calamity, or domestick misfortune prevents them from the indulgence of this propensity. At the most critical juncture of affairs, are they to be seen roving on the banks of Strymon diverting themselves with rash bets, on the combats of cocks or quails.

In order to evade the rigour of the Areopagus, they retire to places beyond the jurisdiction of the police of the capitol. Thus, by bribes to the Demarchs, they obtain safe asylums at Phaleris and Sciron. At these places, and at the Symposia of the Eranes* did this young man

¶ The Anuxgxo were the chief officers of the Aqua, or boroughs, of which Attica was divided into one hundred and seventy-four. (Eustath. note on Iliad B. Strab. 1. 9.) Their duty was, to assemble the people under their jurisdiction, whose names were registered, and preside at the election of senators and magistrates, chosen by lot. Sometimes they were called Nevege and the boroughs Navngagias being obliged, besides two horsemen, to fit out one ship for the publick. See Har. Græc. Antiq. 33.

ค

The greater part of the Athenians belonged to particular societies, called Eranes

which contributed both to the increase of patriotism and luxury. Each member was obliged to deposit a certain sum of money in the common treasury, and this was destined for the relief of associates, who laboured under particular misfortunes, such as inability, either in the payment of a fine, or the maintenance of credit, at a critical moment. But as soon as circumstances would permit of such an arrangement, they were obliged to refund the principal sums, withou.. however, being liable to either discou or interest. Harpocrat, at the word' ΕΡΑΝΙΣΤΗΣ.

These assemblies, often tumultuous, were sometimes subject to serious disorders. Either the directors accused the members of violating their engagements, and neglecting o pay the stipulated quota, at the expirati of each month, or they, in return, were reproached with the crime of enriching themselves, at the expence of the society, by certain stratagems, which the Greeks termed subtilties but which we should call frauds. On this account, the Athenians, who had already established one tribunal for the Theatre, and another for good sayings, added a third to decide the disputes of the Eranists. This tribunal had

sacrifice all the fine ornaments of a luxuriant mind, and the domestick peace of a domestick family. His mistress eclipsed all the conrtesans of Athens, in the sumptuous magni

las, were decorated with the finest paintings, and statues, by which the ppearance of the lofty trees, that noded from the summit of the hills, and the humble streams, that murmured

ty of the milk-white steeds, by which she was drawn. His Eschatiæt or vi!

were many where the vine and the olive were cultivated, and every art was employ: ed to ripen vegetables before their natural period of maturity. Some of these possessions are said to have exceeded forty stadia or four miles in circumference. There remains a very minute account of one, which was situated in the canton of Citheron, at the foot of Mount Parnes. Its annual produce according to estimates amounted to five talents and six

successive

teen minæ, or somewhat less than five thousand dollars.-Demost. Flead. against Phersippus.

Exclusive of establishments destined principally to agricultural pursuits, the dif ferent vallies contained many others which were consecrated only to pleasure. That of Herodius Atticus was considered by the ancients, as, of all others, the most romantick and enchanting. It was watered by several streams which descended from the brow of Mount Pentelichus and murmured amid venerable woods that darkened their windings through the vale, until they emptied into the great Cephisus in the vicinity of Athens. Spacious vistas were screened from the rays of the sun by the foliage of lofty trees; and while the eye reposed on rich verdure, the ear was charmed with the melody of birds, or soothed by the dying cadence of a distant echo. Even at this day many fragments of inscriptions have been found there; and such ornaments were, in general, but too numerous from that spirit of excess which was sɔ prevalent among the Greeks. Aul.

Gell. Att. Noct. Philost. The Marbles of Oxford; De Pauro.

It was the sight of this expensive luxury in which the Senators, the Archons, and the Arcopagites, were equally involved, that induced Pericles to exclaim:

diversified. But his favourite retirement was at a spacious house, which he had erected on the brow of Hymettus. This is a spot, where the bounty of Nature appears to have lavished every thing, that can inspire the mind with cheerfulness. The towering pinnacle of the mountain commands an extensive view of the greater part of the continent of Greece, that wearies the eye with wonder. Near its base may be distinctly seen the streets of Athens, and the path to the very gates of Eleusis, through a row of statues and mausoleums, dedicated to the memory of heroes, and ancient temples consecrated to the worship of the gods. Beyond the city, the innumerable isles that rise in the ocean, and are scattered along the western coast of Attica, are faintly distinguished from the billows, that lash their shores: the spectator beholds fleets of vessels, fluttering their white sails to the wind, and turning the waves on either side, as they direct their course atound the mountain, to the ports of Ægina, Corinth, or the harbour of Piræus.

There the avarice of Nature is never experienced; but all that can defight the eye, or gratify the sense, almost spontaneously, issues from the willing earth. The busy hum of the bee inculcates the happiness of easy industry, and the warblings of the birds inspire the melody of poetry.

Hither the companions of Anthus often retired, to avoid the severity of the Philosophers, and to riot in the luxuries of wealth. They introduced their nocturnal orgies, with a plenteous supper, at which the choi

cest viands allured the taste, and the mellow wines of Lesbos exhilarated the brain. Courtesans and female dancers were admitted to these Bacchanalian rites, and singers rehearsed, in thrilling measures, the loves of Bacchus and Ariadne.

(To be continued.)

For The Port Folio.

A TREATISE ON ORIENTAL POETRY. (Continued from page 19.)

