched from the found, and not deliberately collected from paper, fim- plicity and clearnefs were more neceffary. In- volved periods and an embarrafled ftyle were not introduced, till writing became more an art, and labour fupplied the place of genius. The fre- quent repetition of entire paflages (for which Ho- mer is cenfured) was not only more natural, but lefs obfervable, therefore lefs offenfive 5 action, tone, and pronunciation, were more erTentially concerned in every compolition of genius, and all poetry was dramatic ; and fo far might be ranked among the mimetic arts 3 . But I do not fee, a We are by fome informed, that according to Ariftotle and the Greek critics, all Poetry is imitation. But if we confider this matter more attentively, we {hall find, that a great deal of juft ancient criti- cifm is founded in the diftindion between what was mimetic, and what was not fo in Poetry. Not to trouble the Reader with much quotation (which I wifh to avoid, at leaft for the prefent) I will refer him to Plato. This Writer, in the third book of his Republic, is yery explicit in diftinguifhing, what is pure narration ; and what is {") q mimetic 282 ON THE ORIGINAL fee, why written poetry is to be afcribed to that clafs : or why Homer's account of the Curetes and iEtolians fhould be imitation, while the war between the Grecians and Periians, by Herodotus, is to be called narration. The language which we bring into the world with us is not confined to the organs of fpeech ; but it is made up of voice, countenance, and gefture. And had not our powers of articula- tion, that diftinguifhing mark of our focial con- stitution, fuggefted a more convenient mode of conveying our ideas, the limple tones of Na- mimetic, or dramatic. The firft is, where the Poet fpeaks in his ownperfon. The fecond, when an aftor is introduced. He accord- ingly gives inftances out of the Iliad and Odyfiey, which poems con- lift of both. Euftathius, when he begins his Commentary upon the Catalogue, recites this diftindlion very fully, in order to introduce his obfervation upon the manner, in which Homer keeps up his fpirit in that enumeration of the forces. For it was difficult to be here maintained, as the fubjecT: was not of the mimetic or dramatic kind. Ariftotle, in his Poetics (C. 24.) compliments Homer particularly, as the only Poet, who knew, how little he fhould appear himfelf, and how much he fhould leave for imitation. Dionyfius Halicarnaf- fenfis, or whoever was the author of the Treatife upon Homer's Poetry, takes notice of the Poet's tranfition from the narrative to the mimetic, from the ^tvjyvuxaTincv to the {j.({j.vjtikov. ture, GENIUS OF HOMER. 283 ture, with the varieties of modulation, which are now afligned to the province of mufic, might have been applied to the purpofes of common life, as we are told they are in fome degree among the Chinefe. Speaking and fing- ing would differ little, as the original Greek words, which fignify both, feem to imply 5 the human countenance would have not only re- tained but improved its natural powers of ex- preffion, which it is now the great bufinefs of education to fupprefs, and the dumb language of gefticulation would have made a very iigni- ficant part of converfation. Such is the language of Nature, without which there could be no language of Compact, the firft fupplying that communication of ideas which was abfolutely neceflary to eftablifh the latter; though afterwards falling into difufe, in proportion to the progrefs and improvement of what was gradually fubftituted in its ftead. But, though banifhed in great meafure from common ufe, it ftill retains ks powers in the O o % province 284 ON THE ORIGINAL province of Poetry, where the moil finimed efforts of artificial language are but cold and languid circumlocution, compared with that pallionate expreffion of Nature, which, inca- pable of mifreprefentation, appeals directly to our feelings, and finds the fhorteft road to the heart. It was to be found in every production of Genius, and in all poetry ; that is to fay, all compofition was dramatic. It was therefore an advantage to the Father of Poetry, that he lived before the language of Compact and Art had fo much prevailed over that of Nature and Truth. The fame early ftage of artificial language may perhaps help us to another b reafon for a circum- ftance not lefs extraordinary in itfelf, than fortu- nate to letters ; viz. that Homer, though the oldeft, is the cleared and moft intelligible of all ancient writers. The Greek Vocabulary, though copious in his time, was not yet equivo- t> See above, where his fimplicity and clearnefs of ftyle is fuppofed in fome degree owing to writing's not having been in ufe. cal 5 GENIUS OFHOMER. 