AN INTRODUCTION

TO THE

STUDY OF POETRY

EDITOR OF SELECTIONS FROM THE INFERNO," AND OF ELTON'S
LAKES AND MOUNTAINS OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA

"

LONDON

KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH & CO., 1, PATERNOSTER SQUARE

1882

σκαιοὺς δὲ λέγων κοὐδέν τι σοφοὺς
τοὺς πρόσθε βροτοὺς οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοις,
οἵτινες ὕμνους ἐπὶ μὲν θαλίαις
ἐπί τ ̓ εἰλαπίναις καὶ παρὰ δείπνοις
εὕροντο, βίου τερπνὰς ἀκοὰς,

στυγίους δὲ βροτῶν οὐδεὶς λύπας
εὕρετο μούσῃ καὶ πολυχόρδοις
ᾠδαῖς παύειν, ἐξ ὧν θάνατοι
δειναί τε τύχαι σφάλλουσι δόμους
καίτοι τάδε μὲν κέρδος ἀκεῖσθαι
μολπαῖσι βροτούς· ἵνα δ ̓ εὔδειπνοι
δαῖτες, τί μάτην τείνουσι βοάν ;
τὸ παρὸν γὰρ ἔχει τέρψιν ἀφ ̓ αὑτοῦ,
δαιτὸς πλήρωμα βροτοῖσιν.

HARVARD
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
OCT 5 1960

EUR., Med. 190.

(The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved.)

PREFACE.

THE contents of this volume originally formed part of a course of lectures which were given some four years ago in connection with the Cambridge "University Extension," and afterwards before an English audience at Dresden. The interest which the subject elicited on these occasions has made me venture to hope that a few readers may be found, no less sympathetic and indulgent than my former hearers. I have left almost everything as it was written, instead of attempting to recast the whole into what might be thought a form more suitable for publication, although I am aware that much which in a lecture may be allowable, and even 'attractive, is apt to appear crude, superficial, and incoherent in a book.

I trust that the didactic and familiar tone, which one naturally assumes as a lecturer, will not be resented, though I feel that at times I have perhaps