After having made these few remarks upon the Oriental images, it will be proper to say something of the figures which they produce. We will not enlarge upon the simple metaphors, as the dew of liberality, the sweet flavour of reputation, since not only the writings of the orientals are filled with them, but they are also common among other nations. The Asiatick similitudes are in general very fine and very striking, as that of violets sparkling with dew; the blue eyes of a beautiful girl in tears; of a warriour advancing at the head of his troops, with an Eagle cleaving the air and piercing the clouds with his impetuous wings ;* but we cugt not to omit a noble train of comparisons which an Arabian Poet makes in the description of the horse, the greatest part of which are grand and sublime in the highest degree. He compares the hair which falls upon the forehead of his coursers to the locks of a maiden dishevelled by the wind his back, to a rock which has been polished by a torrent, which falls inċessently; his tail, to that of the

:

They compare the foreheads of their mistresses to the morning, their locks to the night, their faces to the sun, to the moon, or the blossoms of Jessimine, their cheeks to roses or ripe fruit, their teeth to pearls, hail stones and snow drops, their eves to the flowers of the Narcissus, their curled hair to black Scorpions, and to Hyacinths, their lips to rubies or wine, the form of their breasts to pomegranates, and the colour of them to snow, their shape to that of Pine trees, and their stature to that of a cypress, a palm tree or a javelin, &c.

robe of a bride, which negligently droops; his sides, to those of a Leopard, his neck, to the high Palmtree under which the Traveller lights a fire in the hope of succour; his front, to the relievo of a shield which the Artist has made round and even; his nostrils, to the den of the Hyena; the hair of his legs, to the feathers of a black Eagle disordered by the wind; his pace to the swiftness of a Rocbuck who deceives the address of the Hunter; his gallop, to a cloud which passes swiftly over one valley to shed its rain upon another, his form, to that of a green grasshopper arising from a marsh.

fear had torn the sail of their under

The Allegory or chain of metaphors is very common among the Persian and Turkish authours, as for example, "When the whirlwind of standing, and the deluge of despair had sunk the vessel of their hope, that they might be able to emerge at the port of safety, they turned the from the gulph of danger, and arrive helm of flight and unfurled the sails of a precipitate retreat."

As to the mystical allegories and concealed sense which some writers

pretend to have in the love poems of the Persians, what they say concerning them is so incredible and so absurd, that it is useless to support the subject. Let the reader judge other meaning than that which it obif the following ode can have any viously presents.

"It is now the season of Roses, my compa

nions, let us abandon our hearts to joy, This is the advice of Sages and old men: let us no longer differ from it, At present, all is gay, but the lovely season quickly passes away,

Let us sell the Sacred carpets upon which we kneel down to pray, and let us buy wine,

The air is sweet, and invites to pleasure : Oh Heaven! send us some lively and wanton Beauties, with whom we may drink this rose coloured wine.

String the Lyre. Fortune abuses worthy

believe that the excellencies of the former; consist principally in their resemblance to the latter. But it is so natural to write with zeal and vivacity, upon that branch of Literature in which we have had the good fortune to make the first considerable discoveries.

It is a surprising truth that the European poetry has subsisted so long a time with the perpetual repetition of the same images, and the continual allusion to the same fables with which

where this authour, in a flowery description, compares the army of this Prince to the spring.

"When Nature, like a skilful handmaid, deck'd the earth with the ornaments of a new bride, that the groves might retake their shining verdure; the victorious troops covered the country, and passed like dragons over the plains. Their warlike mu

tions, because from infancy our memory is charged with them, from having read only the same authours and the works of three thousand years.

If the precious volumes of the orientals which are preserved in the invaluable Libraries of Paris, Leyden, Oxford, Vienna, and Madrid, were published with the customary advantages of notes and explications; if the Oriental languages were taught in our Universities, in place of that Art which Locke and Lord ChancelJor Bacon regarded as so useless, a new field would be opened for our contemplation; we should penetrate further into the history of the human heart; our mind would be provided with a new collection of images and comparisons we should find many excellent compositions make their appearance upon which future Criticks might exercise themselves, and which succeeding poets might imi

tate.

SECTION II.

On the Heroick Poetry of the Eastern Nations.

The Arabs have no poems that we can properly call heroick, they have indeed histories which are ornamented with all the graces of poetry. In these histories we find images of

young trees and shrubs. Their scymetars shone like Meteors, and the cry of the army was like the noise of the bursting of a cloud. The banners resplendent in the air, were like Anemones, and the tents resembled the trees laden with gilded buds. The army spread itself like a torrent, and undulated like the branches of a forest, torn off by the tempest. Tamerlane, at the head of his troops, advanced towards Samarcand across verdant groves, strewed with odoriferous flowers and myrtle. Joy was his companion, Gayety his conductress, Con

tentment the friend of his heart, and Success his inseparable follower."

Of such histories not being considered as poems, even among the Arabians, we will say no more, but proceed to the writings of the Persians and Turks.

These two nations have an infinite number of poems on the exploits and adventures of their famous warriours, but these poems being filled with extravagant fables, are rather considered as Romances and Tales than as heroick poems. The works of Ferdusi alone can justly claim this title : they continue the history of Persia from Caioumarats to Anouchirvan in a succession of very beautiful poems. This collection bears the name of Shahnamah, and almost the halfof each volume contains an entire poem on a great and interesting action of the war between Afrasiab, King of Touran, or the country to the north of the Oxus, and the Sultans of Iran, or Persia, of the Race of Cainides.

Afrasiab had invaded the Persian