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THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY
which his oratorical powers are made subservient to the purposes of poetry。
Nor can I think Quintilian a great critic in his own province。 Just as are
many of his remarks； beautiful as are many of his illustrations； we can
perpetually detect in his thoughts that flavour which the soil of despotism
generally communicates to all the fruits of genius。 Eloquence was； in his
time； little more than a condiment which served to stimulate in a despot
the jaded appetite for panegyric； an amusement for the travelled nobles
and the blue… stocking matrons of Rome。 It is； therefore； with him； rather
a sport than a war； it is a contest of foils； not of swords。 He appears to
think more of the grace of the attitude than of the direction and vigour of
the thrust。 It must be acknowledged； in justice to Quintilian； that this is
an error to which Cicero has too often given the sanction； both of his
precept and of his example。
Longinus seems to have had great sensibility； but little discrimination。
He gives us eloquent sentences； but no principles。 It was happily said
that Montesquieu ought to have changed the name of his book from
〃L'Esprit des Lois〃 to 〃L'Esprit sur les Lois〃。 In the same manner the
philosopher of Palmyra ought to have entitled his famous work； not
〃Longinus on the Sublime；〃 but 〃The Sublimities of Longinus。〃 The
origin of the sublime is one of the most curious and interesting subjects of
inquiry that can occupy the attention of a critic。 In our own country it
has been discussed； with great ability； and； I think； with very little success；
by Burke and Dugald Stuart。 Longinus dispenses himself from all
investigations of this nature； by telling his friend Terentianus that he
already knows everything that can be said upon the question。 It is to be
regretted that Terentianus did not impart some of his knowledge to his
instructor： for from Longinus we learn only that sublimity means height…
…or elevation。 （Akrotes kai exoche tis logon esti ta uoe。） This name； so
commodiously vague； is applied indifferently to the noble prayer of Ajax
in the Iliad； and to a passage of Plato about the human body； as full of
conceits as an ode of Cowley。 Having no fixed standard； Longinus is
right only by accident。 He is rather a fancier than a critic。
Modern writers have been prevented by many causes from supplying
the deficiencies of their classical predecessors。 At the time of the revival
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THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY
of literature； no man could； without great and painful labour； acquire an
accurate and elegant knowledge of the ancient languages。 And；
unfortunately； those grammatical and philological studies； without which it
was impossible to understand the great works of Athenian and Roman
genius； have a tendency to contract the views and deaden the sensibility of
those who follow them with extreme assiduity。 A powerful mind； which
has been long employed in such studies； may be compared to the gigantic
spirit in the Arabian tale； who was persuaded to contract himself to small
dimensions in order to enter within the enchanted vessel； and； when his
prison had been closed upon him； found himself unable to escape from the
narrow boundaries to the measure of which he had reduced his stature。
When the means have long been the objects of application； they are
naturally substituted for the end。 It was said； by Eugene of Savoy； that
the greatest generals have commonly been those who have been at once
raised to command； and introduced to the great operations of war； without
being employed in the petty calculations and manoeuvres which employ
the time of an inferior officer。 In literature the principle is equally sound。
The great tactics of criticism will； in general； be best understood by those
who have not had much practice in drilling syllables and particles。
I remember to have observed among the French Anas a ludicrous
instance of this。 A scholar； doubtless of great learning； recommends the
study of some long Latin treatise； of which I now forget the name； on the
religion； manners； government； and language of the early Greeks。 〃For
there；〃 says he； 〃you will learn everything of importance that is contained
in the Iliad and Odyssey； without the trouble of reading two such tedious
books。〃 Alas！ it had not occurred to the poor gentleman that all the
knowledge to which he attached so much value was useful only as it
illustrated the great poems which he despised； and would be as worthless
for any other purpose as the mythology of Caffraria； or the vocabulary of
Otaheite。
Of those scholars who have disdained to confine themselves to verbal
criticism few have been successful。 The ancient languages have；
generally； a magical influence on their faculties。 They were 〃fools called
into a circle by Greek invocations。〃 The Iliad and Aeneid were to them
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not books but curiosities； or rather reliques。 They no more admired those
works for their merits than a good Catholic venerates the house of the
Virgin at Loretto for its architecture。 Whatever was classical was good。
Homer was a great poet； and so was Callimachus。 The epistles of Cicero
were fine； and so were those of Phalaris。 Even with respect to questions
of evidence they fell into the same error。 The authority of all narrations；
written in Greek or Latin； was the same with them。 It never crossed their
minds that the lapse of five hundred years； or the distance of five hundred
leagues； could affect the accuracy of a narration；that Livy could be a less
veracious historian than Polybius；or that Plutarch could know less about
the friends of Xenophon than Xenophon himself。 Deceived by the distance
of time； they seem to consider all the Classics as