285 cal ; ambiguity of expreffion was little known before the birth of Science j when Philofophy, adopting the language of common life, applied known terms to new meanings, and introduced that confufion and obfcurity, which ftill conti- nues to fupply matter for polemical writings, and to be the chief fupport of metaphyfical fubtlety and refinement. Could Homer take a view of the various for- tunes and changes which his language has un- dergone in the fervice of Literature, he would be furprifed to fee fo many volumes of contro- verfy about the fignification of words, which conveyed to him the moft diftincl: images of things j and to find, that terms, which, in his time, were univerfally acknowledged as the figns of certain external objects of fenfe, mould have acquired an additional meaning, which the philofophy and learning of fo many ages have not yet been able to fettle. If his language had not yet acquired the re- finements of a learned age, it was for that rea- fon 286 ON THE ORIGINAL fon not only more intelligible and clear, but alfo lefs open to pedantry and affectation. For as technical and fcientific terms were unknown, before the feparation of arts : and till fcience became the retired purfuit of a few, as there was no fchool but that of Life, and no philo- fophy but that of Common Senfe ; fo we find in Homer nothing out of the reach of an ordi- nary capacity, and plain underftanding : and thofe who look farther, feem to neglect his ob- vious beauties. It may perhaps be thought, that this early ftate of artificial language, to which we attri- bute fo much of the Poet's clearnefs and unaf- fected fimplicity, muft have cramped him in the variety of his numbers : but the Greek tongue never had more diftin£fc founds c in pro- portion to its clear ideas, than at this period ; which was therefore precifely the time in this c After his poems were introduced at Athens, we find that they were fung and recited, and that Rhapfodiils were employed for this purpofe. refpecl: GENIUS OF HOMER. 287 refpecl: fitteft for Poetical expreffion. It is true, that in its more enriched and polifhed ftate, it was the repofitory of much knowledge, to which Homer was a ftranger ; but its ac- quifition of new words was by no means in pro- portion to that of new meanings, as we have already obferved ; and the bufinefs of literature in all its branches was carried on chiefly upon the original flock. But, befides that his language was fufficient- ly copious for his purpofes, it had other ad- vantages more favourable to harmonious verfi- fication, than ever fell to the lot of any other Poet. I {hall firft mention the Greek par- ticles j and I cannot help afligning the priority of verfe d to profe in this language, as the rea- fon why it abounds fo much more with par- ticles than any other ; which are to hexameter verfe, what fmall ftones are to a piece of ma- fonry, ready at hand to fill up the breaks and d See Ariilotle of Softrates and Mneliflheus. See Plato's Ion. interftices, 288 ON THE ORIGINAL interfaces, and connect thofe of a larger fize, fb exactly as to give a fmooth compa&nefs to the whole. And we accordingly find them oc- cur more frequently in the old Poets, and in the early profe writers, who had no poetical models, and artificial helps, upon which they could form their ftyle. I do not mean to fay that Homer's particles were altogether condemned to this mere exple- tive duty. They contribute very much to the clearnefs of his meaning, as well as to the length of his verfes. And though the great ufe made of them by the beft profe writers may be in fome degree owing to an imitation of Ho- mer, we mull acknowledge that they have a great (hare in the connection, and perfpicuity, which is remarkable in thofe early compofitions. We find them much ufed by the firft profe writers of the beft Greek times, who found them neceflary to connection and perfpicuity : qualities in an author, which are ftrangely ne- glected fince thofe inferior parts of fpeech have been GENIUS OF HOMER. 289 been fo much difcarded from the fafhionable ftyle of molt modern languages. Another great poetical advantage of Ho- mer's language is, that facility with which two or more words connect and join together % to the great improvement both of the found and fenfe j for it is hard to fay, whether the ear is more filled with the harmony, or the mind with the imagery, of thofe fonorous and defcriptive compound epithets, which have an effecl: in this language, unknown to any other. What was of fo much ufe to Poetry and Homer, has not been without its convenience to Philofo- phers, and Artifts after him. Even at this day the expreflion in modern languages is enriched by a Greek compound, coined for the purpofe of expreffing much in a fingle word. While * When the Rhapfodifts recited Homer from written copies, the whole was in capitals, without punctuation, afpiration, or any marks or intervals to diftinguifh words. This has been the chief caufe of the falfe readings in Homer. Our account of Greek compofition beginning with verfe affords a p p reafon 290 ON THE ORIGINAL While to all this we add, that very exten- five Poetical licence, which (hortens, length- ens, adds, fupprefTes, changes, and