fovereigns, it would be glorious for private adventurers to undertake this work; and, if they could accomplish it in no other way, to pay them in kind by downright plunder and rapine?

THIS, in effect, is the account given us, of the fame difpofition of the old Germans, by CÆSAR: "Latrocinia, says he, nullam habent infamiam, quæ extra fines cujusque civitatis fiunt." And the reason appears from what he had juft told us"in pace, nullus eft communis magiftratus; fed principes regionum atque pagorum inter fuos jus dicunt, controverfiasque minuunt." De Bello Gall. 1. vi. § 21.

5. THEIR manners, in another refpect, were the fame. "Bastardy was in credit with both." They were extremely watchful over the chastity of their own women; but fuch as they could feize upon in the enemy's quarter, were lawful prize. Or, if at any time they trans

greffed

greffed in this fort at home, the heroic ages were complaifant enough to cover the fault by an ingenuous fiction. The offspring was reputed divine.

NAY, so far did they carry their indulgenee to this commerce, that their greateft Heroes were the fruit of Goddeffes approached by mortals; juft as we hear of the doughtieft Knights being born of Fairies.

6. Is it not strange, that, together with the greateft fiercenefs and favageness of character, "the utmost generosity, hofpitality, and courtesy should be imputed to the heroic ages?" ACHILLES was at once the most relentlefs, vindictive, implacable, and the friendlieft of men,

We have the very fame representation WE in the Gothic Romances, where it is almost true what BUTLER fays humorously of these benign heroes, that

They

They did in fight but cut work out
T'employ their courtefies about.

How are these contradictions, in the characters of the antient and modern men of arms, to be reconciled, but by observing that, as in thofe lawless times dangers and diftreffes of all forts abounded, there would be the fame demand for compaffion, gentleness, and generous attachments to the unfortunate, those especially of their own clan, as of refentment, rage, and animofity against their enemies?

7. AGAIN: confider the martial Games, which antient Greece delighted to celebrate on great and folemn occafions: and fee if they had not the fame origin, and the fame purpose, as the Tournaments of the Gothic warriors.

8. LASTLY," the paffion for adventures, fo natural in their fituation, would be as naturally attended with the love of praise and glory."

HENCE

HENCE the fame encouragement, in the old Greek and Gothic times, to panegyrifts and poets; the BARDS being as welcome to the tables of the feudal Lords, as the AOIAOI of old, to those of the Grecian Heroes.

AND, as the fame causes ever produce the fame effects, we find that even fo late as ELIZABETH's reign, the savage Irish (who were much in the ftate of the antient Greeks, living under the anarchy, rather than government, of their numberlefs puny chiefs) had their Rhymers in principal estimation. It was for the reafon just given, for the honour of their panegyrics on their fierce adventures and fucceffes. And thus it was was in

Greece:

For chief to Poets fuch refpect belongs,
By rival nations courted for their Songs;
These, states invite, and mighty kings admire,
Wide as the Sun plays his vital fire.

Od. B. XVIL

LET.

TH

LETTER V..

HE purpose of the cafual hints, fuggefted in my laft letter, was only to fhew that the refemblance between the Heroic and Gothic ages is great: fo great that the observation of it did not escape the old Romancers themselves, with whom, as an ingenious critic obferves, the fiege of THEBES and TROJAN war were favourite ftories; the characters and incidents of which they were mixing perpetually with their Romances [c]. And to this perfuafion and practice of the Romance-writers CERVANTES plainly alludes, when he makes Don QUIXOTE fay-If the ftories of Chivalry be lies, fo muft it also be, that there ever was a HECTOR, or an ACHILLES, or a TROJAN WAR [d]-a fly stroke

[c] Mr. WARTON's Obfervations on SPENSER, vol. i. p. 175.

[d] Don QUIXOTE, b. iv. c. 22.

of