to represent the Eternal Father, a figure
which has always been considered as one of the greatest ornaments of the
galleries of the Vatican[62]. Any person may conclude that the
difficulty of succeeding in this great attempt, must have bore some
proportion to the _temerity_ (shall we call it) of venturing to design
it. If this celebrated Artist had failed of throwing into that figure an
Air wholly extraordinary, his Design would either have been considered
as rash, or his imagination censured as deficient.

[Footnote 62: Raphael is said to have stolen the expression of
this figure from Michael Angelo, who was at work on the same
subject in another part of the Vatican. We are indebted for this
curious anecdote to the ingenious Abbe du Bos. See his Reflex.
Crit. sur la Poes. et la Peint. Vol. II.]

On the contrary, the Poet who chuseth a more unpromising subject, and
displays an unexpected fertility of invention in his manner of treating
it, is admired as an Original Genius, and the perusal of his work
excites in our mind the most agreeable mixture of surprize and pleasure.

It must immediately occur to any reader who peruseth the Hymn of
Callimachus to Jupiter, that the subject was too great to be properly
managed by the correct and elegant genius of that writer. Instead of
enlarging (as we should have naturally expected) on any particular
perfection of this Supreme Deity, or even of enumerating in a poetical
manner the attributes which were commonly ascribed to Him, he entertains
us coldly with traditionary stories about His birth and education; and
the sublime part of his subject is either wholly omitted, or
superficially passed over. Thus speaking of the bird of Jove, he says
only,

+Thekao d' oionon meg' hupeirochon angeleoten,
Son teraon; hat' emoisi philois endexia phainois+[63].

Thy bird, celestial messenger, who bears
Thy mandate thro' the sky;--O be his flight
Propitious to my friends!

[Footnote 63: Callim. Hymn. in Jov. a lin. 68.]

Pindar introduceth this King of the feathered race in a much nobler and
more animated manner. He exhibits with true poetic enthusiasm, as an
instance of the power of harmony, the following vivid picture.

-- -- -- -- -- +heu-
dei ana skapto Dios aietos, o-
keian pterug' amphotero-
then chalaxeis,
Archos aionon; -- --
-- -- ho de knosson
hugron noton aiorei, teais
repaisi kataschomenos+[64].

The birds fierce Monar