tranfpofes letters and fyllables, at the beginning, the middle, and the end of words, we muft alfo confider, that thofe are not only advantages, which the Greek language poflefles above all others ; but which, in all probability, Homer enjoyed above all Greek Poets. For when Criticifm took its rife as an Art, and Ariftotle found in the Iliad and Odyfley thofe rules of compofition, which the Poet drew from Na- ture, thofe bounds of Poetical licence were pre- ferred for others, which his unlimited fancy had freely fuggefted to himfelf j and the liberties reafon for the ignorance of the nrft critics in the etymology of their own language. Plato is fo ridiculous upon that head, that it is fcarce poffible to believe him ferious. I will venture to fay, that the etymology of his language is better underflood at this day than it was in his time. It alfo accounts for the great abundance of particles in this language beyond all other languages. The Poets introduced them for helps to meafure ; and their fucceffors retained them, copying implicitly thofe, who had gone before them, as the befl models for compofition, he GENIUS OF HOMER. 291 he chofe to take f , became the laws which they were obliged to follow. Thus the fimplicity, without meannefs or in- delicacy, of the Poet's language rifes out of the ftate of his manners. There could be no mean or indelicate expreffion, where no mean or inde- licate idea was to be conveyed. There could be no technical terms, before the feparation of arts from life, and of courfe no pedantry, and few abftracl: ideas before the birth of Philofbphy 5 confequently, though there was lefs knowledge, there was likewife lefs obfcurity. As he could change the form without changing the meaning of his words, and vary their found without al- tering their fenfe, he was not tempted to faeri- f I do not mean that Homer extended his liberty fo far, as to pay no regard to the quantity of words, which ufe had eftablifhed. The abfurdity of fuch a fuppofition is fo obvious, that I wonder it fhould have been admitted for a moment. But he certainly indulged in li- berties of this kind to a degree, which could not efcape early animad- verfion. * Euclid the elder ufed to fay, It is eafy to be a Poet, if you may lengthen words as you pleafe. • Ariftot. Poet. C. 22. P p 2, fice 292 ON THE ORIGINAL fice Truth and Nature to Harmony and Num- bers. Such were the advantages of language, which contributed to make Homer as original in his Expreflion, as in his Conception ; and (keeping to our idea of him as a Painter) as happy in his Colouring as his Outline ; fimple with Digni- ty ; natural without Indelicacy ; informed with- out Pedantry ; the moft clear and intelligible,, as well as the moft mufical and harmonious, of all Poets. CON- GENIUS OF HOMER. 293 CONCLUSION. F our conjectures with regard to the two ■*- leading circumftances of Homer's poetical life, viz. his Country and his Travels, found- ed upon the different ideas he feems to have conceived of men and things, under the vari- ous influences of thofe diftincl: relations, are at all plaufible, confidered feparately, they will deferve additional credit under a comparative view j for as, on the one hand, the traveller difcovers himfelf to be an Ionian, fo, on the other, the Ionian proves himfelf to be a tra- veller. But whether we view this Ionian traveller at home or abroad, whether we attend him in his contemplations on the external beauties of the creation, or follow him into the fecret re- cedes of our own hearts, in either light we trace him by the moft natural reprefentations of 294 ° N THE ORIGINAL of every characterizing circumftance of truth and reality. This original mode of compofition, fo eflen- tial to unity of time, place, action, and charac- ter, particularly in the Epic, where both the narrative and defcriptive parts of an exteniive plan, purpofely avoiding the formality of hifto- rical and geographical order, are more expofed to inconfiftence, has, I hope, in fome degree been pointed out, by the foregoing loofe and indigefted obfervations. I fhall therefore venture to conclude, that the more we confider the Poet's age, country, and travels, the more we difcover that he took his fcenery and landfcape from nature, his manners and characters from life, his perfons and fa&s (whether fabulous or hiftorical) from tradition, and his paffions and fentiments from experience of the operations of the human mind in others, compared with, and corrected by, his own feelings. As GENIUS OF HOMER. 