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HOMER. THE EPIC POETS. 731the epic poet made use, are extremely simple. The language voluntarily submitted to the poet; and there neverwas a tongue,in which inspiration could have poured itselfforth with more readiness and ease.Under such circumstances it is intelligible,that when asublime poetic genius arose among a people so fond ofpoetry and song as the lonians always were, the age was favourable to him; although the elevated creations of hismind must continue to appear wonderful. There are twothings, which in modern times appear most remarkable anddifficult of explanation how a; poet could have first conceived the idea of so extensive a whole, as the Iliad and theOdyssey and how;works of such extent could have beenfinished and preserved, without the aid of writing.With regard to the first point, criticism has endeavouredto show, and has succeeded in showing,that these poems,especially the Iliad, have by no means that perfect unitywhich they were formerly believed to possess ;that rathermany whole pieces have been interpolated or annexed tothem ;and there hardly exists at present an inquiring scholar, who can persuade himself, that we possessthem both inthe same state in which they came from the hands of thepoet.But notwithstanding the more or less frequent interpolations, each has but one primary action; which, althoughit isinterrupted by frequent episodes, could hardly havebeen introduced by any but the original author and;whichdoes not permit us to consider either of these poems as amere collection of scattered rhapsodies.It is certainly agigantic step,to raise epic poetry to the unity of the chiefaction ;but the idea springs from the very nature of a narration ;and therefore it did not stand in need of a theory,which was foreign to the age ; genius was able of itself to2take this step.Herodotus did something similar in thedepartment of history.1How much easier it must have "been to make extemporaneous verses inthat, measure, than in the ottava rima of the Italians. And yet the Italianwears its shackles with the greatest ease.2 A more plausible objection is this : that even if it he conceded, that it waspossible to invent and execute such large poems, they would have answeredno end, as they were too long to admit of being recited at once. But a replymay be made to this. The Iliad and Odyssey could not be recited at a banquet. But there were public festivals and assemblies which lasted many days,and Herodotus read aloud the nine books of his history, in a succession of