295 As therefore every (ketch of this great Ma- iler is an exacl: tranfcript of what he had ei- ther feen, heard, or felt, it is not extraordi- nary that the fame compofitions, which have af- certained, beyond competition, his poetical rank, fhould not only have decided his fupe- riority as a Geographer, and fecured his credit as an Hiftorian, but have procured refpecl: to his Philofophical character, which Strabo would not fuffer to be difputed. If an unbounded veneration for his works has carried his claim ftill higher, his amazing powers of original imitation furnifh the only apology I can think of for fuch extravagance. I mean to fay, that thofe, who found Homer and Nature the fame, are, fo far, excufable in deriving the principles of all Science from the Iliad and OdylTey. Nature includes them all : her proportions are juft and invariable ; whoever paints her true, or any part of her, that is full of action, and applies that a£tion to Times, Places, Perfons, and 296 ON THE ORIGINAL and their Signs, will include thofe Proportions and their Meafures without intending it, almoft without knowing it, but never without fome perception of their propriety and truth \ Such is that faithful mirror of life, which one of the moft competent b judges of antiquity chofe to confult for the rule of his conduct, ra- ther than the abftra£r. fyftems of fpeculative writers, unpra&ifed in the world ; a compli- ment, which if it does great honour to Homer, does no lefs juftice to the human character. For, making proper allowance for the Heroic ftate of fociety, I do not think, that mankind is unfavourably reprefented by the Poet j nor do I find that any modern Chryfippus, or Cran- tor, has made difcoveries, which ought to de- preciate fo juft a picture of mankind. It is flat- tering to receive, from a hand fo correctly formed in Nature's fchool, thofe fair and plea- a See Inquiry into the Life and Writings of Homer, p. 314. b " Qui, quid fit pulchrum, quid turpe, quid utile, quid non, /* Plenius ac melius Chryfippo & Crantore dicit." Hor. fing GENIUS OF HOMER. "297 fing delineations of a generous fympathy, and focial affection, which are interfperfed even amidft the horrors of the Iliad, but more fre- quently in the peaceful and hofpitable fcenes of the Odyfley : here and there fhaded, I own, with folly and vice enough to put us out of hu- mour with the Poet and ourfelves, did he not kindly throw in a comfortable proportion of Philanthropy, which gives both warmth and re- femblance to the picture. Yet fo far am I from fubfcribing to the wild pretentions of that refined criticifm, which dis- covers not only the principles of all Arts and Science, but the moft profound fyftem of Ethics and Politics, in Homer, that I confider it to have been of peculiar advantage to his original Ge- nius, that he was not diverted by any hypothe- cs from a free and impartial examination of things j and that, whatever his plan of Inftruc- tion, either moral or political, might have been (for to deny that he had any would be highly unreafonable), his choice of characters for that Q^ q purpofe 298 ON THE ORIGINAL purpofe never carried him beyond Nature, and his own experience of life. To this unbiafled inveftigation of the differ- ent powers of Nature, and the various fprings of action, not as they are fancied in the Clofet, tranfcribed from fpeculative Syftems, and copied from books; but as they were feen exerted in real life, we owe the moft correct hiftory of hu- man paffions and affections, that have ever yet been exhibited under one view ; fb impartially checquered with the good and bad qualities, which enter, in various proportions, into the compofition of every character, that he has not left us one compleat pattern of moral beauty or deformity. Nor mould we for this reafon haftily con- clude, that he was negligent of the interefts of Humanity, or indifferent to the caufe of Vir- tue j there is a certain early ftage in the pro- arefs of manners when the mind is more effec- ts tually rouzed to the duties of fociety by real than by fictitious examples ; and it is eafier, perhaps GENIUS OF HOMER. 299 perhaps wifer, in fuch a ftate, to fhew us what we may be, than what we ought to be. Such were the times, that fell to Homer's lot. To blame him for the manners of thofe times, and to find fault with the only materials which he had to work upon, is highly unreafonable. I muft confefs, that he fometimes feems to abandon us, to our own fancy, in the labyrinth of his great drama of human action, where Co many different paths of life are laid open, not only to the Judgment, but to the Paffions of every age, temper, and condition. And here, no doubt, thofe mimetic powers which charac- terize his genius carried him too far into pro- mifcuous imitation, where the principal, fome- times the only, merit is that of natural, ftrik- ing, refemblance. But it would be unfair to fay that he had nothing farther in view ; for while he flatters our vanity in letting us find our own road through life, he has not left it too intricate for thofe, who are ferious and di- ligent in fearch of it. And if we giddily lofe Qj\ 2 our 3 oo ON THE ORIGINAL our way in it, it is our own fault : for his Morality will bear as fcrupulous a teft, as his Religion. If, after all, the learned Reader finds this me- thod too clofely confined to pictures of real life for the Moral epic Plan, I beg he will con- fider, that it was Homer's object to pleafe as well as to inftrucl:. And though he does not neglecl: the latter, I muft own he feems to have the firft principally in view. But, as I have already faid, this lhould be put to the teft of that ftate of Society, to which it was addreffed y when barbarous manners, not prepared to re- ceive either plans of Government or fyftems of Morals, wanted the immediate foftenings of Mufic and Poetry ; and men were to be tamed before they were taught. It has been the great object of this EfTay to carry the Reader to the Poet's Age, and Country j before he forms a judgment of him. I will venture to fay, that it has been much owing to a neglecl: of this confideration, that he has been fo often complimented GENIUS OF HOMER. 301 complimented with beauties of which he was not confcious, and charged with faults which he never committed. It may be aiked, Whether Homer is to be efteemed a Philofopher ? Had the treatife of Longinus upon this que- ftion reached us, we ihould probably have feen many references to the opinions of antiquity upon this fubjecl:. Strabo does not fcruple to put him in the clafs with Anaximander : and it is curious to fee oppofite fe&s lay claim to him. Whatever ftrefs I may lay upon this com- pliment to the Poet as a Philofopher : it is cer- tainly a very great one to him as a Painter 5 when we fee the leading writers in Ethics con- fider Homer and Natur.e as the fame. We have refpe&able authority for fuppofing, that he has been partial to human Nature in his picture of life ; and that he has reprefent- ed men better, than they are. See Ariftot. Poet. 3 02 ON THE ORIGINAL Poet. C. 2. But of the accuracy of this mod interefting part of the Poet's imitation, which has for its objecl: the human mind, and its va- rious operations and affections, every Reader is a judge. And if this matter is to be canvaifed by the fuffrages of fo many ages and countries, to whofe feelings the Poet has appealed, the queftion feems to be decided ; and his impar- tiality eftablifhed. But I have already wandered from the humble duty of bearing teftimony, as an eye- witnefs, of the Poet's veracity. If I endea- vour to refcue him from errors, not his own, by bringing within the obfervation of a curfory perufal of his works their truth and confift- ence, as to time, place, perfons, and things ; it is as a Traveller only, that I can hope to do him that juftice. I mall therefore refume that character, obferving the fame method in the de- fcription of the Troade, that I followed in that of Palmyra and Balbeck ; where, after a plain account GENIUS OF HOMER, 303 account of the appearance of things as we found them, I left the Reader to judge of our conjectures with regard to their ancient flate. A COM- COMPARATIVE VIEW O F T H E ANCIENT and PRESENT STATE O F T H E T R O A D E. Juvat ire et Dorica caftra, Defertofque videre locos, littufque reliftum. Hie Dolopum manus, hie faevus tendebat Achilles. Claffibus hie locus, hie acies certare folebat. .ZEneid. L. 2. R r o of ANCIEITT TH_OAS together with the SCASCAITO'BIL and MOUNT IDA, as tafcem anno MB' C CXi = COMPARATIVE VIEW O F T H E ANCIENT and PRESENT STATE O F T H E T R O A D E. N order to give the Reader a clear and fa- ■*■ tisfa&ory account of the ancient and pre- fent ftate of this country, I fhall refer him to the annexed Map. This was taken upon the fpot, and reprefents things, as we found them. It muft at the fame time be compared with the accounts given by Homer j for by thefe means we (hall be enabled to difcover the variation, which has happened, fince the Poet wrote. The chief difference confifts in this 5 that the R r 2 fource 3 o8 THE DESCRIPTION fource of the Scamander is now confiderably more diftant from the Hellefpont, than we conceive it to have been at the time, when Homer faw it. In defcribing thefe parts, I fhall give the reafons upon which I found my opinion about this variation. I make no doubt, but that the face of the country has been con- fiderably changed. This circumftance has been brought about by earthquakes, to which the regions of Afia Minor are extremely fubjecl:. I have feen feveral parts of Ida, and alfo of Tmolus, which have been evidently feparated from the two mountains by the fhock of an earthquake. And there are in the plains of the Scamander many pieces of marly rock, that are manifeftly detached from the place, where they originally flood. But as alterations of this nature have not been punctually recorded, and are not eafily to be afcertained, I have not marked out any variation of ground in the following Map of the country : my chief ob- ject being to point out the difference of dis- tance, OF THE TROADE. 309 tance, which fubfifts between the fource of the river, and the fea. It will therefore be my bu- finefs to fhew, that fuch an alteration has hap- pened : and at the fame time to put it in the Reader's power to judge, by recurring to the journal of the fiege in the Iliad, how far the bounds and diftances obferved by the Poet are confiftent with the oppofite plan, which I here exhibit. THE 3io THE DESCRIPTION THE DESCRIPTION O F T H E T R O A D E. JULY the twenty-fifth, 1750, we anchored ** under the Sigean Promontory in our return to the Greek iflands from Conftantinople : and going on more at the mouth of the Scamander, we found, that the country, which is frequent- ly infefted with banditti, was at this time fo fecure, as to afford us an opportunity, without rifque, of carrying into execution our fcheme of travelling to the fource of the river. Upon this information, having hired horfes and guides, and landed our tent, fervants, and camp-equipage, we performed in a fortnight the journey, which may be traced out in the Map. By this the Reader may fee, under one view, OF THE TROADE. 311 view, the order of our difcoveries, without the tedious formality of a journal. Having, before we landed, vilited the whole kingdom of Priam j and upon another occafion feen fome of its inland parts, I mall give, in a few words, the beft idea that I could form of it upon the whole. A ftrait line drawn from the Caicus to the -^fopus would probably very nearly defcribe the eaftern and inland boundary of Priam's do- minion. Its circumference, according to this eftimate, includes about five hundred Englifh miles. Of this above two hundred afford a maritime coaft, which is warned by the Propon- tis, Hellefpont, and ^gean feas. Few fjpots of this extent enjoy more natural advantages. The climate is temperate and healthful : the hills are covered with woods : and the fertile plains, whether paftures, or corn-land, are well water- ed. There are mines in the mountains, which have never been fufficiently tried. There are alfo mineral waters, and hot-baths, of which the natives, 3 i2 THE DESCRIPTION natives, to their great benefit, make ufe for feveral diforders. The country produces oil ; and fome parts were of old famous for wine. The Greeks aflured us from experience, that, if the vineyards here were properly cultivated, they would produce a grape not inferior to the Mufcadine of Tenedos in its neighbourhood. Its compact peninfular form, and happy fitua- tion, together with plenty of timber, and varie- ty of commodious harbours, render it very fit for trade, and navigation. However, if we may venture to form any judgment upon a matter of fuch antiquity, it would appear from the few remaining frag- ments, which afford any light towards the an- tiquities of this people, that it was a principle both of their civil and religious conftitution to difcouraee navigation ; and to favour a tafte for agriculture, and domeftic induftry. An old prophetic admonition was among them in com- mon acceptation againfl: the dangers of com- merce, and it is ftill preferved. And the pe- culiar OF THE TROADE. 313 culiar feverity, with which their laws treated thofe who were convicted of ftealing an ox, or plough-ihare, or any implement of hufbandry, is alfo upon record. Though fuch maxims are not agreeable to the prevailing commercial fpirit of modern politics, yet, if we confider the genius and manners of thofe ancient times, there will appear great propriety in them. Up- on looking backwards, we (hall find reafon to allow, that the happinefs of the inhabitants of a region, abundantly fupplied with all the real comforts of life within themfelves, could not be more rationally confulted, than by keeping their attention at home, recommending inland induftry, and difcouraging all communication with ftranaers. In lhort, when navigation and piracy were almoft fynonymous terms, it was very natural for a people abounding with flocks, corn, wine, and oil, thofe fubftantial and almoft only ar- ticles of primitive opulence, to avoid an inter- courfe, by which they could gain little, and S f might 3 i4 THE DESCRIPTION might lofe much. For this reafon, in thofe early days, when the law of nations was not advanced into that acknowledged and resec- table fyftem, which now countenances a more confidential communication among civilized nations $ Egypt, and other rich countries were jealous of ftrangers. Indeed the fate of the Troade has juftified their fears upon this head : for notwithstanding all their precautions, they were thrice conquered and plundered before the time of Homer. And this was effected upon fuch frivolous pretences, that we may ve- ry reafonably flippofe, this would not have happened, had they not been richer, than their neighbours. The fame temptation was pro- bably the motive of the ^Eolic migration ; a palliating term, under which the Greek hifto- rians have thought proper to tranfmit their un- juft invafion of this country. That the firft migrations, which we find upon record, into this part of the world, were made upon this principle of removing from poverty to plenty, will OF THE TROADE, 315 will be eafily conceived by the traveller, who fails up the Hellefpont. For he cannot but obferve, how much the Afiatic fide exceeds that of the European both in fertility and beauty. Though Homer, (peaking of the country of Priam, calls it in general Troy, and its inhabi- tants Trojans ; yet when he comes to an exacl: enumeration of the forces under their feveral commanders, he diftinguifhes the people of Ilion, the capital, peculiarly by the name of Trojans. It is in this confined fenfe, that we call the furvey which we made, the Map of Troy. In this probably is included little more than the diftricl: which Hector commanded : and of which we fhall now attempt to give a more particular defcription. In doing this, we mull refer the Reader to the preceding Map, in which there are two things to be particularly diftinguifhed : the one is the coaft of the Troade upon the iEgean fea ; the other the coaft of the Troade upon the Hellefpont. S f 2, Before 3 i6 THE DESCRIPTION Before we come to the inland part of our difcoveries, it will be proper to give a general idea of thefe coafts, as they appeared to us, when we were failing clofe along the more. From Cape Baba, the ancient Leclium, to Cape JanifTari, which was the ancient Sigean Promontory, the coaft runs almoft due north. Upon the firft of thefe Capes there is a caftle to defend the country from the Maltefe corfairs, whofe invafions are fo much dreaded by the Turks, that there are few villages to be (ggti upon the more, till you come near to the Hel- lefpont. The coaft is covered with Valonia trees, a fort of Ilex, whofe bark and fruit are ufed in tanning; and are a matter of com- merce. The country is lefs mountainous, as you go north ; till oppofite to Tenedos, which, we kept upon our left. Here it exhibits a beautiful (helving landfcape crowned with woods : and at the fame time affords, as people fail by, a fine view of the city Troas, and of the venerable ruins which furround it. From OF THE TROADE. 317 From hence, as we ftill proceed northward, the coaft grows fteeper, till it at laft terminates in the high perpendicular cliff, Cape Janiffari, which divides the .iEgean fea from the Hellefpont. As you turn eaftward into this narrow fea, the fame Cape terminates by a fudden Hope in a beautifully planted plain. Here the Scaman- der difcharoreth itfelf : and at its mouth is the caftle abovementioned, to defend the entrance of the ftreight. On the oppofite fide is ano- ther erected for the fame purpofe. From Cape Janiffari the flat marfliy more retires, forming a curve, which is terminated eaftward by Cape Barbieri, This was the ancient Rhoeteum ; and is lower and lefs abrupt than the Cape above. Dardanium muft have been near this fpot j as we may judge by the ftreight, which retains the name of Dardanelle. The caftles form the extremity of our Map eaftward, which were built for the fecurity of this paffage to Conftantinople. That on the European fide ftands, where formerly Seftos was fituated : and that 3 i8 THE DESCRIPTION that on the Afiatic is founded upon the ruins of Abydus. This was that Abydus, fo famed for the bridge of Xerxes, and for the loves of Hero and Leander. Having thus defcribed the prefent appear- ance of thefe coafts and feas, we are naturally led to make fome inquiry into their hiftory, as it is afforded in the Iliad. I believe, we (hall find, upon inquiry, that the iEgean and Hel- lefpontic feas are very truly diftinguiihed there : and that they are feldom mentioned with fuch epithets, and circumftances, as are indifferently applicable to either. In the beginning of the firft book the prieft Chryfes, after his unfuc- cefsful petition, is reprefented as returning home- ward, and walking in a melancholy mood upon the more of the boifterous, or turbulent fea. The fituation of the city Chryfa (hews, that the iEgean fea is alluded to in this paifage : and this is further manifeft from the epithet tur- bulent, or boifterous : for this term might as well be applied to the Danube or Nile, as to the OF THE TROADE. 319 the Hellefpont, and therefore muft be appro- priated to the fea below. Neither the Helle- fpont nor the channel have breadth enough to be boifterous : and I muft oblerve, that the epi- thet infaniens, which a Horace applies to the latter, is very improperly taken in that fenfe. At the fame time nothing can exprefs more happily, than this term, the contrariety of cur- rents, for which that ftreight is remarkable. In the fame book of the b Iliad, Achilles is defcribed as retiring to indulge his refentment upon the frothy beach^ and as looking upon the dujky main. In this paflage we have an exten- five profpecl: of the fea, whofe waves break up- on the fhore : and herein is exhibited a picture, which correfponds with the ^Egean fea only ; near which we "know, that Achilles was fta- tioned. While this fea is in this manner de- fcribed j the Hellefpont is either diftinguifhed a Infanientem navita Bofporum Tentabo. L. 3. Od. 4, b L. 1. v. 350, by 3 20 THE DESCRIPTION by epithets, which are adapted to that ftreight only ; or pointed out by the circumftances of the camp, and fleet, in its vicinity. There is fomething remarkable in the epithet broads which is more than once by Homer gi- ven to the Hellefpont : for it feems to be im- properly applied to a fea, which is narrower than many rivers. And yet this Poet is not fingle in reprefenting it in this light, for Or- pheus fpeaks of the broad Hellefpont. Eufta- thius and other Commentators have endeavour- ed to explain this term, but in a manner, I think, not fatisfaclory. I (hall therefore beg leave to offer a conjecture upon this head, which occurred to me upon the fpot. When I was failing upwards from the iEgean fea into the Hellefpont, we were obli- ged to make our way againft a conftant fmart current ; which, without the affiftance of a north-wind, generally runs about three knots in an hour. At the fame time we were land- locked on all fides ; and nothing appeared in view. OF THE TROADE. 321 view, but rural fcenery : and every objecl: con- veyed the idea of a fine river, running through an inland country. In this fituation I could hardly perfuade myfelf, that I was at fea : and it was as natural to talk of its comparative great breadth, as to mention its embouchure, its pleafant ftream, its woody banks, and all thofe circumftanees which belong to rivers on- ly. The epithet c fwift-flowing^ or rapid \ which the Poet applies to it, (but never to any other fea) fhews that he confidered it merely as a running ftream : and Herodotus, who vifited the Hellefpont with the curiofity of a travel- ler, actually calls it a river. The defcription given by Homer of Mount Ida correfponds with its prefent ftate ; for its many fummits are ftill covered with pine-trees, and it abounds with fountains. In a journey, which we made over part of it by night, the conftant howling of jackals, and frequent brufh- c Ayrtppoov i^vjinrovTov. Iliad. M. v. 30. B. v. 845. Ay«v pcwSvj, s$i sQoSpa pevfAXTx sxgvtk. Schol. T t ing 322 THE DESCRIPTION ing of wild beafts through the thickets, with the perpetual murmuring of rills, fupplied by a conftant fucceffion of fprings, gave us a very lively idea of the rites of Cybele : for her ce- lebrities ufed to be carried on at the fame late feafon in thefe high woods, amid the noifes and wild fcenery above mentioned. Mount Gargarus, Cotylus, and Lec~him, have only changed their names 5 and make the fame confpicuous figure, which diftinguifhed them in the Iliad. Pliny indeed obferves, that the rivers mentioned by Homer did not anfwer to the appearances exhibited in his time. This is not to be wondered at in a country, which is very fubje£fc to earthquakes. We find, that in thefe mountains was the great magazine of wood for firing, as well as of timber for other ufes. Of thefe pine-trees both Paris and iEneas built their fleets. Virgil's hero could not have made choice of any fpot fo proper for building his (hips as Antandros, at the foot of Mount Ida. His efcape to it out of the town muft have OF THE TROADE. 323 have been by fome gate oppofite to that, by which the enemy had entered, and got porTef- fion of the town. The road from thence to Antandros was the moft fecure, and the place itfelf the moft retired and fafe from the Grecian fleet of any upon the whole coaft. Its conve- nience in refpecl: to fhip-building was a necef- fary circumftance to ./Eneas 5 and would natu- rally ftrike the Roman Poet : in whofe time this port was the mart for the timber of this province. There are however two anachro- nifms in one line of the Poet's account, when he tells us, Claflemque fub ipfo Antandro, ac Phrygian molimur montibus Idae. for Antandros was not in thofe times built 5 nor was the region of Troas then called Phrygia. We vifited the prefent fource of the Scaman- der ; which fpringing from the rock, diftends itfelf immediately into a mallow circular bafbn, of feven or eight feet diameter, under the (hade Tt 2 of 324 THE DESCRIPTION of a plane-tree. From hence dripping in a fmall quantity down a romantic woody cliff, it is foon joined by another ftream, before it winds into its northern direction. From this fource to the prefent mouth of the Scamander may be about twenty-three miles in a ftraight line ; but far more, if we take in the windings of the river ; which for fo lhort a courfe pafles through a great variety of country. From its fountain- head, till it is arrived below Chiflik, it rather tumbles than flows ; paffing all the way down woody fteeps in a rugged and ftony channel. From thence to the ruined bridge it glides through a rich plain, till it comes to Ene, the moft confiderable village in this country, where there is a wooden bridge over it. Not far from hence it receives the Simois amid corn fields, interfperfed with fine mulberry-trees. From the ruined bridge to Bornabafchi the courfe of thefe united ftreams lies through a rocky mountainous country, thinly covered with pines, and fome other trees ; and having a very 1=5 Q % '9 n s 3